30 things to do by the time you are 30

She's joined the scouts, drunk Dom Perignon, and bagged a prince. As the Duchess of Cambridge turns 30 tomorrow, Matthew Bell, who follows suit in August, finds out how many must-do-before-you're-30 achievements Kate Middleton can tick off, and compares notes. How many have you done?

Matthew Bell
Sunday 08 January 2012 01:00 GMT
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1. Bungee-jumped in a Third World country

Kate Too sensible for skydiving or abseiling. Went to Chile on her gap year, but helped build a fire station.

Matthew Once Tarzaned through the Jamaican jungle on a zip wire.

2. Pulled pints

Kate Earned £5.25 per hour as a barmaid at Henley regatta.

Matthew Ran a hotel bar in Italy.

3. Passed driving test

Kate Drives a blue Audi A3: also has a chauffeur.

Matthew Failed theory test once, passed full test third time.

4. Got a proper job

Kate Was an accessories buyer for Jigsaw, which belongs to friends.

Matthew Served on the delicatessen counter at Waitrose, Abingdon.

5. Inhaled

Kate Never known to have smoked.

Matthew Can't say. Parents might be reading.

6. Been kicked out of a party

Kate Left Mahiki at 3am, but never forcibly removed.

Matthew Has worked as a gossip columnist.

7. Had a scrape with the police

Kate Once mooned out of her boarding school window.

Matthew Charged with dangerous driving, aged 19. Got off with a caution.

8. Bedded a royal

Kate No baby news yet, though the odds of a birth this year have been slashed to 1/2.

Matthew No gentleman would comment.

9. Drunk a 1982 Grand Cru Classé

Kate Drank vintage Dom Pérignon at Boujis for 10 years.

Matthew Opened a 1982 Chateau Carbonnieux one birthday. It was corked.

10. Been to Glastonbury

Kate Cowes Week is more her scene.

Matthew Never got organised in time.

11. Left home

Kate Parents bought her a flat in Chelsea, though she moved back to Berkshire when hounded by the press.

Matthew Never looked back.

12. Holidayed in the Caribbean

Kate Mustique is practically a second home.

Matthew Once sailed past Mustique on a press trip.

13. Thrown a party for 200

Kate The wedding was watched by three billion. The private after-party was for 300.

Matthew Invited 200; 100 turned up.

14. Appeared in a national newspaper

Kate First linked to William in the press in 2002, has endured a decade of media attention.

Matthew Joined The IoS four years ago.

15. Fallen in love

Kate Of course.

Matthew Whatever "in love" means.

16. Fallen out of love

Kate Of course not.

Matthew Often.

17. Appeared on television

Kate Gave her first interview to ITV's Tom Bradby in 2010.

Matthew Back of head visible in news footage of the 2003 anti-war march.

18. Been on a road trip

Kate Several safaris in Kenya.

Matthew Crossed the Sahara in a Ford Escort.

19. Lived abroad

Kate Lived in Florence for three months of her gap year.

Matthew Lived in Paris and Italy.

20. Had pretentious arguments about philosophy until the small hours

Kate William did a course in moral philosophy, so it seems likely.

Matthew It depends on what you mean by philosophy.

21. Started a novel

Kate Not known to have expressed an interest in writing.

Matthew At least three.

22. Been in a band

Kate Great-grandparents were talented musicians, though Kate's not known to have expressed an interest.

Matthew Joined The Minibeasts, aged nine.

23. Taken part in a demonstration because your friends did

Kate Never been on a demonstration.

Matthew Was in two minds on the Iraq war but marched all the same.

24. Joined the scouts

Kate Became a volunteer scout leader last week, just in the nick of time.

Matthew Er, no.

25. Seen New York

Kate Spent two weeks in 2009 to work with photographer Annie Leibovitz's muse, Count Nikolai Von Bismarck, learning about abstract photography.

Matthew Once.

26. Bought a house

Kate Given a flat in Chelsea, then a palace in Kensington.

Matthew Still a lodger.

27. Attended four weddings and a funeral

Kate Among the many weddings she has attended are: Hugh Van Cutsem and Rose Astor; Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly; Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall; her own – but no public funerals yet.

Matthew Feels like 44 weddings.

28. Reinvented yourself

Kate Once Catherine, then Kate, now back to Catherine.

Matthew Several times. Trying to cut down.

29. Inherited

Kate The Middletons' mysterious wealth is partly down to inheritance.

Matthew Inherited a Citroën BX from a grandparent.

30. Raved on a Thai beach

Kate Kept it very secret if she has.

Matthew Plans to do likewise.

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