Kate Middleton has coal mining connection

The Associated Press reports that Kate Middleton’s ancestors worked in England’s coal pits:

Her great-grandfather left coal country nearly a century ago in pursuit of a safer way of life in the London area, but his siblings stayed behind and spent their working lives in the coal pits. She still has relatives in the area who expect her to bring a practical, no-nonsense approach to royal life once she and Prince William tie the knot at Westminster Abbey on April 29.

Michael Allan McCrae wrote this story. You can contact him at mmccrae@stage.mining.com. Photo is by Oldmaison.