Her unofficial biographer Sean Smith wrote that Kate was bullied at Downe House school in Berkshire, to the extent that her parents took her out of the school after two terms, and the story was given legs when it was announced that of the four charities Kate was to be patron of, one of them was Beat Bullying.

The worst story was that she had faeces put in her bed, according to Jessica Hay, who sold her story of their time together at Kate’s next school,  Marlborough College.

Now a classmates, Emma Sayle, who has remained a close friend, has spoken out in defence of the school to Adam Heliker, diarist for the Sunday Express.

“The main points of that bullying story do not add up,” says Emma.

“There was no poo in her bed because she was a day girl and not a boarder, and she was not bullied for being too perfect. The girls considered perfect were never bullied but idolised. They were the ones ruling the roost… and Kate went on to rule one of the biggest roosts in the world.”