Kate Middleton shared a sweet connection with Prince Philip 13 years before she married Prince William

• Kate Middleton achieved a Duke of Edinburgh award years before meeting William.
• The award for young people in the UK was founded by Prince Philip.
• Middleton recently paid tribute to her late grandfather-in-law.

The Duchess of Cambridge achieved a Duke of Edinburgh award years before becoming a member of the duke's own family.

The Duke of Edinburgh award program, founded by Prince Philip in 1956, allows young people between the ages of 14 and 24 to "build the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to make the most out of life," according to its official website.

The program, which involves self-improvement activities - including volunteering, outdoor, and sports - has thousands of participants in the UK each year.

Kate Middleton confirmed that she took part in the program during Philip Schofield's documentary "When Phillip Met Prince Philip: 60 Years of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award," which aired in the UK in 2016.

"I can remember trying to cook bacon in the soaking wet," Middleton said of her experience, Hello! Magazine reports. "Everything was just sopping and I was trying and trying to cook bacon. I remember saying you know what, 'I think we're just going to have plain sandwiches. Bread, basic bread and butter.'"

The duchess achieved her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award when she was a sixth form student at Marlborough College.

Sixth form students in England are usually around 16-years-old - meaning Middleton would have taken part just a couple of years before she met Prince William at the University of St. Andrews in the early 2000s.

William and Middleton got married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, at the age of 28 and 29 respectively.

The couple recently paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh after he died at Windsor Castle on Friday.

Their charity, the Royal Foundation, displayed a black-and-white photo of the royal on its homepage, alongside the statement issued by Buckingham Palace announcing that the duke had died.

"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," the statement reads. "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."

Middleton also shared a previously unreleased photo of their son, Prince George, with Philip in 2015.