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1. Do your own research on the information provided and then come up with your own conclusions.

2. This article contains many names and other information that can be researched.

3. Trust your gut feeling on information provided as this post may contain slanted information.

A British entrepreneur who rowed alongside Catherine “Kate” Middleton in The Sisterhood, an all-female dragon-boat crew.

There is an important correction: The Sisterhood was not Kate’s college rowing team. Kate joined the crew in 2007, several years after graduating from the University of St Andrews. Emma Sayle and Kate also did not attend university together.

How Emma Sayle and Kate Middleton were connected

Emma Sayle organized The Sisterhood to attempt a cross-English-Channel dragon-boat race against an all-male crew called The Brotherhood. The event was intended to raise money for charitable causes, including children’s hospices.

According to contemporary reporting:

• Sayle recruited women she knew from school and
  university.
• One recruit was Alicia Fox-Pitt, a
  longtime friend of Kate from Marlborough College.
• Fox-Pitt suggested inviting Kate to join the
  crew.
• Kate accepted shortly after her temporary breakup
  with Prince William in April 2007.
• Kate and Sayle were photographed training
  together on the River Thames in July and August 2007.

The photographs provide firm evidence that they trained together. Getty Images identifies both women in photographs taken during Sisterhood training on July 27 and August 1, 2007. Getty Images photographic record

Sayle praised Kate as a serious participant rather than a celebrity decoration. Contemporary reports described Kate as athletic, committed and capable. She reportedly trained with the crew several mornings each week.

Why Kate withdrew

Kate eventually pulled out before the Channel crossing. Reports at the time attributed her withdrawal to the intense press attention surrounding her participation. Photographers repeatedly followed the crew’s training sessions, and there were concerns that Kate’s presence was distracting attention from the team and its charitable purpose.

The Guardian reported on the consequences of Kate’s departure and identified Sayle as The Sisterhood’s founder. The Guardian’s 2007 report

Therefore, although Kate trained extensively with the team, she did not complete the Channel crossing.

Who is Emma Sayle?

Emma Sayle was born around 1977 or 1978 and became known primarily as the founder of Killing Kittens, an adult social and events company established in 2005. The company organizes private, women-led, adults-only events and operates an online community.

Sayle describes the business as promoting:

• Women’s sexual autonomy
• Consent and personal boundaries
• Women making the first approach
• Privacy and discretion
• A female-centered alternative to male-dominated
  adult entertainment

Her business and its events have generated substantial publicity and controversy. Some reports have reduced her identity to being “Kate Middleton’s sex-party friend,” but this can exaggerate how close their relationship was. The evidence clearly establishes that they were rowing teammates and social acquaintances. It does not establish that Sayle has remained one of Catherine’s closest personal friends.

Sayle later became an author, speaker and advocate for female entrepreneurship and sexual empowerment. Her novel, Behind the Mask, was loosely inspired by her experiences in the adult-events industry. A 2022 report stated that Killing Kittens had approximately 180,000 members and had raised £1 million at a valuation of roughly £15 million. The Guardian’s business report

Sayle’s remarks about Kate

Over the years, Sayle has discussed Kate in media interviews. She has described her as:

• Naturally athletic
• Hardworking during rowing practice
• Competitive but personable
• Capable of being “one of the girls”
• More resilient than her polished public image
  might suggest

Sayle also gave interviews discussing Kate and her sister Pippa. Some of those stories concerned alleged sibling rivalry and dieting when they were younger. These recollections should be treated cautiously: they are Sayle’s personal claims, not independently verified facts.

What can be stated with confidence

The reliable historical record supports these conclusions:

1. Emma Sayle and Kate Middleton belonged to The Sisterhood dragon-boat crew in 2007.

2. Kate joined through her Marlborough College friend Alicia Fox-Pitt.

3. Sayle and Kate were photographed training together on the Thames.

4. It was a private charity crew—not a University of St Andrews team.

5. Kate withdrew before the English Channel attempt.

6. Sayle founded Killing Kittens in 2005 and developed it into an international adult social and events business.

7. Newspapers frequently call Sayle a “friend” of Kate, but “former rowing teammate and social acquaintance” is the more carefully supported description.

Tell me more about Killing Kittens Club and post some links

Killing Kittens: what the club is

Killing Kittens, often shortened to KK, is a British members-only adult social club and “sex-positive” events company founded by Emma Sayle in 2005. Sayle says she created it because most adult-entertainment spaces were controlled by and designed primarily for men. Her stated goal was to establish an environment in which women control whether—and how—an intimate encounter begins.

Despite its name, it has nothing to do with animals. The name comes from an old joke claiming that “every time someone masturbates, God kills a kitten.”

What happens at its events?

Killing Kittens events are usually presented as upscale masked parties rather than conventional nightclubs. Depending on the particular event, the evening might include:

• A cocktail reception, music, dancing and
  socializing
• Elaborate costumes or masquerade dress
• Cabaret and other adult-themed entertainment
• Private rooms or designated areas for consensual
  sexual activity
• Hosts responsible for enforcing the rules
• Workshops or discussions involving relationships,
  intimacy and consent

Attendees are not required to engage in sexual activity. Some reportedly attend simply to socialize, dance, watch performances or experience the atmosphere. Participation in anything intimate is supposed to be voluntary and based on continuing consent.

The women-first rule

The club’s best-known principle is that women make the first move. Historically, its rules have meant that men cannot approach or touch women sexually without being invited. Single men were generally excluded from the traditional events, while women could attend alone or bring a male partner.

Its formats and membership categories have expanded over time, so the precise admission rules may differ by event. Anyone considering attending should read the current event listing rather than rely on older newspaper descriptions.

Consent and conduct

Killing Kittens says that consent must be clear, voluntary and continuous. Its published rules state that guests should ask before physical contact and that people may withdraw consent at any time. Silence, intoxication or an earlier “yes” does not automatically mean continuing permission.

The organization says identifiable hosts are stationed at its events to receive complaints and address violations. Attendees can reportedly be removed for breaching the behavioral code. Those are the company’s stated procedures; they should not be interpreted as a guarantee that participation is free from risk.

• Official explanation of consent
• Official party rules
• Official terms and conditions

Membership and privacy

Prospective members generally create an online profile and may undergo an approval or verification process. Tickets are sold separately for particular events, and approval for the platform does not necessarily guarantee admission to every party.

Privacy has traditionally been a major selling point. Common event practices have included:

• No unauthorized photography or filming
• Masks at certain parties
• Confidential or undisclosed venues
• Rules governing phones and recording equipment
• Verification of identity and age
• Dress codes that vary by event

People should nevertheless assume that no crowded private event can offer absolute anonymity. Before registering, it would be wise to read the current privacy policy carefully, particularly the provisions governing photographs, identification documents, profile information and deletion of personal data.

Growth into a larger business

Killing Kittens developed beyond London parties into an international adult social network and events brand. Events have been held or proposed in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Lisbon and Venice. The company has also developed dating and community services and pursued retreats, cruises and other travel experiences.

Reported membership figures have changed over time:

• In 2022, the company claimed approximately 180,000
  members worldwide.
• A 2024 Financial Times report said it had grown
  to more than 250,000 members.
• These are company-reported numbers, not
  independently audited membership totals.

The 2024 report said the company was seeking expansion funding at a valuation of approximately £10.5 million. That figure represents a fundraising valuation—not necessarily Emma Sayle’s personal wealth or the amount the business would receive if sold. Financial Times report on the company’s expansion

British government investment

A surprising chapter occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, when live events were suspended. Killing Kittens received a loan through the British government’s Future Fund, which supported eligible start-up businesses by matching private investment.

After a later fundraising round, the convertible loan became equity, leaving the British government with a reported 1.5% ownership interest. This did not mean the government endorsed the club’s activities; it resulted from the standard investment terms applied to eligible participating companies.

In 2022, the business reportedly:

• Raised approximately £1 million
• Claimed an annual turnover around £1.4 million
• Was valued in that funding round at approximately
  £15 million
• Earned about 80% of its revenue in the United
  Kingdom

Independent coverage:

• The Guardian: British taxpayers take a stake in Killing Kittens
• Sky News: Government’s reported 1.5% stake
• Financial Times: UK Treasury takes a stake

Controversies and criticism

The company has attracted criticism in several areas:

• Exclusivity: Its original image emphasized affluent, conventionally attractive
  clientele, prompting criticism that its idea of liberation was selective
  and elitist.
• Screening applicants: Earlier reports said applicants submitted
  photographs and were evaluated before admission. Critics questioned
  whether this reinforced conventional beauty standards.
• Commercialized feminism: Sayle presents KK as female empowerment, while
  critics argue that selling expensive erotic experiences does not
  necessarily advance women’s rights generally.
• Safety:
  Consent rules are important, but policies alone cannot eliminate
  misconduct, intoxication-related concerns or pressure in sexual
  environments.
• Government investment: Some politicians and commentators objected to
  public money producing a government stake in an adult-events company.
• Privacy:
  Membership in any intimate social platform entails potential risks
  involving data retention, breaches, identification and unwanted exposure.

An informative older interview in which Sayle explains her philosophy and the traditional event rules is available from The Guardian.

Did Kate Middleton attend these parties?

There is no reliable public evidence that Catherine, Princess of Wales, attended a Killing Kittens party. Her established connection to Emma Sayle arose through the Sisterhood charity dragon-boat team in 2007. Photographs establish that Kate and Sayle trained together, but that does not connect Kate to Sayle’s adult-events business.

Tabloid headlines frequently call Sayle “Kate Middleton’s friend” because the royal association attracts attention. It is more accurate to describe her as Kate’s former rowing teammate and social acquaintance unless stronger evidence of a continuing close friendship emerges.

Useful links

• Official Killing Kittens website
• Official help and policy center
• Official consent policy
• Official party rules
• Forbes interview with Emma Sayle
• Founder profile and business interview
• Financial Times business report