They are inseparable now, but there was a time early in their relationship when Prince William and Kate Middleton stayed apart because they didn’t get along. At the time, Kate didn’t know what to do, and William decided it was time to seek advice from people with more life experience.
Prince William and Kate Middleton ended their relationship in 2007 due to disagreements. At the time, she fretted that she didn’t know what to do, and he decided to seek advice from the closest people in his life. So Prince William consulted with the Queen of England and Prince Charles about his relationship with Kate Middleton. Author Katie Nicholl has told how the two lovers decided in 2007 to separate in her book about the British Royal Family. It was a turning point in their relationship, an extremely difficult time that they seem to have overcome with flying colors.
William had a candid chat with his father and grandmother about his future with Kate. Both advised him not to make any rash decisions, Katie Nicholl said.
Here’s their full story:
One of the most adored royal couples in history is Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The couple established a solid friendship as St. Andrews University students before they were crowned Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In the now-famous 2010 engagement interview with Tom Bradby of ITV News, Prince William said, “When I first met Kate, I realized there was something really unique about her, and then I thought there was perhaps something I wanted to explore there, but we ended up being friends for a while.”
It came out that what made their relationship so robust was the close friendship they had developed. William remarked, “That was a good sort of foundation.” “I honestly think that having each other as friends is a huge benefit now,”
The couple dated for the majority of their time in college, but after graduation, they took a break to do some self-reflection. In the couple’s engagement interview, Kate said, “I at the time wasn’t very thrilled about it, but honestly it made me a stronger person.” You learn things about yourself that you may not have known before, and I really cherished that time for me as well. “I think you can get very absorbed by a relationship when you’re younger.”
They didn’t remain away for very long, though, and eventually got back together in the summer of 2007. They made their engagement public three years after that, and by 2011, they were married in a lavish wedding at Westminster Abbey in London.
The couple’s marriage is “old-fashioned,” according to an acquaintance of the two. The friend described their relationship to PEOPLE as “they look after each other but in distinct ways.” Another source in 2012 defended Kate’s actions by stating that she “brings a kind of ordinariness that William has always wanted.”
Additionally, she gave the prince a child. Prince George was born in 2013, Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, and Prince Louis was born in 2018. Kate and William are parents to these three kids.
Continue reading to relive every significant turning point in their relationship, from their amicable beginnings to their collaborative work as royals.
While attending St. Andrews University, Kate and William had their first encounter. The two, in part because of her shyness, needed some time to get to know one another, according to Kate. She recalled to Prince William during their 2010 engagement interview that “I think you mentioned I actually blushed blazing crimson when I met you and sort of scuttled out.” “I was quite nervous to meet you,” you said.
But after that, they developed into “quite good friends.” In the same interview, William claimed, “We were friends for nearly a year first.” From that point on, it just sort of flourished.
The prince claimed that as their time together grew, they began to share interests. We discovered that we had similar interests, he said. Simply put, “[We] had a great time.”
The connection between Kate and William developed swiftly, and the two started sharing a four-bedroom apartment close to the town center with friends Fergus Boyd and Olivia Bleasdale. He has a vast group of acquaintances, and she is simply one of them, a friend of Middleton said, adding that she didn’t think the arrangement was a “big deal.”
During the pair’s engagement interview, William later recalled their early years as roommates. We lived with a few other people, too, he continued, adding that “we moved in together as friends,” and “it just sort of bloomed from there, really. We simply saw more of each other, hung out a little more, and did stuff.”
Kate’s performance at a college fashion exhibition called “The Art of Seduction” while donning a see-through dress with a black bra and underpants underneath created by fellow student Charlotte Todd apparently changed William’s opinion of the artist.
It’s crazy, Todd would later tell PEOPLE, adding, “Everyone claims the fashion show was when the relationship started, so a small part of me will always be part of royal history.”
Around 2003, the couple left their four-bedroom apartment and moved into their own home. As he told Bradby in 2010, “When I was trying to impress Kate, I was trying to cook these amazing fancy dinners, and all that would happen is, I would burn something, something would overspill, something would catch on fire, and she’d be sitting in the background just trying to help and [then] taking control of the whole situation.”
The dish had “stuff like Bolognese sauce and things like that,” Kate revealed in a 2019 Christmas special.
Pictures of Kate and William looking very cuddly on the slopes at Klosters Ski Resort in Switzerland were released by The Sun on April 1, 2004, after around a year of keeping their relationship a secret. She is his girlfriend, a friend of the couple revealed to PEOPLE at the time, adding that their relationship had “been going on for a bit.”
Kate was present to support her boyfriend as he received his Royal Military Academy Sandhurst diploma. Her appearance was noteworthy because it was her first official royal function (the Queen was also present), and it led to several engagement rumors.
Kate had previously interacted with members of the royal family. Although it’s unclear precisely when she and Prince Charles first met, the duchess mentioned in her joint engagement interview with Prince William in November 2010 that their encounter was amicable. It couldn’t have gone any simpler, in her opinion, because William’s father is so warmly accepting and pleasant. “I was rather nervous about meeting William’s father,” she admitted.
After nearly five years of dating, Kate and William decided to part ways in April 2007, according to PEOPLE, with a source claiming that the split was “amicable.” William later told ITV News’s Tom Bradby in their engagement interview that it was “just a bit of space,” despite reports at the time that Kate was struggling with the media attention surrounding their relationship and that they were growing apart due to their separate careers (Kate’s as an accessories buyer for Jigsaw and William’s as an armored corps commander trainee).
We did separate ways for a while, he admitted, but that was just because we were both still very young, in college, and we were each sort of defining ourselves as such and being distinct characters and whatnot. We were maturing and striving very hard to discover our own way.
Reports circulated that the prince had reconnected with his ex-girlfriend at a party at his army barracks in Bovington, Dorset, where they apparently had a passionate kiss, two months after the couple made headlines with their breakup. She was reportedly invited to attend a memorial concert for his mother the following week at Wembley Stadium.
At the time, a source told PEOPLE that it was true that they had been dating, and another added, “The spark is still there.”
A romantic getaway to the remote Desroches island in the Seychelles in August 2007 helped the couple’s restored romance to intensify. The prince and his girlfriend went snorkeling when they were there, according to a local source who spoke to PEOPLE. The prince was on vacation from the army.
In the Caribbean a year later, the couple was photographed enjoying the sun on a speedboat and water skiing in advance of Prince William’s special forces training. A royal insider told PEOPLE of their trip, “They only planned on a week there, which is a bit uncommon, given they still have some time together before he resumes military training.
William celebrated his 27th birthday with his closest friends in Cornwall, England, including his younger brother, Prince Harry, and Kate, with whom he reportedly played tennis and went for long walks on the beach during their three-day trip.
Nearly 11,000 feet above sea level, on the African mountainside of Mount Kenya, Prince William proposed to the woman he loved. In his engagement interview with Tom Bradby in November 2010, the prince discussed the memorable experience in detail.
“I was on vacation in Kenya at the time, maybe three weeks ago,” he recalled. “We spent some time together in private with some friends, and I just felt like it was the appropriate time, honestly. It wasn’t a huge surprise because we had been discussing marriage for some time, but I took her up somewhere pleasant in Kenya and proposed.
It’s understandable why the future Duchess of Cambridge thought the occasion was “extremely lovely”; as William revealed, it had been planned for some time. He said, “I had done a little bit of planning of sorts to convey my romantic side. It just felt incredibly natural to ask in Africa, great time.
This includes giving his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring, which William used to propose to Kate, extra-special attention. For three weeks, I had been lugging the ring about in his knapsack. I literally would not let it go; I kept hold of it wherever I went because I knew that if it disappeared, I would be in serious danger.
According to PEOPLE, the official announcement that Kate and William were engaged read: “The Prince of Wales is thrilled to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. The wedding is scheduled for mid-November 2010. The wedding will take place in London either in the spring or summer of 2011. In due course, more information about the wedding day will be released.
Details of the events leading up to the couple’s memorable occasion were also included in the announcement. The announcement stated that “Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya.” “Prince William has told The Queen and other important family members. The father of Miss Middleton has also given his consent, according to Prince William.
They would reside in north Wales, it said, and Prince William would continue to serve in the Royal Air Force.
While Chris Jackson’s engagement photograph of the pair, taken on the day of their announcement, captured their utter happiness (and inspired countless copies of Kate’s royal blue Daniella Issa Helayel dress), the couple issued two additional official pictures by Mario Testino in December 2010.
According to a Clarence House spokesman at the time, “Prince William has worked with Mario Testino on many occasions, therefore the couple thought that he was the ideal choice for such an important photograph.”
The more formal photo, featuring the two hugging and Kate wearing a white Reiss dress and Links earrings, was taken in the Council Chamber, which is connected to Prince Charles’ Clarence House mansion.
Testino then admitted to PEOPLE that he didn’t interact with the couple much while he was shooting. “Because we have to create these photographs, everything is compressed into a very brief period of time. It sounds more like me yelling and pleading for things to stop, he said.
For the first time since announcing their engagement on December 18, 2010, the pair appeared in public together at a cancer charity event in Norfolk, England. In order to learn the ropes and observe how things work, Catherine will occasionally shadow Prince William between now and the wedding, a royal source predicted at the time.
William is a terrific teacher, so he’ll be up to help me, Kate allegedly said in her first photocall, showing that she wasn’t intimidated.
Kate Middleton performed her very first royal duty by going on a royal tour of Wales with her future husband, just as Princess Diana had done before her. She talked to the inhabitants there, joined in on the Welsh national anthem, and poured champagne on the Hereford Endeavor lifeboat that the couple had given their own name while they were there.
The couple went back to the college where they first met, this time as engaged. William was the university’s 600th appeal’s patron, and he addressed the approximately 600 attendees by saying, “This is a very significant time for Catherine and me. It is like returning home.
As the palace revealed on the day of their wedding, Queen Elizabeth II granted her granddaughter-in-law the Duchessdom and her grandson the Dukedom just before their wedding.
The announcement stated, “The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince William of Wales.” “His titles will be Baron Carrickfergus, Earl of Strathearn, and Duke of Cambridge. This makes Prince William His Royal Highness. After getting married, The Duke of Cambridge and Miss Middleton will take the title “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.”
The much-awaited wedding of the pair took place on April 29, 2011, in London’s Westminster Abbey. It was regarded as the “biggest and finest royal affair” since Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 nuptials by PEOPLE at the time.
William and Prince Harry both wore traditional military garb as they acted as their brother’s best men. In contrast, Kate looked stunning in an Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton gown with a skirt that was designed to resemble an opening flower and was constructed of French Chantily and English Cluny lace.
The wedding was attended by 1,900 people, and there were more well-wishers roaring for the couple outside. Kate Wright, one of the guests, remarked that there was a swell of smiles and laughing when the cheers arrived from outside. The congregation was on the verge of joining in the applause.
After exchanging vows, the couple traveled a 109-year-old State Landau carriage through the streets of London to Buckingham Palace, where they enjoyed not one, but two now-famous kisses on the balcony before leaving in a 1969 Aston Martin convertible.
Later, Kate changed into another white strapless evening gown by Sarah Burton for a supper Prince Charles held for about 300 people.
The newlyweds jet-set off on their official honeymoon after a week of post-nuptial chores. At the time, authorities refused to confirm the location, although there were rumors that the pair had flown aboard a private jet to the Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles.
According to PEOPLE, the royal couple moved into their new residence at Kensington Palace, which included two bedrooms and one bathroom, in July 2011. By November, they had decided to move, albeit it would first require extensive renovations owing to asbestos, to a bigger apartment on the property that was described as being “the size of a small mansion.”
Kate and William added a cocker spaniel puppy to their family in January 2012. The following month, while taking a watercolor class at a nonprofit called The Art Room, the duchess told kids their pet’s name was Ludo.
After only a few months of marriage, Ludo is said to have been a pleasant source of comfort for Kate as Prince William left on a six-week military tour to the Falkland Islands. The queen claimed to miss her new spouse “terribly” when speaking at a lunch in Leicester, but she assured Riaz Rivat Ravat that she was staying busy.
“I have a dog that keeps me busy,” she remarked. With the puppy, “I’m getting a lot of me time.”
The couple woke up in the Westleton Crown, a charming 12th-century inn where they were staying for Kate’s former classmate’s wedding, on the day of their official anniversary. A source told PEOPLE that after eating breakfast with the other visitors to the inn, “They left after breakfast to go on with the remainder of their anniversary.”
In spite of the chilly and choppy weather, Prince William apparently had fun tubing with friends on his 30th birthday on June 21, 2012. The Sun stated that after the fun, the company enjoyed dinner at a leased farmhouse, which was organized by his wife.
In July 2012, the couple unveiled a website for the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge that featured their humanitarian endeavors. The organization seeks to “organize leaders, businesses, and people” in order to “address society’s greatest challenges,” according to the page.
The Foundation gave $2 million to more than 20 charities in its first year alone, including proceeds from their Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund, for which they asked for donations to their foundation instead of gifts.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge not only attended to support Zara Philips, the Queen’s oldest grandchild, but they also got caught up in the frenzy and joined in.
When the royal couple revealed they were expecting their first child in December 2012, it was fantastic news to share. The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a child, their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce in a statement.
The statement continued, “Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, The Queen, and members of both families are pleased with the news.”
Kate was given treatment for her pregnancy-related illness for the following four days after being admitted to the hospital on the same day.
Prior to the birth of their first child, the couple visited Mustique for a tropical getaway. According to The Daily Mail, the couple rented a lavish villa for upwards of $24,000 per week. Middleton’s parents, Michael and Carole, reportedly joined the trip as well, but they remained at a different home to respect the privacy of the soon-to-be parents.
His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, also known as Prince George Alexander Louis, was born on July 22, 2013, at 4:24 p.m., after a 14-hour natural labor.
At the time, a palace source stated, “It’s been a beautiful day and everyone is thrilled.”
The 8 pounds, 6 ounces-tall baby prince was welcomed into the world on the steps of St. Mary’s Hospital while being held by his mother, who looked stunning in a blue polka-dot short-sleeve dress by Jenny Packham. She remarked, “It’s quite emotional.” Any parent who has recently given birth will be able to relate to this moment.
In August 2014, the new parents had some time for themselves. They reportedly ate supper at the King’s Head Hotel in Great Bircham while dressed casually, and they reportedly left while holding hands.
On September 8, 2014, the couple announced further joyful news to the world: Prince George would soon become a big brother.
The Royal Highnesses of ” The announcement said, “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child. The news has delighted the Queen and members of both families.
However, despite their pleasure, Kate’s sickness meant that she once more required medical attention. The announcement said that the duchess will be unable to attend a previously scheduled engagement with Prince William because “like with her first pregnancy, the duchess is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum.” Doctors at Kensington Palace are attending to the Duchess.
Before the baby storm, the group apparently had a week of peace and relaxation at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle.
The couple welcomed a baby girl on May 2, 2015, expanding their family by one. The palace tweeted that “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a daughter at 8.34 a.m.”
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, and members of both families have been notified and are delighted with the news, the palace added in a more formal statement on the 8-pound, 3-ounce baby’s birth.
According to a hospital insider, the birth of the kid went “very well,” and the couple celebrated with champagne.
On the steps of St. Mary’s Hospital, the couple announced the birth of their royal baby ten hours later. Kate looked gorgeous in a light yellow Jenny Packham dress with a buttercup design. William proclaimed, “We’re very, very thrilled.”
In memory of William’s late mother, the couple gave their daughter the name “Charlotte Elizabeth Diana,” with the palace announcing that she is “Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.”
The couple slowed down to enjoy some much-needed family time for what an insider dubbed “a golden period” in their lives after bringing their new baby home.
A family friend described their at-home bonding as “a terribly exciting period for them.” They are extremely stable, his job is secure, they have a home, and the general state of the royal family has not changed. So they are anticipating a period of peace.
William spoke affectionately about his wife and kids in a BBC interview. I am really happy to have a wonderful small family, and it is terrific,” he remarked. I’m so proud of Catherine because she’s been a wonderful mother.
The royal couple visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, in honor of their fifth wedding anniversary, following in the steps of Prince William’s mother. In an interview with PEOPLE about their visit, their tour guide, Rizwan Mohammed, said, “They were startled that I knew about [their anniversary on April 29] but you know, the Internet…. Then [Kate] said that doing this right before their wedding anniversary is the best course of action. She was very pleased about it.
They were quite simple to talk to, Mohammed continued. Although I was extremely scared, they seemed quite down to earth and normal to me. The duchess in particular was very pleased with how this was constructed.
At the 2017 British Academy Film Awards, Prince William gave Mel Brooks a BAFTA Fellowship honor. In an off-the-shoulder tiered floral Alexander McQueen gown, Kate walked the red carpet with her husband for the occasion.
Early in September, the royal family announced that the Duchess of Cambridge was expecting once more. The Queen and members of both families are overjoyed with the news, Kensington Palace’s official statement stated. “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child.”
However, a statement describing Kate’s illness prompted her to postpone an appearance, saying, “As with her previous two pregnancies, the duchess is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum…. ”
At Kensington Palace, the duchess is being looked after.
On April 23, 2018, the four-person family expanded to include five people. She is the Royal Highness The fifth in line of succession and third child of Kate and William was safely delivered at 11:01 a.m., according to a statement announcing the birth. “The infant is 8 pounds 7 ounces in weight. The birth was seen by the Duke of Cambridge.
Seven hours later, the couple made their first public appearance with their newborn son on the steps of St. Mary’s. Kate wore a red Jenny Packham dress with a lacy Peter Pan collar for the occasion.
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The newborn’s name, Louis Arthur Charles, was perhaps a tribute to both Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, the late Prince Philip, and William, who was named after his grandfather, the late Prince Philip. Additionally, it is a component of William Arthur Philip Louis, the full name of Prince William.
On their wedding day, the couple assisted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in celebrating at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England. A wedding guest told PEOPLE of the Duke of Cambridge, “William was in a jokey, great mood at the celebration.” The guest continued, “She was [in] terrific form. Kate was likewise in good spirits. She and William expressed how happy they were to have their kids there to participate.
Holding hands in the pew where they were seated in a rare display of PDA, the two enjoyed a tender moment while at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to husband Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
The duke and duchess, who were feeling the effects of COVID-19, gave a rare joint interview to the BBC in April 2020 via video chat during which they discussed homeschooling their kids throughout the epidemic.
Like many families who isolate themselves, there have been ups and downs, according to Kate. “I don’t know how the kids have such endurance. Sincerity dictates that when the day is over, you make a list of all you accomplished. So you set up a tent, take it down, cook, and bake. It is surprising how much you can fit into one day, that much is certain, when you come to the end of the day. They have had a beautiful time.
After losing their pet cocker spaniel, Ludo, in November 2020, the pair posted a touching tribute to him on Instagram. Very regrettably, our beloved dog, Lupo, passed away last weekend, according to the message. “For the past nine years, he has been the center of our family, and we shall miss him dearly. – W & C.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted two new pictures by photographer Chris Floyd that showed them laughing and cuddling at their residence, Kensington Palace, in honor of their wedding anniversary.
They also uploaded a video taken by Will Warr of them spending time with their family in Norfolk, England. They can be seen laughing together and guiding their kids across the dunes in the video. Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary, they wrote in the caption of the post. We are incredibly appreciative of the support our family has received over the past 10 years.
The pair visited their alma college in May 2021 to begin a brief tour in Scotland. There, they competed in a land yacht race (William edged Kate out as the victor due to a lucky gust of wind). According to Guy McKenzie of the Blown Away surf school, “They said they were thrilled to be back at St. Andrews.”
Later on that evening, the two went out to eat at Forgan’s, which was allegedly recommended by one of Kate’s friends.
In June 2021, the Queen will name the navy battleship HMS Glasglow, and the prince revealed that his wife would fund it. In his speech, William stated that “Her Majesty the Queen has accepted the designation of my wife Catherine as Sponsor of the splendid ship we see taking shape outside—HMS Glasgow.” “I’m sure Catherine will be thrilled to come and join you here in Glasgow for the naming ceremony when the time comes,” she said.
Maintaining a “strong and enduring personal connection to the vessel and her crew, frequently supporting milestones, events, and deployments,” according to Middleton’s Kensington Palace office, was one of Kate’s responsibilities.
At the London premiere of Daniel Craig’s No Time to Die, the royal couple posed for pictures alongside William’s father, Prince Charles, and his stepmother, Camilla Parker Bowles. William looked sharp in a velvet tux and black cashmere slippers from Arthur Sleep, while Kate dazzled in a stunning gold sequin Jenny Packham capelet gown. Along with some of his co-stars, including Rami Malek and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Craig attended the event. The theme song’s performer, Billie Eilish, was also present.
While backstage at the Earthshot Awards at London’s Alexandra Palace, the duke and duchess were captured in a rare instance of PDA. Chris Jackson’s tender black-and-white photograph of his wife and husband shows Kate laying her hand delicately on the small of her husband’s back.
Jackson talked to PEOPLE about the occasion, which included a moving speech from the prince at the awards ceremony.
When Prince William returned from his speech, “[Kate] was so plainly incredibly proud of [Prince William],” Jackson remarked. She had been watching the TV in the dressing room. They work well as a team.
In May 2022, the pair appeared on the red carpet for the Top Gun U.K. premiere. In a black-and-white Roland Mouret gown that highlighted her shoulders, the Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning. William, on the other hand, wore a traditional tux with Crockett & Jones shoes that were embroidered with F18 aircraft. Tom Cruise, the star of the movie, was with the couple. Tom had invited the couple to a special screening of the movie after learning that William liked the 1986 original.
The couple visited the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge on June 23, where they saw their first official joint photograph for the first time in front of an audience.
The work was commissioned in 2021 as a gift to Cambridgeshire by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund, which is managed by the Cambridge Community Foundation. Jamie Coreth, a prominent British portrait painter, created it.