A revealing dress and a phone call that almost destroyed everything: the not-so-perfect love of Prince William and Kate Middleton
They were very good friends, fell in love and got married in 2011 at Westminster Abbey, in front of millions of spectators and after eight years of dating. But the most beloved couple in the British royal family got off to a shaky start, with a brief crisis that nearly ended a movie romance.
The love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton is one of the best known in royal history, and few couples have been through a more public courtship. From Kate's sassy see-through gown at the St. Andrews fashion show to her million-dollar wedding at Windsor Castle, the couple have the eyes of the world on her from the start. However, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have remained strong and united despite all the attention, with the exception of some problems early in the relationship.
When they met in college, Kate and William became great friends, and later took their relationship to a more intimate plan. Soon Kate appeared together with William at royal events. In 2010 they were engaged, after a brief crisis, and in 2011 they were married. Since then, the couple have had three children and have captivated the world with their elegance and tact in each and every public appearance. But what really happens inside that royal couple? Are they really as perfect as they seem? Some information about the beginnings of the love story between the successor to the throne and the future queen consort of England.
"Kate is sexy"
The couple met while studying at the elite University of St. Andrews, located in Scotland. However, it turns out that this version of events is a bit misleading. While their friendship began there, Kate and William met many years before they began their studies. According to royal biographer Kate Nicholls, they first crossed paths in 1991, when William was still in high school. Apparently William's school went to Kate's school for a hockey game. Nicholls wrote: "It was the first time that Kate saw the young prince, but certainly not the last."
Regarding Kate's see-through dress that did not go unnoticed, the story goes that Kate was participating in a parade at the university when she caught the prince's attention as she walked the runway in a very revealing dress. Legend has it that the prince told a friend, 'Wow, Kate is sexy.' But there is something else behind the story. According to Nicholls, William was already interested in her and showed up while Kate was rushing to class. He apparently invited her to eat with him and her friends. So when the show came around, William already knew Kate; However, the notorious see-through gown made the royal see Kate differently.
Good friends and a kiss that was not
Despite William's interest in Kate, they remained friends before they finally started dating and moved in together in their college days. According to actual experts, their relationship really began to blossom as they shared a flat in their sophomore year and the two of them were dating other people. As William said in an interview with Sky News their bond developed slowly during this period. "When he was trying to impress Kate, he was trying to cook amazing fancy dinners, and what happened was she burned something, something spilled, something caught fire," he recalled humorously.
Apparently it was quite difficult for him to win Kate, and at first she wanted to remain his friend; she even rejected him when William tried to kiss her at a party. Still, it seems their initial solid friendship ended up being a good thing in the long run. "Being friends I think was a great advantage," said Lady Di's son once.
"Royal" and official girlfriend
After graduating from St. Andrews, Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship changed dramatically. As William had to return to his royal duties, Kate had to become a more public bride. And while William was beginning his official training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Kate began working for her parents' company as a party planner. At this point, their romance was public knowledge, as they had been photographed together on a ski trip in 2004. So it came as no surprise when Kate began appearing at various royal events.
In 2006, Kate was present at the William show at Sandhurst. It was her first real appearance, and her presence caused quite a stir, fueling rumors of an impending marriage. Kate also attended the wedding of William's stepsister, Laura Parker Bowles, that same year. During this period, Kate and William strengthened their relationship even though their lives had taken very different paths.
A break up over the phone
Their romantic relationship was not always easy or so idyllic. In fact, they briefly separated during the first few years of dating. The English press maliciously nicknamed Waity Katie her future queen consort, alluding to the time she had been waiting for William to propose to her. According to Robert Lacey's book Battle of Brothers, the 2007 breakup was over the phone. Kate was at work when she got a phone call from her boyfriend and by the end of the co nversation, they were done.
While Kate admitted in her engagement interview with Sky News channel that she was upset at the time, she refused to get depressed after the breakup. In fact, she went on vacation a few days later. While the breakup was William's idea, according to the British media, she quickly changed her mind and they reconciled. As Kate told the media, the breakup ended up being a pretty good thing. "You discover things about yourself that you may not have realized," she explained. "I think a relationship can be quite consuming when you are younger." Kate even added that she "valued" the time apart from her.
They moved into their first home together in 2010. Of course, it was a sign that things were more serious than ever between them. William and Kate chose a modest cabin in North Wales, near the prince's military base. According to the locals, the couple enjoyed a relatively normal way of life in the village.
Commitment and a historical "yes, I want"
After eight years of dating, Prince William finally proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010, while the couple were on vacation in Kenya. In a speech at a reception at Buckingham Palace in 2020, the successor to the British throne spoke about that very special moment. As he explained, he chose Kenya because it held a very special place in his heart, he revealed. "It is the place where my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died."
In another significant nod to the past, William used his mother's ring to present to Kate. "This is my way of keeping her close to everything," the duke said before the television cameras. However, her commitment could not have been more different from that of her parents. Prince Charles and Princess Diana, 19, hardly knew each other.
The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was one of the largest in history. On Friday April 29, 2011, Kate walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey and married William. It was a huge global event, and the date was declared a national holiday in the UK. According to The Telegraph, 1.2 billion people around the globe tuned in to watch the televised ceremony.
Kate, 29 at the time, wore a stunning wedding dress by the late designer Alexander McQueen in a link that wasn't exactly cheap. It was one of the most expensive royal weddings of all time, costing about $ 34 million; the dress alone is said to cost $ 434,000.
George, Charlotte and Louis, the heirs
Kate's first pregnancy in 2012 had to be revealed to the public because of her morning sickness. In 2020, Kate spoke on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast about her experience. "She was really sick," she recalled. "It was definitely a challenge, not just for me, but also for the loved ones around me." Kate went on to explain that it was especially difficult for Prince William. "He didn't feel like he could do much to help, and it's hard for everyone to watch you suffer without being able to do anything about it," she continued.
George Alexander was born on July 22, 2013, and his parents took him on his first real tour of Australia and New Zealand. The little boy stole all the attention. Interestingly, the official trip marked a historic moment. That same trip William made when he was a baby with his parents. In fact, Kate and William followed in the footsteps of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, visiting famous sites together with their first child.
Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge was born on May 2, 2015, and Louis Arthur Charles, the third child and second son of the Dukes, came to this world on April 23, 2018.
Unlike the rest of the Windsors, Prince William and Kate Middleton want to give their children a relatively normal life. Dukes encourage laughter and other forms of emotional expression, even in public appearances. Kate even kneels next to her children in public to comfort them. "Hugs are very important," she once told a fan. "That's what I tell my children." It seems that she and William are committed to raising their little heirs without too much royal protocol.
William and Kate not only go out of their way to treat their children like normal children, but they also strive to be more relatable than their royal predecessors. For example, after the birth of his first child, Prince George, William was seen grappling with the baby seat in his car. In another case, they admitted that they enjoy junk food and take away. Speaking to BBC Radio 1, they said that "when the children are in bed" from time to time they enjoy a delicious pizza or Chinese food. Of course, they look for the order, since it is not easy a delivey to the palace.
Megxit and pandemic
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic had an impact around the world, including on Prince William and Kate Middleton. In fact, William contracted the virus in April; His father, Prince Charles, was also diagnosed with coronavirus.
Fortunately, Kate and the children did not test positive. However, the experience was hard for the whole family. "William was quite affected by the virus," a source told The Sun. However, he kept his COVID-19 diagnosis a secret and even continued with virtual engagements from him. It was also an incredibly difficult time for the 38-year-old Duchess, who had to take on the responsibility of representing the royal family. Later in the year, the couple resumed their commitments in person, thanking the country's essential workers for their response to the pandemic.
But 2020 had already started difficult for them following the resignation of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from their official job for the Crown, forcing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to make more commitments on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.
The royal couple are preparing to become, in the not so distant future, the kings of England.
