If you think royal love is smooth sailing, you might want to think again.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have had one of the most memorable love stories of the century, but it didn’t start off as a fairytale. The two met while studying at the prestigious St Andrews, though it wasn’t love at first sight. The Princess of Wales once recalled that when they first met, she went ‘bright red’ and William quickly ‘scuttled off’.
They became close friends over time and even lived together with their group of friends. Their friendship soon blossomed into romance after Prince William reportedly saw Kate in a stunning sheer dress during a charity fashion show.
However, after dating for five years, the couple briefly split. Prince William said they needed ‘just a bit of space’. According to Rob Jobson, in his new book Catherine, The Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen, William ended things with Kate in a 30-minute conversation.
“He told her they both needed ‘a bit of space’ to ‘find our own way’, and he was unable to promise her marriage,” Jobson explained. In an emotionally charged discussion, they acknowledged being on ‘different pages’.
Jobson also claims that William felt a sense of freedom after the call, reportedly shouting, “I’m free!”
But Kate’s resilience during this heartbreaking time appeared to make William second-guess his decision. Reports say that Kate spent her single time enjoying life, going out with her sister Pippa Middleton to nightclubs and vacationing in Ibiza with friends.
“Seeing photographs of his ex-girlfriend having fun and looking sensational was a bitter pill,” Jobson wrote. “He soon began having serious second thoughts, though he realized that after the way he’d treated Catherine, it wasn’t going to be easy to win her back.”
Their eventual reunion was more risqué than you’d expect for a future King and Queen. They bumped into each other at a Halloween party hosted by a mutual friend, with the theme being ‘Freakin Naughty’.
According to Jobson, Kate arrived dressed as a nurse, and William immediately took notice of her. The chemistry between them did the rest. They spent the first part of the evening talking deeply before hitting the dance floor and eventually sharing a kiss.
They left the party together. After that, the Prince and Princess of Wales rekindled their romance. They got married in 2011 and welcomed their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, in 2013, 2015, and 2018, respectively.
