Prince William and Kate Middleton got married in 2011 with an epic televised wedding that went viral and earned approximately a billion views worldwide. Although the public first learned that William and Kate’s love story began in 2004 when the two were skiing in Kosters, Switzerland, it looks like their relationship began long before then.
Laura Warshauer, an old classmate of Kate and William, attended the University of St. Andrews with the couple and shared her insight with the Daily Mail. She commented that she met Kate and William at the same time they met each other at St Andrews University and that the now-couple had powerful chemistry from the very start.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England. The marriage of the second in line to the British throne was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by 1900 guests, including foreign Royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Warshauer recalled a time when a young woman who wasn’t Kate approached Prince William, expressing interest and attempting to strike up a conversation. William wasn’t into it, and Kate saved the day by walking up to him, and in the words of Warshauer, “puts her arms around him, and enables him to turn to this other girl and be like ‘I’m sorry, I have a girlfriend.”
That little stunt, which the classmate claimed no one but Kate could pull off, was the beginning of their connection, which she saw fizzle right away when the two had that rom-com-worthy moment.
After their engagement was announced in 2010, the pair participated in an ITV interview, reminiscing on the early days of their relationship. In the video, Kate recalled their initial meeting, saying, “I think you said I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off. [I was] feeling very shy about meeting you.”
Today, the future king and queen of Britain are still in love and continue to support each other, stronger than ever. The couple shares three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have faced hardships in their relationship
Although the public thinks of this couple as having the perfect love story, they’ve gone through many trials and tribulations. In 2007, the two briefly broke up to, in the prince’s words, “find themselves.” They shared this in the same revealing ITV interview, explaining that it was a way for the two to reclaim their independence and grow up while “finding their own way.” However, later that year, they rekindled their romance and got engaged just three years later.
But a royal wedding didn’t mean a happily ever after. In 2019, rumors swirled that Prince William had a torrid affair with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. While the couple never addressed this rumor, a Daily Beast article claimed that the Buckingham Palace lawyers were issuing threats to media outlets that if they published articles on the affair, legal action would be taken. As a result, many stories on the affair that were once online have been removed from outlets.
Whether the affair happened or was just the result of gossip getting out of control, it led Kate and William to reflect on their marriage. The union became stronger than ever in 2024 when Kate was diagnosed with cancer. William stood by her side, offering support through her diagnosis and preventative chemotherapy treatment.
He told the BBC, “I’m so proud of my wife…for handling the things that they have done.” Furthermore, royal author Robert Hardman explained to the BBC that William had held the fort down through these difficult times. Although many see them as the perfect couple, Kate and William are proof that every relationship has flaws. But even with those flaws, if the love is there, it can withstand any disaster that comes its way.
