Since getting married, Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate, have had three children. However, the couple almost didn’t tie the knot because they separated briefly while dating.
Princess Kate, formerly known as Kate Middleton, met Prince William in 2001 at St Andrews University in Scotland while they were both students there. The couple started dating and graduated together in 2005.
Kate then got a job at Jigsaw as an accessories buyer while William joined the military. While everyone anticipated that their courtship would end in a royal wedding, the couple separated.
Kate Middleton and Prince William pose in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010, in London, England | Source: Getty Images
A Brief Pause
In 2007, William, then-24, and Kate, then-25, split. Reports revealed that the former couple had paused their relationship during a phone call that the royal made to Kate while she was at work.
In April 2007, one of Kate’s former colleagues told The Mirror that they saw the future royal taking a call in the London office car park. The source said it was clear she was speaking to her boyfriend and wasn’t receiving good news.
Robert Lacey, royal author of the book “Battle of Brothers,” also covered the incident and claimed the couple broke up during that call. However, according to the book, the pair only separated for ten weeks.
It was alleged that William struggled with having romantic relationships after that and was turned down by several women. The Prince of Wales reportedly missed his ex-girlfriend and her family, and they finally reconciled.
Why the Name “Waity Katie”
The press wasn’t so gentle with Kate and described her as a “commoner” because she was from a middle-class background. Things got so bad while she dated William that she got the media nickname “Waity Katie” because her boyfriend failed to propose for years.
It seemed the royal was taking his time to ensure that his girlfriend would be ready to become royalty. However, a source noted how hurtful and stressful it probably was for Kate to see the negative headlines about her.
Katie Nicholl, a royal correspondent and author of “The Making of a Royal Romance,” also noted that the media wasn’t the only ones concerned about the couple not getting engaged. Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, allegedly started worrying about her daughter’s future during Christmas time in 2009.
It worried her that Kate was close to turning 30 but still didn’t have a ring on her finger. Carole reportedly confronted William about it, and the royal promised to do right by his long-term girlfriend.
Although Kate was probably hurt by the nickname given to her by the media, she wasn’t too concerned about it. Instead, she allegedly worried about stepping out of line in public or during royal events, according to royal experts.
When she finally married into the Royal Family, William’s wife made sure to do her research beforehand. She spoke to Buckingham Palace’s courtiers and advisors to get their vice, claimed Nicholl.
Secret Pact between Kate & William
In Nicholl’s book, she revealed that Kate had nothing to worry about when it came to William proposing because the couple had made a secret lovers’ pact in 2007 after their split. The royal knew he had to finish his military training before marrying his girlfriend.
The author previously shared that the couple made their promise during a make-or-break trip to Seychelles in 2007. In Nicholl’s “Kate: The Future Queen,” she claimed that the trip was the first time the pair seriously spoke about marriage.
During their eight-year-long courtship, William got to teach his girlfriend about her future role. Besides her boyfriend, Kate allegedly had the support of the palace press office and the advice of King Charles’s lawyer.
She reportedly called William a “great teacher” when she finally got to speak to the press for the first time. The lessons she got from her boyfriend allowed her to perform well at her first three royal engagements with the royal.
Nicholl noted how she was confident and had clearly been prepared for that life. By the time she spoke to the press for the first time and had the three royal events, Kate was already engaged to William.
The Long-Awaited Engagement
Knowing that they were going to get married one day, William and Kate’s engagement in 2010 didn’t come as a surprise to them, as confirmed by the royal in November 2010. The royal proposed to his girlfriend in Kenya, and she said it was “romantic.”
In 2019, during a reception at Buckingham Palace, William confessed that Africa held a very special place in his heart. He said it was where his father took him and his brother, Prince Harry, shortly after their mother died.
Her [Princess Charlotte] proud parents [Prince William and Duchess Kate] showed her off outside of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
William explained that he decided to propose to his fiancée on that specific continent because there was no other place more fitting. Kate described her fiancé as a true romantic.
The Royal Wedding
On April 29, 2011, William and Kate finally got married at 11 a.m. in a huge and lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Millions of people worldwide watched as the Dean of Westminster conducted the service.
The couple was married by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London gave the address. After tying the knot, Kate became the Duchess of Cambridge and traveled in a horse-drawn carriage procession to Buckingham Palace.
Together for 12 Years
As of 2023, it will be 12 years since the couple got married, and they’re still going strong. On July 22, 2013, William and Kate welcomed their first child – a son named Prince George.
The couple made a new addition to their family on May 2, 2015, when their little daughter, Princess Charlotte, joined the family of three. Her proud parents showed her off outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
The last child to be welcomed to the family, another son, was Prince Louis, born on April 23, 2018. William shared how delighted and happy he and his wife were to have another child.
