Prince William and Kate Middleton: a Royal Couple With a Rocky Past

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are probably the most beloved and discussed members of the royal family after Elizabeth II. Their love story is like a fairy tale: Cinderella Catherine, albeit from a wealthy, but not titled family, won the heart of the real prince, the future heir to the British throne.

However, nowadays, it is not that easy to become the wife of a monarch, so Middleton had to wait. But she was able to get the love and respect of all members of her husband's family, as well as his subjects and the entire British people. This is the story about how Kate and William met, how long they were dating before the wedding and how they live today.

The beginning of the romance

Both William and Kate had been receiving prestigious education from start and continued it enrolling at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and that is where they met. In 2001, at the freshman's party the prince’s attention was immediately drawn to the attractive brunette, who was then granted a title of the most beautiful girl of the class. William clearly made the right choice.

In 2002, Kate participated in a charity university fashion show, appearing on the runway in a translucent dress that charmed William again. He decided to invite her to a cafe and apparently even tried to kiss her. But Middleton immediately made it clear that she's not the kind of girl who hangs herself around men's necks, even if it is a prince.

However, William liked Kate so much that he still managed to achieve her favor. Soon, together with friends, the couple rented a house, where each had a separate room. Lovers were in no hurry to tell the world about their feelings and tried to hide from journalists and photographers. After the death of his mother the prince despises the paparazzi even more, as he believes that they are to blame for her death.

A year later, Kate and William decided to live separately from friends and rented a cottage. Perhaps they would have kept their relationship a secret had it not been for photographers who took pictures of them together during a vacation in the Alps. There was no point in hiding it any longer.

Difficulties and breakups

Do not think that all was always well with the couple — just like in a fairy tale. It is known that in 2004, Kate and William had a fight and spent the summer away from each other. When classes started again in September, their relationship was strained. Middleton did not even spend the weekend with her lover, but went to her parents.

However, they could not be separated for that long and soon reconciled. In 2006, Kate was even invited to a Christmas dinner with the royal family, and, it should be noted, then she was just a prince's beloved. Despite this, the Windsors received her well and approved of William's choice.

It seemed that after graduation the couple should already be married, but it did not happen. The prince was in no hurry to propose to his girlfriend, and their meetings started to be less and less frequent. William blamed his busy schedule in Bovington, where he underwent military training.

Photographers began to notice William at parties with friends and in the company of other girls, with whom he was outright flirting. Kate's patience came to an end, and she decided that it was time for them to finally break up.

Reunion and Wedding

However, the two loving hearts could not be apart for that long. It seems that their feelings became even stronger, and now the prince called his beloved several times a day. Middleton gave him another chance, but they decided to keep it a secret. Although, this time again, journalists sniffed it out and quickly reported the joyful news to the world.

But William was still in no hurry to propose to his beloved, for which she even got the nickname "Waity Katie". Catherine herself humbly waited and continued to be close to the prince. Finally in 2010 during a trip to Kenya, the heir to the British throne gave her Princess Diana’s ring and asked to become his wife. On November 16 of that year, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Kate Middleton and Prince William.

The long-awaited wedding took place on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The whole world watched the ceremony and was delighted with the news. Catherine chose an elegant lace-decorated dress by designer Sarah Burton, with an Elizabeth II tiara crowning her hair. The Duchess chose to do her own makeup.

After the wedding, William and Kate received the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. After a while, they flew for ten days to the Seychelles, where they spent their "honeymoon" vacation.