Prince William and Kate Middleton delighted royal fans who lined up to see them during this year’s Christmas Day walk. But before they tied the knot, the couple were not allowed to spend the festive season together at Sandringham.
After several years of dating, the now Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly made plans to meet up for New Year celebrations in 2006. But Kate was said to be left in floods of tears when William cancelled plans last-minute – leaving her concerned over the future of their relationship.
Royal author Katie Nicholl claimed in her 2011 book The Making of a Royal Romance that William had promised Kate he would join her family. But he stayed with his family instead and only told Kate on the phone on Boxing Day.
Katie wrote: “William had been having second thoughts and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank discussion about his future with Kate. Both advised him not to hurry into anything.”
Weeks later, William and Kate briefly split, Mirror reports. Sources later said the late Queen Elizabeth was disappointed by the breakup.
But the split was short-lived as the pair were soon seen kissing at an army party at barracks in Bovington, Dorset. In July 2007, Kate and her brother James Middleton were seen at the Concert for Diana.
It was held at Wembley to mark 10 years since the death of William’s mother Princess Diana. Their romance was eventually confirmed as being back on, with Kate moving into William’s Clarence House flat.
He would return to stay there from military duties on Friday evenings for cosy weekends together. In 2010, the couple announced their engagement and married in April 2011.
They have been married for almost 14 years and have three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
