The past few years have seen some big changes in the British royal family, an entity known more for tradition than rapid growth. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the United Kingdom for most of the 21st century, some may be looking for stability. If any couple in the family can provide that, it is Prince William and Kate Middleton.
William and Kate have had what seems like a fairytale romance, from their fairytale wedding to the picturesque family of five they have today. Of course, the full details of that fairytale are unknown, and some of what has been shown may have been part of a ploy to boost the royal family’s image. But beyond the image, there’s something about them that has drawn people in since the beginning of their relationship. Here’s a look back at their journey from college sweethearts to royal power couple.
2001
Prince William and Kate Middleton met while they were both studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. It is rumoured that William became attracted to her after seeing Kate modelling at a student charity fashion show (a show for which he reportedly paid £200 for a front row seat).
Other rumors suggest that her reason for going to St. Andrews was entirely related to meeting her future husband.
Crown historian Robert Lacey wrote in his 2020 book Battle of Brothers: William and Harry—The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult that Kate had been trying to build a future relationship with William since she was just 19.
“Kate was very strategic,” Lacey said. “She gave up her place at one of the top universities in the UK, Edinburgh, and chose another [St. Andrews] that probably didn’t have the same academic standards. She went to Edinburgh to set up her own flat but changed universities and changed her course to history of art because that was William’s school. She deferred her studies for a year and even took the risk that she wouldn’t get into St. Andrews.”
She’s not the only one making these choices. Applications to the school reportedly jumped 44 percent after it was announced as William’s college choice. Not all of them may be marriage hopefuls, but some may be like Kate.
2002
Hello! magazine reports that Prince William will move from his dormitory to a shared apartment with three college friends, including a “pretty 20-year-old brunette” who, you might have guessed, is Kate Middleton.
It is rumored that he was initially just friends with her before seeing her walk the runway in this see-through dress on March 26, 2002.
“She’s there, about to walk down the runway, and she takes off an extra layer of clothing,” Lacey explains. “This is a very strategic lady who knows what she wants and gets it.”
They started dating soon after.
2004
William and Kate were first pictured together on a skiing trip to Klosters, prompting Prince Charles to threaten to cut ties with The Sun , which published the pictures. Charles was said to be “very disappointed” by the breach of an agreement between the press and Buckingham Palace, which ensures royal children can continue their education without privacy breaches.
2005
Both William and Kate graduated from St. Andrews. The Middletons later shared a photo of them together that day.
2006
The couple attended the wedding of Camilla’s daughter Laura Parker-Bowles , marking one of their first major public appearances and fuelling speculation that they were serious about getting married one day.
Spring 2007
In 2007, William and Kate took a break and separated for several months. Kate then went on holiday to Ireland with friends, while William awkwardly answered questions about “how things were going” with Kate.
Kate later shared in a 2010 interview after their engagement that looking back, she thought it was healthy for them to have time apart.
“I think at the time I wasn’t too happy about it, but it actually made me a stronger person… You discover things about yourself that you might not have realized,” she said. “Or I think you can get pretty caught up in a relationship when you’re young. I really value that time for me even though I didn’t think so at the time, looking back on it.”
July 2007
By July of that year, rumours began to circulate of a possible reconciliation when Kate was seen attending a tribute concert to Princess Diana —although she was seated two rows behind William with her sister Pippa.
March 2008
The pair were seen together again, back where it all started: the ski slopes. Pictures showed Kate and William together in Klosters as sources told the press they were indeed back together.
April 2008
William graduated from Royal Air Force training , with Kate by his side.
October 2010
William proposed to Kate during a trip to Kenya , wearing Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring . “We had a bit of private time together with some friends, and I just decided it was really the right time,” William later said in their engagement interview. “We’d been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn’t a huge surprise, but I took her somewhere beautiful in Kenya.”
April 29, 2011
Prince William and Kate Middleton married in a fairytale ceremony at Westminster Abbey watched by nearly 72 million people around the world. The bride did her own makeup , the groom wore sweat pads to keep his uniform from sweating, and Ellie Goulding performed at the reception.
Upon marrying William, Kate achieved the titles Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus.
2012
After their wedding, the couple settled in Wales and adopted a dog, an English Cocker Spaniel named Lupo .
December 2012
St. James’s Palace announced that Kate is pregnant with the couple’s first child. During her pregnancy, she was hospitalized for severe hyperemesis gravidarum, also known as morning sickness.
July 22, 2013
Kate gives birth to Prince George and poses for photos after birth.
September 2014
Kensington Palace announced that Kate was pregnant with her second child. Kate was not yet 12 weeks pregnant, but the Palace made the announcement because they felt they could no longer keep the pregnancy a secret from the press. Kate was again suffering from severe morning sickness.
May 2, 2015
Kate gave birth to Princess Charlotte, who became fourth in line to the throne after Prince Charles, her father Prince William and her brother Prince George. She was also the first person to be given the title of Princess in 25 years and the highest-ranking woman in line to the throne.
February 12, 2017
The couple made their red carpet debut at the British Academy Film Awards, where Prince William presented Mel Brooks with the BAFTA Fellowship. Kate wore an off-the-shoulder floral Alexander McQueen dress.
September 2017
Kensington Palace announced that Kate is pregnant with the couple’s third child. Like her previous two pregnancies, she suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum.
April 23, 2018
Kate gave birth to Prince Louis, who is now fifth in line to the throne. Although tradition dictated that Louis, as a man, would overtake Princess Charlotte for a place on the throne, the policy was changed before George was born with the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. That made Charlotte the first queen to overtake a younger brother.
May 19, 2018
Kate and the Prince were the centre of attention at the wedding of Prince Harry’s younger brother and Meghan Markle.
The couple helped Harry and Meghan celebrate their wedding day at their wedding at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England. “William was in a great, happy mood at the party,” a guest told People at the time, adding that Kate was also “in great form.”
They added, “She and William said they were delighted to have their children involved.”
October 12, 2018
At Princess Eugenie’s wedding, Kate and William were seen showing affection for each other. Eugenie was marrying her husband Jack Brooksbank when the royal couple were seen holding hands on the bench.
Kate and William tend to avoid physical contact when out in public.
April 2020
After the lockdown began in the UK, the couple gave a rare joint interview to the BBC , discussing parenting during the pandemic.
“It’s been up and down, like a lot of families in self-isolation,” Kate says. “The kids have such resilience, I don’t know how. Honestly, you get to the end of the day and you write down a list of everything you did that day. So you put up the tent, take it down, cook, bake. You get to the end of the day—the kids had a great time—but it’s amazing how much you can cram into one day, for sure.”
November 2020
Nine years after welcoming their Cocker Spaniel, Ludo, into their lives, the couple announced they were saying goodbye to him. They shared a handsome portrait of the dog on Instagram with a heartfelt farewell.
“Sadly, our beloved dog, Lupo, passed away this past weekend,” the post read. “He has been the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him greatly. – W&C.”
April 29, 2021
April 2021 marks the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary, or tin wedding anniversary. To celebrate, they shared a series of new portraits of Chris Floyd at Kensington Palace.
They also posted a video of them and their children walking through the sand dunes in Norfolk, England, thanking everyone for their anniversary wishes.
June 29, 2021
Queen Elizabeth appointed Kate Middleton as the warship’s sponsor HMS Glasglow . The office requires Kate to maintain “a strong and enduring personal relationship with the ship and crew, often supporting milestones, events and deployments”.
“The Queen has approved the appointment of my wife Catherine as the Patron of the beautiful ship we see taking shape outside— HMS Glasgow ,” Prince William said in a statement. “I know that Catherine will be delighted to join you in Glasgow for the naming ceremony at the appropriate time.”
September 28, 2021
The couple dressed up for the London premiere of No Time to Die , posing with Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. The royals were guests of honour at the event.
Kate wore a Jenny Packham capelet dress covered in gold sequins.
October 20, 2021
Kate and William enjoyed their first Earthshot Awards at Alexandra Palace in London. The environmental initiative was spearheaded by William and he was tasked with delivering a speech at the ceremony. A photo shows them sharing a sweet moment together backstage.
The event also featured Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, David Oyelowo and Mo Salah. Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, KSI and Coldplay performed.
May 19, 2022
Enjoying another exciting premiere, the couple made an appearance on the red carpet of Top Gun in the UK
Kate wore a black Roland Mouret gown with off-the-shoulder detailing and a white wraparound.
June 23, 2022
The first official portrait of the couple has been unveiled at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum. Originally commissioned by the Royal Cambridgeshire Portrait Trust in 2021, the portrait was painted by award-winning portrait artist Jamie Coreth.
September 7, 2022
The Duke and Duchess took their three children on a tour of Lambrook School, where they will attend. The preview day gave the family the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the facilities and teachers.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all wear uniforms to school.
September 8, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, leaving the family in mourning. There were also many changes in titles and responsibilities. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay, and on September 9, their father created them the Prince and Princess of Wales.
In a speech to the nation shortly after receiving news of his mother’s death, King Charles III said: “With Catherine by his side, I know our new Prince and Princess of Wales will continue to inspire and lead national conversations, helping to bring those on the margins to the centre, where vital help can be received.”
Princess of Wales is a title formerly held by William’s mother, Princess Diana.
September 10, 2022
Along with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, William and Kate visited Windsor Castle to see flowers and gifts left by people in memory of the late Queen.
September 19, 2022
The couple attended Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at Westminster Hall after escorting her coffin from Buckingham Palace.
They posted her farewell on Twitter along with a photo of the funeral.
November 12, 2022
Kate and William attended the Festival of Remembrance, a ceremony dedicated to the day the Allies and Germany signed the armistice ending World War I in 1918 in Europe.
At the memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall that evening, Kate paid tribute to the late Queen by wearing some of her famous jewellery: a Japanese pearl necklace along with diamond and Bahraini pearl earrings.
December 15, 2023
The Princess of Wales shared the Together at Christmas carol service on ITV after filming at Westminster Abbey for the second year in a row. The event was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and was attended by William, George and Charlotte.
December 8, 2022
The documentary about Harry and Meghan was released on Netflix and it was reported that Kate and William refused to watch it.
“While aides will be closely monitoring the film along with royal lawyers, the palace has been reluctant to comment on the film because they do not want to increase media attention,” Vanity Fair magazine wrote.
Another source told Page Six that William and Kate have not seen the series.
“William and Kate’s aides have briefed them on the show, but don’t expect the couple to be sitting in the chalet with a bowl of popcorn to watch it,” the insider said.
By the end of the month, they’ll likely have more details, as a source shared with Us Weekly on December 22 that Kate feels “betrayed” by the situation.
“Kate feels hurt and betrayed that Harry would do the same to her, especially as the pair were once so close,” they said.
As for William, he “has no intention of telling his story or publicly retaliating.”
January 12, 2023
Following the documentary, Kate and William faced another wave of criticism when Harry’s memoir Spare was officially released, causing things to get even colder between the two couples. A source who knows both couples told Entertainment Tonight in a report published on January 12 that “[their] relationship has completely broken down.”
A separate source said Kate felt “hurt and disappointed” by what Harry had shared about her in Spare because she believed “private matters had been made public”.
March 19, 2023
Kate and William celebrated Mother’s Day on their Instagram, sharing new photos of Kate with the couple’s three children. “Happy Mother’s Day from our family to yours ️,” the couple wrote.
April 29, 2023
The royal couple celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary with an adorable Instagram photo of them on tandem bikes with the prince putting his arm around the princess. They were both dressed casually in jeans, with Kate wearing a white lace button-down shirt while William wore a navy blue one.
“12 years️,” they captioned the photo.
September 2023
A source shared with Us Weekly about the progress of Kate and William’s relationship that “above all, they are proud of their wonderful marriage and family.”
“William and Kate are more in tune than ever,” a palace insider told the news agency. “They cherish what they have together. For them, family comes first, and that always will.”
The source said the challenges the couple have faced over the past year, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II, have strengthened their relationship. “They have a lot of respect for each other,” the source said. “William tells anyone who will listen that he couldn’t do it without Kate, and she agrees.”
They’re also a little more comfortable with public displays of affection, although they’re still very private: “William used to be quite shy about showing too much affection, but Kate has helped him feel more comfortable.”
October 2023
A source told Us Weekly that Kate and William’s marriage hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing. “Kate and William have had their ups and downs in their marriage, just like everyone else,” the source said. “But they are focused on their royal duties and doing so as a unit.”
November 2023
In an interview with ELLE.com, Endgame author Omid Scobie dismissed previous tabloid reports that Kate and William were having trouble in their marriage. “ I think partly it’s because gossip is so prevalent online, and so there’s a lot of people who are hungry for things that aren’t even true about someone,” he said. “I think William and Kate have been largely protected from that by the British tabloids, which often rely on spreading this very lazy gossip and stuff like that. But with Kate and William, especially with their great relationships with a lot of important editors and publishers, they’ve managed to stay away from that.”
“But of course, there’s no control over things in the United States, and we’ve seen them become the subject of a lot of supermarket tabloids reporting on their marriages being in trouble and all that,” he continued. “I’m not here to comment on someone’s marriage. I can only rely on what I’ve heard from people who are closer to the situation, who I imagine are sources for InTouch magazine. I haven’t heard anything about the marriage being in trouble.”
“I’m always very careful with that stuff,” he said. “Just like I would ignore that story, I would ignore stories about Harry and Meghan’s marriage being in trouble. I think sometimes that’s very lazy tabloid journalism because you can’t make money off people just being happy all the time. You need them to go through a crisis to make their lives more interesting, and I think sometimes two people can just stay in a very safe and maybe a little boring marriage and that’s okay.”
December 2023
As they do every year, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a family portrait during the Christmas holidays, and George, Charlotte and Louis look all grown up:
In Josh Shinner’s black-and-white photo, the family is dressed casually in button-down shirts, slacks or jeans, and the two youngest children are wearing black sneakers with white toes. Charlotte sits in the front, her parents behind her, and her two older brothers stand on either side.
January 2024
On Thursday, January 18, Prince William was the photographer driving away from the London Clinic in a black BMW following Kate’s abdominal surgery.
The planned surgery was announced on the couple’s Instagram.
“The operation was successful and she is expected to remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” a statement released on Wednesday said, adding that the Princess of Wales “is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
They explained that only “important” updates about her condition were being shared with the public to “maintain as normal a life as possible for her children.”
“The Princess of Wales would like to apologise to all those affected by the postponement of her upcoming engagements,” the statement concluded. “She looks forward to making as full a recovery as possible, as soon as possible.”
On 29 January, Kate was discharged from hospital and it was announced that she would return to official royal duties after Easter on 31 March.
March 2024
On March 10, 2024, Kensington Palace celebrated Mother’s Day in the UK with a photo of Kate and her three children. The photo is believed to be of William and was reportedly taken at Windsor a week earlier. In the caption, a message from the princess read, “Thank you for your continued good wishes and support over the past two months. Wishing everyone a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Followers noticed some obvious Photoshop edits in the photo, sparking a bit of controversy around the image. This was exacerbated when several news outlets, including The Associated Press, took down the photo for photo editing.
Kate later added to her message, admitting to editing the photo herself in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Like many amateur photographers, I sometimes experiment with editing,” she said. “I want to apologize for any confusion that our family photo shared yesterday may have caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a happy Mother’s Day. C.”
A source told ET that the princess “wanted to be transparent,” adding that “the purpose of the photo was to thank the public for their support during her recovery and provide a lovely photo of the children.”
On March 22, the Princess shared a video explaining that she had been diagnosed with cancer after abdominal surgery and was undergoing treatment.
“This has obviously come as a huge shock, and William and I have done everything we can to process and manage this privately for the benefit of our young family,” she said. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery to begin my treatment.”
The following day, they released another statement thanking people for their support, saying in their message, “The Prince and Princess have been deeply moved by the messages of kindness from people in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to The Princess’s message. They are deeply moved by the warmth and support of the public and are grateful for their understanding of their need for privacy at this time.”
Kate did not appear at Easter services at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday, as is tradition. She spent the holiday at home with her family, according to People , but a source said she may attend school events soon. However, that does not mean she will return to royal duties. Her doctor’s advice is to rest and recover.
April 2024
The couple celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary privately. They shared a previously unseen photo from their wedding to mark the occasion. “13 years ago today!” they wrote on April 29.
June 2024
On June 13, Kate shared an update on her treatment and recovery on Instagram, assuring fans that she was seeing improvement and sharing a photo taken by Matt Porteous.
She later appeared in public at the Trooping the Colour parade with William and all three of her children.
On June 21, Kate shared a rare message to Prince William in honor of his 42nd birthday. “Happy Birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx,” she wrote on their Instagram alongside a photo of him with their three children.
August 2024
Kate attended Sunday’s service at Crathie Kirk, her first since confirming her cancer diagnosis in March. For the occasion, Kate wore a brown checkered coat by Holland Cooper, paired with a maroon fedora decorated with orange and brown feathers. She wore her brunette hair loose and completed her look with a pair of gold dangling earrings. See photos here .
In addition to her immediate family, Kate was joined by King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, James, Earl of Wessex and Sir Tim Laurence.
September 2024
On September 9, Kate Middleton shared the news on their joint Instagram account with William that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is my focus right now,” she wrote. “Although I have completed chemotherapy, my road to full healing and recovery is still long.”
She continued, “Life as you know it can change in the blink of an eye and we have had to navigate the rough waters and unknown paths. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also exposes you to your own vulnerabilities in ways you never thought possible before, and with that, a new perspective on things. Above all, this time has reminded William and I to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Simply loving and being loved.”
On Sunday, September 22, Kate and William were seen in pictures published by The Sun , on their way to the Sunday service again near the Balmoral estate in Crathie. It was one of her first public appearances since announcing the end of her chemotherapy treatment. Both King Charles and Queen Camilla were also seen arriving together.
November 2024
On November 7, the final day of his visit to Cape Town, South Africa, Prince William opened up about how Kate’s cancer diagnosis affected him in a candid interview shared by People .
“It’s been horrible. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life,” the Prince of Wales said. “So trying to get through everything else and keep things on track has been really difficult… But I’m very proud of my wife, I’m very proud of my father, for handling what they’ve done. But from a personal family perspective, yes, it’s been devastating.”
After being asked about the Princess of Wales, William declared she was “still well”.
A reporter told him he looked very relaxed and he replied, “I couldn’t be more relaxed this year, so it’s exciting for you all to see that… But the point is to keep going and move forward. I enjoy my work and I enjoy pacing myself and making sure I have time for my family as well.”
On November 9, Kate joined William at the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, marking her fourth official appearance of the year. For the event, the Princess of Wales wore a black wrap dress with long sleeves and a V-neck, a Nura pearl necklace from the Monica Vinader collection and a pair of pearl and diamond earrings from Collingwood that once belonged to the late Princess Diana.
She wore sheer black stockings, black high heels, and a red poppy brooch on her lapel that symbolized fallen veterans and soldiers.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, a source told People that the couple are planning to spend their first Christmas with King Charles at Sandringham in Norfolk. Kate also plans to attend the annual Together at Christmas service on December 6.
December 2024
As planned, the whole family attended the Christmas celebration on December 6.
On December 19, the Prince and Duchess shared their 2024 greeting card. For one photo, they used a still from a video released on September 9, sharing that Kate had completed her chemotherapy treatment. They posted the image on a tree, writing on social media, “Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
