EXCLUSIVE: Kate Middleton stepped in and ‘took control’ after Prince William disaster

The early days of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s weren’t always plain sailing, and the pair once opened up about their early days and life at university

Kate Middleton stepped in and ‘took control’ after Prince William disaster(Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)

When William and Kate unpacked their bags as freshers at St Salvator’s hall of residence at the University of St Andrews in 2001, it was the start of what has become a romance of the ages. Both 19 and fresh from their action-packed gap years, the now Prince and Princess of Wales were both enrolled to study History of Art, and with mutual interests and friends they quickly struck up a bond.

Kate’s recollection of their first meeting hinted at feelings stronger than friendship. In their 2010 engagement interview, she said, “Well, I actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you.”

As they entered their second year, at which point William switched from History of Art to Geography, they moved to a private rental apartment with two friends: Olivia Beasdale and Fergus Boyd, who is now one of Prince George ’s godfathers.

The pair met as young students in Scotland, and are now approaching their 15th wedding anniversary(Image: Getty Images)

The flat is located on one of the grandest streets of the historic town, and was specially-fitted with bulletproof windows and a bomb-proof front door. Interestingly, their landlady later revealed she almost declined the group’s application because she was “determined not to have young men there again” after some previous tenants damaged the property.

However, after a change of heart, it was within the walls of this two-storey townhouse at 13a Hope Street that things between William and Kate “just sort of blossomed”, the prince once recalled.

“We just saw more of each other, hung out a bit more and did stuff,” he said during their 2010 interview. “When I was trying to impress Kate I was trying to cook these amazing fancy dinners and what would happen was I would burn something, something would overspill, something would catch on fire and she would be sitting in the background trying to help, and basically taking control of the whole situation, so I was quite glad she was there at the time.”

Their first home together was at 13a Hope Street in St Andrews(Image: GoogleMaps)

Fortunately, their low-key romance had the time and space to develop naturally, and news of their relationship didn’t officially break until 2004, when photographs emerged of them on a ski lift in the Swiss resort of Klosters.

The photos were splashed across the front page of a British tabloid as a “ world exclusive”, accompanied by the headline, “Finally…. Wills gets a girl!” This prompted a strong reaction from Buckingham Palace, which viewed the publication as an invasion of William’s privacy.

Overnight, Kate became one of the most talked-about women on the planet, but royal expert Richard Palmer says she rose to the challenge. “Kate really did handle it very well,” he says. “Up until that point they had enjoyed a sense of privacy, and that allowed their friendship and relationship to grow. But after they graduated, there were photographers outside her London flat every morning, and the world saw that famous photograph of her sitting on a double-decker bus going to work.

William studied for four years at the University of St Andrews, finishing with girlfriend Kate by his side(Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Kate became a famous face overnight after her relationship with William at the University of St Andrews became public(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“The Palace complained about the press using that photo, citing her right to privacy, but it was a fantastic photo of the girl who may be the future queen travelling to work on the bus.

“So the Palace supported her as much as possible, because it was a whole new world for her, but it was only when they got engaged that it became a formal arrangement. But she seemed to be able to handle it and take it in her stride.”

Over the next few years, Kate experienced the full spectrum of media attention. Her presence at William’s graduation from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2006, which the late Queen also attended, sparked joyful engagement rumours. However, their temporary split a year later and William’s reluctance to commit earned her the rather unkind moniker of “Waity Katie”.

“It was a very mixed few years for Kate,” Richard says. “She was very much on her own in many respects, because she wasn’t an official member of the royal family and entitled to all the support that brings. But she was very adept at handling the attention, which wasn’t always the case with royal girlfriends.”

Kate’s mum Carole was a huge source of support in her early days with Prince William(Image: Getty Images)

The couple reconciled in the summer of 2007 and, fortunately for Kate, her parents Carole and Michael stepped up for their daughter, and provided her and William with much-needed sanctuary at their Bucklebury home, away from the world’s gaze.

“It wasn’t about facilitating the relationship,” says royal author Katie Nicholl. “It was about giving them a space away from the Palace, and providing a sense of normal family life, which William had never really experienced but had always craved, and he loved it.

“They were also very protective of them, and still are, and they never drew attention to their visits or spoke about it. Kate wasn’t a royal bride for many years, so she had to find her footing quite independently, and her family were instrumental in that. They provided a safe space for them to build the foundation of their relationship and their friendship, which is still the key to what makes them such a strong couple today.”

Richard agrees that the Middleton family home was key in providing the couple with a safe place to spend quality time together.

“Kate had the normality that William was craving, especially at home in Bucklebury. The whole Middleton family was a huge source of comfort and enjoyment for him. He very much embraced the family meals together, playing cards and general joshing. He didn’t experience that as a child because his mother died and his father was a workaholic, so it was very much part of what attracted and drew him to Kate in those early days.”

After a few more years of courtship in London and later in Anglesey, Wales, William and Kate announced their engagement on November 16, 2010, via a statement from Kensington Palace.

Kate and William posed for photographs at the State Apartments of St James Palace after officially announcing their engagement in November 2010(Image: Getty Images)

They shared details of the special moment a few weeks later during a sit-down interview with William’s friend and ITV journalist, Tom Bradby. As they sat side-by-side and exchanged coy smiles, it was instantly clear they were ready to take the next big step together.

“Over the years William has looked after me, he’s treated me very well – as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and through the bad times,” Kate told Tom.

The romantic proposal had taken place during a holiday to Kenya the month before, and Kate said it had come as a “total shock”.

“I’d been planning it for a while but as every guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. I was planning it, and it just felt really right out in Africa and it was beautiful at the time.”

The 12-carat blue sapphire and diamond ring had been hidden in William’s rucksack for the three weeks leading up to the proposal, he also revealed, joking that “everywhere I went I would keep hold of it because I knew if this thing disappeared I’d be in a lot of trouble.”

The location was also hugely sentimental to William, as he later revealed. “The African continent holds a very special place in my heart,” he said. “It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee.”

We did not have long to wait until the big day – 29 April, 2011 – as they embarked on a new chapter together as husband and wife and the future king and queen.