A friendship turned into a royal fairy tale forPrince William and Catherine Middleton, now the Prince and Princess of Wales. “When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her," Prince William confessed in their engagement interview. "I knew there was possibly something that I wanted to explore there."
"But we ended up being friends for a while and that just sort of was a good sort of foundation because I do generally believe, now especially, that you know being friends with one another is a massive advantage, and it just went from there and over the years I knew things were getting better and better and we went through a few stumbling blocks as every relationship does, but we picked ourselves up and carried on," the Prince continued.
Since exchanging vows in a ceremony watched by millions around the world, the college sweethearts have become parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, balancing parenthood with royal duties.
Before they wed, Catherine shared that William is "very, very supportive of me in good times and also through the bad times." That support has endured over the years, notably in 2024 when the Princess underwent chemotherapy treatment, during which Kate stated that having William by her side was "a great source of comfort and reassurance." The heir to the throne has praised Catherine's strength and called her "the most incredible wife and mother."
William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth once famously referred to her husband, Prince Philip, as her "strength and stay," and it's clear that her grandson, the future King, has found the same in Catherine.
Here is everything to know about Prince William and Kate's relationship.
The couple met as students while studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Both William and Catherine started at the school in 2001. In their engagement interview, the Princess of Wales remembered, "I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off feeling very shy about meeting you."
When did Prince William and Kate start dating?
William revealed in their engagement interview that they were first "friends for over a year." "We just spent more time with each other, had a good giggle, had lots of fun and realized we shared the same interests and just had a really good time," he shared, adding that Kate has "got a really naughty sense of humor, which kind of helps me because I've got a very dirty sense humor, so it was good fun. We had a really good laugh and then things happened."
William and Kate ended moving into a flat as friends with others and their relationship "blossomed from there." The Prince explained, "We just saw more of each other, hung out a bit more and did stuff."
The future King's relationship with Catherine was reported in 2004 when the two were photographed on a ski holiday in Switzerland. A friend confirmed to PEOPLE at the time that William's romance with Kate had “been going on for a bit."
When did Prince William and Kate graduate from college?
The couple both graduated from the University of St. Andrews in 2005. William's paternal grandparents, father Charles and stepmother Camilla were all present as he and his girlfriend graduated.
When did Kate first meet Queen Elizabeth?
Catherine first met William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth at his cousin Peter Phillips' wedding to Autumn Kelly on May 17, 2008.
"She was very friendly," Catherine recalled in their engagement interview. William pointed out that his grandmother had "wanted to meet Kate for a while, so it was very nice of her to come over and say hello and had a little chat."
While William and Catherine's engagement was announced on Nov. 16, 2010, the pair got engaged the month before. The Prince popped the question that October during a private holiday in Kenya.
“We had a little private time away together with some friends and I just decided that it was the right time really,” William revealed in their engagement interview. “We had been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn't a massively big surprise. I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya and proposed.”
Catherine admittedly did not see the proposal coming during their holiday. She said, "I really didn't expect it at all. I thought he might have sort of maybe thought about it, but no, it was a total shock when it came and very excited."
Years later, at a 2020 reception at Buckingham Palace, William spoke about Africa holding a "very special place" in his 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."
Related: 20 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II
What ring did Prince William propose to Kate with?
William proposed to Catherine with his late mother Princess Diana's sapphire engagement ring. Discussing the ring at a photocall at St. James's Palace the day his and Kate's engagement was announced, William said, "It's my mother's engagement ring so of course it's very special to me, as Kate's very special to me now as well. it was only right the two [were] put together, but it was my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement and the fact that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together."
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William and Catherine were married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Following the ceremony, the newlyweds traveled in a horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace, where they shared not one, but two kisses on the balcony. William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth hosted a reception for the couple at the palace, while the groom's father hosted a private dinner that night. According to the Daily Mail, William called his wife "my rock" in an emotional speech at the evening reception.
Related: Queen Elizabeth’s Family Tree—All About The British Royals’ Lineage, From Prince Charles to Lucas Tindall
When did Prince William and Kate become parents?
Over two years after tying the knot, the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed their first child, Prince George, in July of 2013. Their second child, daughter Princess Charlotte, was born in 2015, followed by their third child, Prince Louis, in 2018. During a 2016 interview with Talk Vietnam, William spoke about parenthood, saying, "There’s wonderful highs and there’s wonderful lows."
"It's been quite a change for me, personally. I'm very lucky in the support I have from Catherine," he said. "She's an amazing mother and a fantastic wife."
When did Prince William and Kate become the Prince and Princess of Wales?
Prior to becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales, Their Royal Highnesses were known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. However, following Queen Elizabeth's passing in September of 2022, King Charles bestowed on his eldest son and daughter-in-law Catherine the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales. At the time, His Majesty said, “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given.”
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