The Prince and Princess of Wales have been a united front throughout their nearly 15 years of marriage, but in the early years of their relationship, the pair went through a ‘wobble’. The royal couple briefly split in their university years, but ultimately ended up getting back on track after William’s father King Charles stepped in.
William and Kate first met and became friends in 2001 when they were both studying at St Andrews. Their relationship eventually turned romantic, with reports indicating they began dating around late 2002.
However in 2004, the couple’s two-year relationship went through a setback, with royal author Russell Myers writing in his new tell-all book, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, that William had a “sudden change in attitude” over the summer holidays.
William and Kate’s first split
“He was thinking about going to Sandhurst, joining the army, maybe some travelling and what that would lead to. It certainly gave his head a wobble, wondering how much time he would have to dedicate to that and what that would mean for other things in his life, such as a serious relationship.”
He continues: “With such significant plans on the horizon, it wasn’t clear that Catherine would remain a priority for William after university. He was still just 22, and friends suggested he was afraid both of losing his independence so young, and of the mounting media speculation about a possible engagement.”
According to Russell, “while Catherine did not doubt the burden of responsibility William felt as a senior member of the monarchy, she was left in shock at his sudden change of direction.” The royal author writes that William was the one to suggest the pair take a break after summer term ended that year.
The couple had “sparse” contact over the summer, during which William travelled abroad to Greece and later Tennessee with friends, while Kate retreated to her family home in Berkshire. After Catherine reached out and confronted William when she heard about his travel and rumours he was pursuing English socialite, Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, Russell writes that the prince “did not respond until almost a week later.”
“He was having fun, even if he wasn’t pursuing anyone else, and he was torn about whether he wanted to continue his relationship with Catherine. On the one hand he missed her, and on the other the attention from the media had left him so incensed that he had started telling friends that he didn’t believe he would ever be left alone to have a normal relationship,” he explains.
Rekindling their relationship
© Getty ImagesThe pair addressed their split once they were back at university. Russell writes that William “broke down and apologised” and suggested he was struggling with his family asking about his plans after graduation, with a source close to the Waleses telling Russell that William “was a bit all over the place”.
“William told Catherine he wanted to make a serious go of the relationship and in a peacemaking gesture he invited her to his father’s 56th birthday celebrations at Highgrove,” Russell continues. According to the author, “unbeknown to Catherine, it was Charles who had insisted on William having an honest conversation with her.”
The couple ended up splitting again in 2007, five years into their relationship. They reconciled months later over the summer that year. William and Kate got engaged in October 2009 and were married in April 2011. They have since welcomed three children together: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
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