Prince William and Kate Middleton have been together for a very long time. The couple first met during their University studies, but despite some ups and downs, including a breakup, they made it through.
Today, they have three wonderful children, and this year, as usual, they spent Christmas with the rest of the Royal Family.
Kate was reportedly very popular among the Royal Family while she was dating William. In fact, the Queen granted her a rare privilege by inviting her to Balmoral before William and Kate had actually married.
Yet though Kate was very much appreciated and invited into the inner circle, she sometimes turned down their invites. Many years ago, when William asked her to spend Christmas with him at Sandringham, she reportedly gave him an answer that left him speechless.
Prince William and Kate Middleton met for the first time while studying at St. Andrew’s University. They fell in love, and as soon as the media found out about their romance, the future Princess was the talk of the town.
Prince William & Kate Middleton’s relationship
Kate had nothing to hide, but even so, she became a victim. Despite hailing from a middle-class background – her parents made millions via a company they owned – Kate was labeled “a commoner.”
Indeed, before she and William announced their engagement, Kate was nicknamed “Waity Katie” and “Lazy Katie” in reference to the fact that Middleton had recently quit her job to “prepare for her future life.”
One can only imagine what it’s like to try and ready oneself for life as a royal. It’s no understatement to say that there probably exists no more extensive change in lifestyle – and associated publicity – in the world. But Kate Middleton managed, thanks to the help of “The Firm” and her then-fiancée, William.
That, on the other hand, was something Meghan Markle said she never got; help from the royals.
In private, William is said to have extensively helped Kate prepare for life as a royal, according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.
“It was very sensible in the circumstances for Kate and William to get to know each other over the length of time that they felt appropriate. But it can be hurtful seeing those headlines and obviously very stressful,” he said.
The paparazzi dug deep into her family tree to try and find nasty things to write about her. At one point, her phone was even hacked.
William & Kate Middleton – split in 2007
On April 29, 2011, William and Kate tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in London. Only years earlier, though, in 2007, it seemed as though their love story had ended. It was even reported in some places that William and Kate had broken up for good.
When William and Kate split in 2007, rumors about what had really happened started to spread quickly.
Some royal experts claimed Prince William decided to split up with Kate because he felt the “fun” had disappeared from their relationship. Kate, meanwhile, was said to have been left “desperately upset” – she had already pictured how they would be married in the future.
As mentioned above, there may have been many different reasons, excuses, and opinions as to why William and Kate split up in 2007. The truth is we might never be for sure what happened.
Other, newer reports, though, detail that William and Kate’s breakup might just have been down to panic from Kate’s side.
Yes, speculation about what happened between William and Kate in 2007 still makes for an interesting read. Recently, former royal correspondent for Hello! Magazine, Judy Wade, disclosed a new theory.
According to Wade, Kate started to realize how big of a lifestyle change becoming a senior Royal Family member would entail.
“She might have realized the awful burden she would have taken on. It’s a life sentence marrying a royal,” Wade said.
“It made me a stronger person”
William was stationed with the Household Cavalry in Dorset at the time, while Kate was living in London. As a result, they often spent time apart. In their engagement video, William and Kate opened up about their 2007 split.
“We did split up for a bit,” William admitted in their engagement interview. “But that was just, we were both very young, it was at university, we were both finding ourselves and such, and being different characters and such.”
“I think I at the time wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person,” Kate added.
“You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. Or I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you’re younger. I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time, looking back on it.”
William graduated with a master of arts degree in geography from St Andrews, while Kate graduated with a master of arts degree in art history. They both graduated in 2005, and prior to that their relationship, as mentioned, flourished.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton shared an extraordinary bond. They met for the first time at a wedding (one which William didn’t actually attend). Over the years, they became very close and had many engagements together.
Kate worried about Christmas gift to the Queen
Speaking in the ITV documentary Our Queen at Ninety, Kate recalled the first Christmas she spent at Sandringham.
She was worried about what she would give the Queen as a Christmas present – but her idea was successful.
“I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’ I thought back to what I would give my own grandparents. And I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’ Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney,” Kate recalled.
She added: “I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”
Christmas at Sandringham has always held a special place in the Royal Family’s heart. Queen Elizabeth had many traditions of her own, including her annual Christmas speech.
Kate has spent many Christmas holidays with the royals at Sandringham, and recently enjoyed the holiday season with William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Interestingly, though, there was a time when she didn’t feel comfortable celebrating the holidays with the royals – and declined their invitation.
Kate Middleton declined Christmas invite from William
Kate spent her first Christmas with the Royal Family in 2011, about half a year after she and William had married and ten years after they first met at university.
Usually, royal tradition states that unmarried partners aren’t to take part in Christmas celebrations at Sandringham (sure, one can have different opinions about whether it’s reasonable or not). Back in 2006, however, the royals made an exception. According to royal expert and author Tina Brown, Kate was invited to the Christmas party at Sandringham in 2006.
Naturally, one might have assumed that Kate would be overjoyed; that she would have canceled all other plans and traveled to Sandringham will all haste.
Instead, she said no.
“Before graduation [from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst], William had issued his girlfriend the coveted invitation to join him at the Queen’s annual Christmas house party at Sandringham,” Tina Brown wrote in the book The Palace Papers.
“Kate, reflecting the confident mood of her Philip Treacy hat, maintained her resolve that she would not go to such a significant Royal Family gathering unless she had a ring on her finger.”
Brown added: “She declined. William met her decision with silence.”
So, Kate, then age 24, decided not to travel to Sandringham to be with her then-boyfriend and meet the royals. Instead, she “retreated to Scotland to stay with her parents, who had rented a house in Perthshire for the holidays.”
Wanted to have “a ring” before royal Christmas celebration
Meanwhile, historian Robert Lacey wrote in his book Battle of Brothers, that the Christmas party invite wasn’t the only thing Kate declined. The royal author claims that Queen Elizabeth had also extended an invitation for the traditional Christmas lunch.
As Tina Brown explained, Lacey argued that Kate, in fact, wanted to be engaged and “have a ring to prove it” before committing to any royal Christmas festivities.
When Prince William and Kate Middleton did tie the knot, the now-Princess of Wales became a loving member, and a vital part of the Royal Family. As early as her first royal Christmas, she most likely had to be a part of a unique tradition, which Queen Elizabeth reportedly found “amusing.”
“We do love a bit of royal etiquette and eccentricity, particularly around Christmas time, but they have one royal Christmas tradition that is a bit unusual. They weigh their guests. Yes, you heard that correctly,” royal and fashion expert Miranda Holder explained.
“This tradition dates back to King Edward VII who thought it would be amusing to weigh his guests at the beginning and then at the very end of their Christmas stay to see just how much they had enjoyed themselves.”
Holder added: “Food features heavily in the Christmas schedule so the Queen thought it would be amusing to carry this Christmas tradition on. Apparently, if you’ve put on 1.4kg (three pounds) you’ve had a really good time.”
Kate Middleton’s popularity
When William and Kate said goodbye to each other in 2007, they didn’t know that 15 years later, they would be a loving family with three wonderful children.
Not long ago, Kate, William, George, Charlotte, and Louis moved to Adelaide Cottage at the Windsor Castle grounds, where they look set to live for many years.
Kate has not only been accepted by the nation – but has become one of its steadfast favorites.
In a poll carried out by the Daily Mail, Prince William and Kate were named the most popular of the royals. One thousand ninety-five people were asked to rate the senior members of the Royal Family, with 69 percent saying prince William was “favorable.” Sixty-seven percent had Kate Middleton as “favorable,” with Princess Anne following with sixty-four percent.
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