Prince William and Kate Middleton made headlines when they married in a royal wedding that would go down in history. When William and Kate first went public with their romance nearly twenty years ago, the world was shocked.
The couple has now come to symbolize the stability that Queen Elizabeth II once provided, while also embracing modern-day ideals and values, making them icons of the British royal family.
From their beautiful wedding to their current perfect family of five, William and Kate’s romantic romance seems like something straight out of a fairy tale. Take a look at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship timeline!
2001: Kate Middleton and Prince William met in college
Prince William and Kate Middleton first met while studying at St Andrews University in Scotland. They both studied art history, although William eventually chose geography as his major. According to reports, William was impressed by Kate when he saw her at a charity student fashion show (where he reportedly paid £200 for a front row seat).
Kate claims that since she was shy at first, it took them some time to get to know each other. But after that, the two became extremely close friends. The prince claimed that as they spent more time with each other, they discovered similarities.
October 2002: Kate Middleton and Prince William stay with their friends
Kate and William moved into a four-bedroom, two-story townhouse off campus to begin their second year at St. Andrews with their friends Fergus Boyd and Olivia Bleasdale. At this point, the two were just friends, but that would soon change. Kate and William’s friendship took a romantic turn while they were roommates.
May 27, 2002: Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship turns romantic
William’s heart was reportedly changed when the art student demonstrated her skills in the college fashion show “The Art of Seduction,” in which she wore a transparent dress with a black bra and panties made by fellow student Charlotte Todd. Soon after, they began dating. In 2003, the couple moved out of their four-bedroom apartment and into a new home.
April 1, 2004: Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship goes public
After dating for over a year, photos of William and Kate having fun on a ski holiday in the Swiss Alps were published by The Sun, revealing the couple’s relationship to the world.
According to reports, Charles was deeply disappointed by the breakdown of the agreement between the press and Buckingham Palace that guaranteed the royal children could complete their education without their privacy being violated.
The couple’s time at college ended on June 23, 2005, when they attended an intimate graduation ceremony with about 260 people from their class. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, William’s parents, Prince Charles, and his stepmother were all in attendance.
April 2007: Kate Middleton and Prince William separate
In April 2007, PEOPLE revealed that Kate and William had decided to end their nearly five-year relationship. An insider described the breakup as amicable. However, at the time, rumors stated that Kate was having trouble adjusting to the media attention surrounding their relationship and that their growing professional distance was leading to their separation.
June 9, 2007: Kate Middleton and Prince William reunite
The couple broke up briefly but then reconciled. At a reception held at his army quarters in Bovington, Dorset, rumours spread that the prince had reconciled with his old girlfriend, with whom he reportedly shared a passionate kiss.
Their reunion was confirmed when the couple attended the Concert for Princess Diana in July 2007, organised by William and Prince Harry to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
October 20, 2010: Prince William proposes to Kate Middleton
William proposed to Kate when the two of them went on a romantic vacation to Kenya, where they stayed in a cabin hut in a wildlife reserve about 10,500 feet above sea level. It was very romantic, as the future Duchess of Cambridge said, and for good reason — he asked Kate to marry him with his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring.
November 16, 2010: Kate Middleton and Prince William announce their engagement
The official statement announcing that Kate and William would marry in mid-November 2010 said, “The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. The wedding is due to take place in London during the spring or summer of 2011. Further details regarding the wedding day will be released in due course.”
The announcement also detailed the events leading up to the couple’s big moment. “Prince William and Ms. Middleton became engaged during a private holiday in Kenya in October,” the statement added. “Prince William has spoken to The Queen and other close relatives. In addition, Prince William has sought the approval of Ms. Middleton’s father.”
April 29, 2011: Kate Middleton and Prince William receive new royal titles
Just ahead of their wedding, the palace revealed that Queen Elizabeth II has granted her grandson the title of dukedom and her granddaughter the title of duchess.
April 29, 2011: Kate Middleton and Prince William are married.
In a dreamy ceremony held at Westminster Abbey, Prince William and Kate Middleton married in front of an estimated 72 million people around the world. Ellie Goulding performed at the reception, the bride applied her own cosmetics, and the groom wore sweat pads to keep his uniform from sweating.
The couple exchanged wedding vows and then rode in a 109-year-old State Landau carriage through the streets of London to Buckingham Palace, where they kissed twice on the balcony in the now-famous scene, before departing in a 1969 Aston Martin convertible.
December 3, 2012: Kate Middleton and Prince William announce they are expecting their first child
In December 2012, the royal couple made headlines when it was revealed that they were expecting their first child. The statement said, “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby.”
St James’s Palace revealed the couple were expecting their first child, as Kate was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme morning sickness associated with pregnancy symptoms.
July 22, 2013: Kate Middleton and Prince William welcome their first child
On 22 July 2013, Kate gave birth to Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in West London. Prince George is his father’s heir apparent to the throne.
As per royal tradition, the eight-pound, six-ounce little prince made his public debut outside St. Mary’s Hospital in the arms of his mother, who looked stunning in a blue Jenny Packham short-sleeve dress with polka dots.
May 2, 2015: Kate Middleton and Prince William welcome their first daughter
Kensington Palace released a statement announcing Kate’s second pregnancy on September 8, 2014. Kate’s second child, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, was born at St Mary’s Lindo Wing on May 2, 2015. Charlotte was born at 8:34 a.m. and the couple returned to their Kensington Palace residence the same evening.
April 23, 2018: Kate Middleton and Prince William welcome their third child
In early September 2017, the royal family announced that the Duchess of Cambridge was expecting a baby again. On April 23, 2018, the family of four grew to five when Kate gave birth to Prince Louis.
Seven hours later, on the steps of St Mary’s, the couple made their first official appearance as per custom with their newborn son. Kate wore a red Jenny Packham gown with a lace Peter Pan collar.
March 22, 2024: Kate Middleton reveals she has cancer and is discussing the news with Prince William
Following abdominal surgery in January, Kensington Palace revealed in March 2024 that Kate was undergoing treatment for cancer. The Princess of Wales said in a private statement, “This was of course a huge shock, and William and I are doing everything possible to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.” She also explained how William has been a huge source of comfort and reassurance to her during the past three months.
April 29, 2024: Kate Middleton and Prince William will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary
Middleton and Prince William celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary with a post on their official Instagram account. The couple showed off a never-before-seen black-and-white photo that Millie Pilkington took on their wedding day. She wrote the caption, “13 years ago today!”
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