How Prince William and Princess Kate's romance blossomed - inside their early romance, shock break-up and intimate proposal
The Prince and Princess of Wales have faced one of their most difficult years as a couple after Kate was diagnosed with cancer. Last week, the royal shared the joyful news that she had completed her chemotherapy in a sweet video featuring her family.
Prince William and Kate are university sweethearts and enjoyed a long-term relationship before the Prince proposed on a holiday in Kenya in 2010. Their royal wedding in 2011 was watched by 162 million viewers globally, with Queen Elizabeth II giving them the title of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge upon their marriage.
Since then, William and Kate have welcomed three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. They are hands-on parents, often juggling their royal duties with the school run and their children's extra-curricular activities.
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While the couple rarely engage in PDAs, there have been some sweet moments captured between them over the years, including hand-holding and back-rubs. And of course, they love to tease one another, particularly when they're competing against one another.
Learn more about Prince William and Kate's relationship over the years below.
2001 – Prince William meets Kate Middleton at university
The couple first met when they enrolled on the same Art History course at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Describing their first interaction, Kate said to William in their engagement interview: "Well I actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you. Actually, William wasn't there for quite a bit of the time initially, he wasn't there for Freshers Week, so it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each other but we did become very close friends from quite early on."
The pair were friends at first before their relationship turned romantic, with Kate reportedly catching William's eye when she donned a semi-sheer dress at a charity fashion show in 2002. William later switched to a Geography degree in his second year.
2004 – The couple's romance becomes public
William and Kate were first pictured together during a holiday with the royals at the Swiss ski resort of Klosters.
2007 – William and Kate break-up
After graduating from St Andrews in 2005, William began carrying out his first solo engagements before embarking on his military career.
Kate moved to London, sharing a flat in Chelsea with her younger sister, Pippa Middleton. With William and Kate spending more time apart due to his military training, the pair briefly broke up in early 2007.
Kate later said in their engagement interview: "I think at the time I wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person, you find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realised, I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn't think it at the time."
2007 – Reconciliation
The pair sparked rumours that they had got back together when Kate attended the Concert for Diana in July 2007, sitting two rows behind her ex-boyfriend William. Their reconciliation was confirmed when they were spotted on a ski break in Klosters in March 2008.
2010 – Move to Anglesey
With William stationed in Wales as a search and rescue pilot, the couple reside at a four-bedroom farmhouse, Bodorgan Hall, situated near the Irish Sea.
2010 – Engagement announcement
Clarence House announced Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement on 16 November 2010, following the Prince's proposal to his long-term girlfriend during a holiday in Kenya. William popped the question with his late mother Diana's sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
He said of the ring: "I had been carrying it around with me in my rucksack for about three weeks before that and I literally would not let it go, everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it because I knew this thing, if it disappeared, I would be in a lot of trouble and because I'd planned it, it went fine. You hear a lot of horror stories about proposing and things going horribly wrong - it went really, really well and I was really pleased when she said yes."
Kate wore a blue Issa London wrap dress for the couple's engagement photocall, which sold out within hours.
2011 – Royal wedding
William and Kate tied the knot on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The groom wore the red tunic of a colonel of the Irish Guards uniform while the bride wowed in a satin and lace wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, and the Cartier Halo tiara.
2012 – Kate's first pregnancy announced
The palace announced the then Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy earlier than expected as Kate was admitted to hospital after suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness) in the first few weeks.
2013 – First royal baby
William and Kate welcomed their first child, Prince George Alexander Louis, at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington on 22 July 2013. The little prince made his debut to the world the day after his birth.
2015 – Move to Anmer Hall, Norfolk
Just weeks before the birth of their second baby, William and Kate and baby George moved to their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk full-time. The Prince took up a position as a pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance.
2015 – Second royal baby
William and Kate's second child, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, was born on 2 May 2015 at the Lindo Wing.
2017 – Return to London
The then Cambridges relocated to Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace after William stepped down from his pilot role in Norfolk to carry out full-time royal duties.
2018 – Third royal baby
The couple's third child, Prince Louis Arthur Charles, was born on 23 April 2018 at the Lindo Wing.
2021 – Tenth wedding anniversary
William and Kate celebrated their milestone anniversary with the release of some stunning new portraits and a rare family video, showing them playing on the beach in Norfolk with their children. Relive it below...
2022 – Move to Windsor
Ahead of their children starting at their new school, Lambrook, in Berkshire, William and Kate move to Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor estate.
2022 – New royal titles
Just weeks after moving to Windsor, the royal family mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 at Balmoral. Charles became the King, making William heir to the throne. It was confirmed that William and Kate would be known as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
2024 – Kate's cancer diagnosis
The Prince of Wales has been supporting his wife, following her abdominal surgery in January 2024 and subsequent cancer diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests.
During Kate's recovery, William continued carrying out public engagements, while the Princess of Wales recovered at home and underwent preventative chemotherapy. Kate made limited appearances during her recovery, but thrilled royal fans when she attended Trooping the Colour, with her husband and children supporting her.
In a video confirming she had completed her course of chemotherapy, the Prince and Princess enjoyed several PDAs, one featured the couple laughing together while lying on a picnic blanket that ends with William sweetly kisses his wife on the cheek as she giggles.
In another scene, the couple hold hands as they watch their children play on hay bales and pose for a number of family snaps.
