Prince William and Princess Kate's 'heartache' amid pre-wedding split

Prince William in military uniform and Princess Kate in a lace dress
Prince William in military uniform and Princess Kate in a lace dress

The ups and downs of the Prince and Princess of Wales' relationship have long been documented, but does anyone know the real story aside from the royals themselves?

The latest account of William and Kate's brief split, and the following heartache, has come from Robert Jobson's new book.

In excerpts published in the Daily Mail, Robert recounted how King Charles' son had an "emotionally charged 30-minute conversation" with his then-girlfriend to end their relationship in April 2007, and highlighted the couple's very different ways of coping with the aftermath.

william and harry at party
William reportedly went out following their breakup (Getty Images)

"[William] celebrated their break-up with an alcohol-fuelled night at the Mahiki nightclub in Mayfair with his close pals. 'I'm free!' he shouted as he slipped into a drunken version of the robot dance. He then told his friends that they should all 'drink the menu', which they more or less ended up doing," he wrote, before adding that Kate focused on enjoying holidays and spending time with her family.

Kate, Pippa and Carole Middleton arriving at The Goring Hotel on the eve of the royal wedding
Carole Middleton reportedly took Kate on a trip to Dublin (Getty)

"Carole Middleton acted swiftly, taking her heartbroken daughter for a break in Dublin - a welcome respite from media scrutiny," Robert said.

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She also holidayed in Ibiza before being photographed on nights out with her sister Pippa.

2007, Pippa and Kate Middleton (R) attend the book launch party of The Young Stalin: The Adventurous Early Life Of The Dictator 1878-1917 by Simon Sebag Montefiore, at Asprey May 14, 2007 in London, England.  (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
Kate was often pictured with her sister Pippa during her brief split from William (Getty)

While Kate's social life continued to blossom, William was "holed up in his barracks for most of the summer."

Kate Middleton pictured leaving the Mahiki nightclub in Dover Street, London, where she was joined by Prince William
Kate was pictured enjoying a busy social life (SplashNews.com)

After spending two months apart, their reconciliation took place at Sam Waley-Cohen's fancy dress party, which he named 'Freakin Naughty', in June.

Prince William begins an intensive RAF course to learn how to fly on January 7, 2007 in Cranwell, England
Prince William began an intensive RAF course in 2007 (Getty)

Kate, dressed as a nurse, and William were reportedly spotted kissing on the dancefloor, but they publicly confirmed they had rekindled their relationship when Kate attended the Concert for Diana in July 2007.

William and Kate's engagement

Kate Middleton in a sheer dress and bandeau bikini
Kate and William started as friends at St Andrews University (Malcolm Clarke/Daily Mail/Shutterstock)

The couple opened up about their relationship during their engagement interview in 2010, admitting that they were friends at St Andrews University before romance blossomed.

 Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for engagement photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010 in London, England.
Kate got engaged to Prince William in 2010 (Getty)

Discussing their brief split, Kate admitted: "At the time, I wasn't very happy about it. But actually, it made me a stronger person. You find things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized. I really valued that time for me."

William added: "We were both very young… we were both finding ourselves and being dif­ferent characters. It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up, so it was just a bit of space and it worked out for the better."

Royal wedding

Richard Ward is the man behind Princess Kate's blow drys, including her bridal hair style on her wedding day in 2011
The couple tied the knot in April 2011 (Chris Jackson)

William and Kate exchanged vows in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, the same place where his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip in 1947.

Kate looked stunning in a lace Alexander McQueen wedding dress, which left her partner giving her gushing compliments at the altar.

Lip readers reported he said: "You look lovely. You look beautiful."

RELATED: King Charles 'clashed with Prince William' over decision to fly his family of five in helicopter