7 Trivia About Prince William and Kate

Since it was the Duchess of Cambridge’s birthday last January 9, I thought I’d repost this blog which originally appeared as a guest post on The Home of the Twisted Red Ladybug.

I am a huge fan of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I am as old as them both, actually, and my brother is as old as Prince Harry, which I’ve always thought was a fun coincidence.

When I was a teen, I had a crush on Wills. Then I grew up and forgot about him till the royal engagement was announced and I fell in love with Wills and Kate as a couple.

Photo by Mario Testino

I went so nuts over the royal wedding that I did what I usually do when I go nuts over everything – research it to death. So I thought I’d share 7 trivia that I learned from reading books about them. Okay, here we go:

(1) Prince William could have died before being born.

Diana was three months pregnant with William when, in a jealous fit over her husband’s long-term affair with the married Camilla Parker Bowles, she hurled herself down the main staircase at Sandringham, the Queen’s privately owned, twenty-thousand-acre estate a hundred miles north of London in Norfolk. The Queen herself came running and found Diana sprawled on the marble floor at the foot of the stairs.   {Source: A}

(2) Prince William was his mother’s confidant.

William’s role in Princess Diana’s life was more that of alternative husband other than son. It was a heavy burden for anyone, but especially someone so young.   {Source: A}

(3) Prince William wasn’t keen on being king.

This happened during William’s gap year:

The others had spent the past hour discussing what they planned to do when they returned home. Some had places at universities, others had further adventures to look forward to. William quietly listened to their excited chatter. ‘You’re all so lucky.’ he said as the flames flickered across his face. ‘I don’t have much choice about my future. One day I will be king, and to be honest I’m not much interested in that at all at the moment.’   {Source: B}

(4) When Kate was a child, another William proposed to her.

Actually, it was just acting for a play. Kate played the role of a female lead in a Victorian melodrama called Murder in the Red Barn. In one scene caught on video, the love of her life, named William, gets down on one knee and proposes marriage. “Yes, it’s all I’ve ever longed for,” Kate replies. “Yes, oh yes, dear William!” {Source: A}

I guess some people would call that moment prophetic? I wonder if this is how it played out with the real William years later.

(5) Kate had a crush on Prince William before they even met.

Kate was jokingly called “princess in waiting” by her high school friends because she had a crush on Prince William. When they talked about the boys in school, she said she didn’t like any of them, that they were all a bit of rough. “There’s no one quite like William,” she said. “I bet he’s really kind. You can just tell by looking at him.”   {Source: C}

(6) Prince William and Kate were friends for over a year before they became a couple.

They were both dating other people when they first met. But since they were both Art history majors, Wills leaned on Kate heavily for advice. He liked that she was a very levelheaded girl.

Then one day, Kate joined the annual Don’t Walk charity fashion show. As Kate shimmied down the runway wearing black underwear in a see-through dress, William turned to his friend Fergus, saying, “Wow, Kate’s hot!”

Later at the after-party, William made a move and leaned in to kiss her. Kate pulled away, stunned that he had been so bold in a room full of strangers. But though she rebuffed him that night, it was evident that there was chemistry between them. They got together not long after that.   {Source: A}

(7) When the world thought they were going to get engaged, they broke up instead.

In 2007, England was so convinced that William and Kate would get engaged that they begun selling souvenirs commemorating the couple’s nuptials. But at 25, William wasn’t ready to commit and ended the relationship instead.

Kate was devastated by the breakup. Her mother told her, “He’ll change his mind. For now, just let him know you have a life. He’ll realize soon enough it was a mistake to let you go.”

We all know how that turned out, don’t we? Mother was right. After seeing Kate’s partying pictures splashed all over the papers and magazines, William realized he missed her and got back together with her during his mother’s memorial concert.   {Source: A}

Well played, Kate, well played.

Book sources:
A William and Kate: A Love Story by Christopher Andersen
B Behind the Palace Walls by Katie Nicholl
C Kate: the Making of a Princess by Claudia Joseph