Before their 2011 wedding, Prince William and Princess Kate were already navigating public scrutiny, private milestones, and moments of uncertainty.
Following a brief split in 2007, the couple decided to take a private holiday together that would mark a turning point in their relationship.
Later that year, William, now 43, took Kate, also 43, on a discreet holiday to Desroches, an island in the Seychelles.
The couple reportedly checked into their resort under the names Martin and Rosemary Middleton to avoid attention and protect their privacy.
A quiet but significant promise
© GettyWilliam and Kate took a private holiday
According to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, the trip marked an important moment for William and Kate.
Writing in her book The Making of a Royal Romance, Katie revealed that the couple used the holiday to rebuild and solidify their future.
She wrote: “William, who had inherited something of his father’s fear of commitment, knew he would lose Kate if he could not give her some form of guarantee.”
Not yet marriage, but a commitment
© GettyPrincess Kate and Prince William have a special relationship
Rather than proposing there and then, William made a private pact to Kate that reassured her of his intentions.
Quoting a member of the couple’s inner circle, Katie continued: “They didn’t agree to get married there and then; what they made was a pact.”
She added: “William told Kate she was the one, but he was not ready to get married. He promised her his commitment and said he would not let her down, and in turn she agreed to wait for him.”
Life after the pact
© GettyPrincess Kate and Prince William pose at the Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower
The couple continued their relationship with renewed trust, and three years later, William proposed to Kate during a trip to Kenya.
The couple shared the news publicly in November 2010. They were married the following year at Westminster Abbey.
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© Getty
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Despite the couple having spoken about marriage, Kate admitted in their 2010 engagement interview that she was still surprised by the proposal.
She said: “It was a total shock when it came. There’s a true romantic in there.”
William’s version
© GettyPrince William is set to travel to Singapore without Princess Kate
William confirmed in the same interview with ITV that the proposal wasn’t entirely unexpected but still special.
He said: “We’d been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn’t a massively big surprise, but I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya, and I proposed.”
The couple first met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. They became friends before dating in the early 2000s.
Their relationship was tested several times under media attention, with the 2007 break-up seen as a key turning point.
Still strong 14 years on
© ShutterstockPrince William and Princess Kate didn’t share all of their hobbies
William and Kate have now been married for over 14 years and share three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
They continue to work together publicly as senior members of the royal family.
Though the holiday and secret pact happened years ago, fans continue to reflect on the strength of William and Kate’s bond.
The private promise shared on a remote island became the foundation for one of the most high-profile marriages in the world.
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