{"id":352176,"date":"2025-08-17T17:43:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T17:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/352176\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T17:43:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T17:43:09","slug":"kate-middleton-and-prince-william-may-have-started-dating-earlier-than-the-public-thought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/352176\/","title":{"rendered":"Kate Middleton and Prince William May Have Started Dating Earlier Than the Public Thought"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>Prince William and Kate Middleton met as first-year college students at the University of St. Andrews in September 2001\u2014this much is known.<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s a bit fuzzier is when the two started dating; it\u2019s believed they were friends first, then roommates, before their relationship turned romantic.<\/li>\n<li>But a new royal biography refutes that, alleging that the Prince and Princess of Wales began dating far earlier than the public thought\u2014around Christmas 2001.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_2-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> While it\u2019s always been common knowledge when <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/prince-william-wont-be-pushed-around-11759097\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prince William<\/a> and <a class=\"recommendation-inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/kate-middleton-qatar-state-visit-8754169\" link-destination-recommendation=\"true\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kate Middleton<\/a> met\u2014their first semester of college at the University of St. Andrews in 2001\u2014it\u2019s always been a bit more ambiguous as to when they started dating.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_4-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> It has been said that the two were friends first, then roommates, eventually becoming romantic around 2002 or 2003. The accepted narrative of the early days of the current Prince and Princess of Wales\u2019 romance states that it was after William saw Kate walking in a charity fashion show in a sheer dress and black underwear that he declared, \u201cWow, Kate\u2019s hot!\u201d\u2014and the rest is history.\n<\/p>\n<p> Kate Middleton walking in the famous 2002 fashion show.<\/p>\n<p>Shutterstock<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_7-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> That fashion show happened in early 2002, but according to Sean Smith\u2019s new book Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, William and Kate were already quietly dating by the spring of 2002.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_9-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cKate had been introduced to William because they were on the same course, History of Art, and in the same student block, but had yet to have a chat,\u201d Smith wrote in an excerpt shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/royals\/article-14971481\/Prince-William-Kate-Middleton-charity-catwalk-romance.html?login&amp;signinStatus=authenticated&amp;signinMethod=password&amp;dataCaptured=false&amp;flowVariant=standard_signin_nosubscribe&amp;param_code=fwojnsfh89bygyowuild&amp;param_state=eyJyZW1lbWJlck1lIjp0cnVlLCJyZWdTb3VyY2UiOiJwYXl3YWxsIiwicmFuZG9tU3RhdGUiOiJkMjFlM2MxZS1jMDc0LTRiMGMtOWNkMi1iMmVlODY4YTdhYjEifQ%3D%3D&amp;param_info=%7B%22signinStatus%22%3A%22authenticated%22%2C%22signinMethod%22%3A%22password%22%2C%22dataCaptured%22%3Afalse%2C%22flowVariant%22%3A%22standard_signin_nosubscribe%22%7D&amp;param__host=www.dailymail.co.uk&amp;param_geolocation=us&amp;base_fe_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2F&amp;validation_fe_uri=%2Fregistration%2Fp%2Fapi%2Ffield%2Fvalidation%2F&amp;check_user_fe_uri=registration%2Fp%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fuser_check%2F&amp;isMobile=false\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Daily Mail<\/a>. \u201cThat changed when he discovered she knew about rugby and could have a decent conversation about it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p> Kate Middleton and Prince William on the day of their graduation ceremony at St Andrew&#8217;s on June 23, 2005.<br \/>\nPhoto: The Middleton Family \/ Clarence House \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cShe became the only girl in his set of well-to-do public school types who always sat together at lunch and dinner,\u201d Smith continued, adding that \u201cThey started dating at the Christmas holidays and were already a discreet item by the time William publicly commented on how fit she was at the now-famous charity fashion show in which she sashayed down the runway in a transparent dress revealing black underwear.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_14-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Per The Daily Mail, \u201cthis goes against previous reports that both Kate and William were dating other people at the time.\u201d William was said to have made \u201ca clumsy pass\u201d at Kate at the fashion show\u2019s after party, \u201cto which he was rebuffed,\u201d the outlet wrote\u2014but this new account by Smith shakes that up a bit.\n<\/p>\n<p> Prince William and Kate Middleton on February 10, 2007.<\/p>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_17-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The reason why the timeline of William and Kate\u2019s early days is a little fuzzy is because Buckingham Palace struck a deal with the media to help William have as much of a normal college experience as possible, despite being the future king. William gave the media a brief interview and photocall the day he arrived at St. Andrews\u2014and then, privacy.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> William and Kate originally met as first-year students in September 2001, after they moved into the same dorm. \u201cWilliam relied on Kate\u2019s advice when he was going through a difficult period personally and debating whether or not to drop out of university,\u201d The Daily Mail reported. Though William later switched to a geography major, they were also initially in the same aforementioned art history classes.\n<\/p>\n<p> Kate Middleton and Prince William in 2008.<\/p>\n<p>POOL\/ Tim Graham Picture Library\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_22-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Of their first meeting, Kate later said in their 2010 engagement interview that she \u201cturned bright red and sort of scuttled off\u201d when they first encountered one another, noting that she was \u201cfeeling very shy about meeting him.\u201d They\u2019d later move in together along with two other roommates, and Kate said in 2019 that William liked to \u201cimpress\u201d her with his cooking skills.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_24-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cIn university days, he used to cook all sorts of meals,\u201d she said. Adding that he made \u201cthings like Bolognese sauce and things like that,\u201d Kate added, \u201cI think that\u2019s when he was trying to impress me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_26-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> As to whether he still cooked for her, the royal said, \u201cHe sometimes does, actually\u2014he\u2019s very good at breakfast.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p> Prince William and Kate Middleton on May 4, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p> Prince William and Kate Middleton on June 16, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_32-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> One of William and Kate\u2019s college friends, Michael Choong, said that the couple \u201cnever showed any affection in public. Kate was good for him. She was very loyal and did not gossip. William was naturally gregarious\u2014he\u2019d always get a round of beers in at the pub\u2014but Kate was less so and hated having her picture taken.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_34-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Of the famous charity fashion show, actress Meg Bellamy later depicted Kate in Netflix\u2019s The Crown and, true to the lockdown nature of William\u2019s college days, found it difficult to capture that moment because there was \u201cno footage\u201d of Kate walking or talking in her college days.\n<\/p>\n<p> Kate Middleton on June 17, 2006.<\/p>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_37-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cI could bring home an outfit of Kate that really felt like her, so I just kind of walked around the house and felt her,\u201d Bellamy said.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_39-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> As for the shifting timeline of when the Prince and Princess of Wales\u2019 romance actually began, \u201cthe fact that much of their early romance is shrouded in mystery for the general public makes their love story even more special,\u201d The Daily Mail reported.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prince William and Kate Middleton met as first-year college students at the University of St. Andrews in September&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":352177,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[7709,7714,7713,533,2832,532,2831,7710,519,7711,7712],"class_list":{"0":"post-352176","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-british-royal-family","9":"tag-catherine","10":"tag-catherine-middleton","11":"tag-kate-middleton","12":"tag-prince-of-wales","13":"tag-prince-william","14":"tag-princess-of-wales","15":"tag-royal-families","16":"tag-royal-family","17":"tag-uk-royal-family","18":"tag-william"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115045348474365086","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}