Prince William and Kate Middleton were friends before lovers says royal expert
Prince William and Kate Middleton were friends before lovers says royal expert
Alycia McNamara & Kathleen O'BoyleMon, September 28, 2026 at 6:02 AM UTC
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The couple married in 2011 -Credit:Getty
Prince William and Princess Catherine have long been viewed as one of the monarchy’s most prominent couples, but their relationship began with friendship before romance.
Royal author Ingrid Seward recently discussed the couple’s early relationship during a live recording of A Right Royal Podcast at Quaglino’s, sharing what she believes helped shape their relationship over the years. “I think what the great thing was that Kate and William were very good friends before they became lovers,” Ingrid tells the audience.
The pair met while attending university, eventually beginning a romantic relationship before going on to become engaged and marry in front of millions of people around the world. This comes as the pair are facing an unusual travel rule.
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According to Ingrid, Catherine was someone William could turn to during their university years. She recalled an occasion when William drove to see Catherine during what she believes was their first vacation from university.
“She was, in a way, his sounding board. During, I think it was their first vacation from university, he drove to take Catherine out. He drove to her house in Bucklebury and he took her to the local pub, and they had a long, long chat,” reports the Express.
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The pair are two of the most popular members of the monarchy. -Credit:Getty
Ingrid went on to explain that Catherine was not only a friend to William, but someone who would listen to him and offer advice when he was unsure about his studies.
“I can’t remember the exact timing. But they were very good friends, and she listened to him and she advised him, and she said, ‘Look, if you’re not happy doing History of Art, you know, try to do something else. Do Geography or something,’ which is what he did. She was such a good friend.”
William ultimately changed his course of study from History of Art to Geography, with Ingrid pointing to Catherine’s role as an example of the support she provided him during their time at university.
Their friendship eventually developed into a romantic relationship, with the couple later becoming engaged before exchanging vows at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.
The couple have three children together. -Credit:Getty
Their wedding became one of the biggest royal events in recent history. Queen Elizabeth hosted a reception for the newlyweds and their guests at Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
Reports indicated that approximately one billion people around the world tuned in to watch the wedding through television and streaming services.
Inside Westminster Abbey, 1,900 guests were present for the ceremony, while more than one million people gathered along the streets between Westminster and Buckingham Palace to see the newlyweds.
For Ingrid, however, the couple’s relationship goes back much further than their wedding day. Their years of friendship at university came first, with Catherine becoming someone William could speak to, listen to and seek advice from.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
