Is This When Prince William First Caught Kate Middleton's Attention?
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Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance blossomed much earlier than expected, according to one royal historian. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge remain one of the most lauded and respected couples in royal history. Blazing a trail of their own, William currently is second in the line of succession to the British throne — just behind his father, Prince Charles. Interestingly enough, William and Kate's children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — all trail behind their father in third, fourth, and fifth in the line of succession, respectively.
As the story goes, William and Kate initially met during their college years (via Page Six) at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In 2002, Kate really caught William's eye when she wore sported a rather revealing dress during a fashion show. Mutual college buddy Ben Duncan recalled the event, stating, "It was the end of their first year. I was there, and in person there were a lot of attractive girls" (per E! News). He noted that Kate "was in a very daring dress, in a sheer stocking-like dress," while William "was sitting front row and his eyes were like stalks."
But now, one royal biographer is changing the narrative with new and interesting details about Prince William and Kate Middleton's eventual romance.
Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly mingled at the age of nine
While it's commonly accepted as a fact that Prince William and Kate Middleton got together during college, renowned author Katie Nicholl is peeling back the curtain even further with some new information surrounding their relationship. According to Nicholl, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge actually crossed paths at the young age of nine. Attending Ludgrove as a child, William served was a sports sensation — excelling at multiple sports. During this time, the Duke faced opposing school St. Andrews — where Middleton attended — in a game that ultimately "caught her attention," per Nicholl (via Express).
"Ludgrove Prep school would often play matches against St Andrew's Prep, and there was much excitement when Prince William, a left-back on Ludgrove's Colts team, came to St. Andrew's," Nicholl stated in her book, "Kate: The Future Queen" (via Express). She continued, "William, like Kate, loved sports and was one of the best hockey and rugby players in his year," adding that "the arrival of the Prince generated a flurry of excitement."
All of this, of course, occurred at a time when Kate "wasn't especially interested in boys" and it's unclear if they spoke at the time. Though, in a separate interview, Kate actually revealed in meeting William, "I actually went bright red when I met you and scuttled off feeling very shy about meeting you" (via Woman & Home). Talk about a love story!