Prince William and Kate Middleton have had a long and happy marriage. The couple first met while studying at university, and fell for another after first becoming friends.
Of course, as in any relationship, the couple have experienced their fair share of ups and downs. But in the end, love prevailed. Today, the two have created a wonderful family that will help guide the monarchy into the future.
Now, last months have been heavily focused on Prince Harry & Meghan Markle where the royals are concerned. The two criticized and scandalized the Firm between their Netflix documentary series and Harry’s memoir, Spare. Both William and Kate were mentioned more than once, and not in an overly positive light, but now the dust finally appears to be settling.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales have a tight schedule of duties in service to the Crown, they do their best to ensure they have time for each other and, perhaps most importantly, time with their children.
Yet with Valentine’s Day approaching, it seems as though Kate won’t be on the receiving end of any kind of romantic gesture from her husband.
William and Kate have a long history together, that much we all know. They first became friends while studying at St Andrew’s University, only to fall in love with each other not long after.
How did Prince William & Kate Middleton meet?
It didn’t take long for the world to realize that Kate Middleton was the future King of England’s new girlfriend. Naturally, the British tabloids reported on the couple as much as possible. But it wasn’t just “love is in the air” type articles published in the papers. No, a large focus was placed on digging into Kate’s personal life, even giving her unfair nicknames to generate more of a buzz.
William and Kate dated for many years, despite keeping relatively quiet during their university years to better focus on their respective studies.
They both graduated in 2005; William with a master of arts degree in geography, and Kate with a master of arts degree in art history. But while their relationship appeared only to flourish, trouble lay on the horizon.
In 2007, the couple went through a high-profile split, though it turns out there may have been cracks in their relationship as early as a year before, when the couple declined each other’s invitations to major holidays.
When William and Kate split in 2007, rumors about what had really happened started to spread quickly.
Some royal experts claimed William split up with Kate because he felt the “fun” had disappeared from their relationship. Kate, meanwhile, was said to have been left “desperately upset”; she had already pictured how they would be married in the future.
Shortly after the breakup, William was said to have made frequent visits to London nightclubs and was spotted with several girls.
Reasons behind their 2007 split
Kate was left angry, and according to reports, “harsh words” were exchanged as she thought she had been “humiliated” by William’s behavior. She also felt that he was “cheapening her image.”
“It was the first such warning she had dished out over the course of their four-and-a-half-year relationship,” a report read.
“Kate had had enough, and words were exchanged. Kate told William that he was making her look bad, one of her friends explained. She has coped for years with girls flinging themselves at her boyfriend, and for a while, she found it humorous and even flattering.”
There may have been many different reasons, excuses, and opinions as to why Prince William and Kate Middleton went their separate ways for a time. The truth is we might never know for sure what happened.
Wholly different reports have claimed that William and Kate’s breakup could have been down to panic from Kate’s side – others even speculate that Camilla might have had something to do with it.
A year before they split, William left Kate in tears when he declined an invitation to spend New Year’s Eve with her.
In their engagement video, William and Kate opened up about their 2007 split.
Prince William & Kate Middleton’s popularity
“We did split up for a bit,” William admitted in their engagement interview. “But that was just, we were both very young, it was at university, we were both finding ourselves and such, and being different characters and such.”
“I think I at the time wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person,” Kate added.
“You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. Or I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you’re younger. I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time, looking back on it.”
As of today, fortunately, Prince William and Kate Middleton have become one of the most loving and popular couples in the British Royal Family.
In a poll by the Daily Mail in early January, Prince William and Kate were named the most popular royals. One thousand ninety-five people were asked to rate the senior members of the Royal Family, with 69 percent saying prince William was “favorable.” Sixty-seven percent had Kate Middleton as “favorable.”
However, after Harry released his book and royal fans got to read the revelations, their popularity plummeted.
In a column for the New Zealand Herald, royal commentator Daniela Elser wrote that the Prince and Princess of Wales have received the “lowest figures on record” in a new YouGov poll.
“The numbers paint a grim picture”
They got 70 percent and 68 percent, respectively. They’re hardly terrible numbers, but they do reflect a decrease.
“Those hard workers over at YouGov have been at it though, polling Brits to find out how they are currently feeling about the House of Windsor. The numbers paint a grim picture for anyone with a personal cipher, notably William and Kate,” Elser wrote.
She added: “Their net favourability sits at 49 percent for the Prince and 50 percent for the Princess. The lowest figures on record for the duo since polling started in 2011.”
Moreover, the royal expert noted that William’s popularity is “70 percent positive and 21 percent negative. Kate’s, on the other hand, is 68 percent positive and 18 percent negative.”
Kate has not only been accepted by the nation, but become one of its steadfast favorites as far as the royals are concerned. Some of her patronages include Action for Children – helping with family support, foster care, adoption, child neglect, and disability respite therapy – and the children’s mental health charity Anna Freud National Centre For Children And Families.
Moreover, Kate has also become a role model due to her attitude toward physical activity and for speaking openly about mental health issues. When it comes to she and William, the two are seen by many as the gold standard for marriages.
William and Kate’s show loving relationship in public
In December, William and Kate visited the US for the first time in 11 years. Last time, the couple were reportedly criticized by then-Prince Charles for not acting “royal” enough. This time, though, the mood was completely different. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Boston to attend the Earthshot Prize ceremony. And it turned out to be a very successful trip.
It was a rocky period for the royals as Harry & Meghan’s Netflix documentary aired at the same time. One thing that quickly became clear, though, was that William and Kate weren’t bothered in the least.
The two seemed to have a great time on US shores, while their love for each other also shone through. At least that’s what body language expert Darren Stanton said when he compared the difference between William and Kate’s behavior on the last US trip.
“William used a number of self-reassurance gestures during their previous visit, including placing the flat of his hand inside his jacket and playing with imaginary cufflinks,” Stanton said.
“He came across as very nervous and timid, particularly as he had his new wife by his side. However, that couldn’t be more different now.”
He continued by stating that Prince William and Kate Middleton have developed a “strong relationship,” not only as a married couple but as close friends and “confidants.”
“They move as one and are regularly in unison. Almost like ballroom dancers, as they instinctively know what the other one is thinking,” he added.
“This is all down to their true romantic relationship and their strong level of rapport for each other.”
“Very much found their place within the monarchy”
The expert also highlighted how Kate and William have “developed” in recent years both “as a couple and also individually.”
Though he says that they were “clearly very much in love” in the early days of their relationship, they’ve begun showing more of their affection in public more in recent years.
Kate is often seen putting a hand on William’s back, while the future king always smiles at his wife when she speaks to other people. According to Stanton, their “romantic gestures” include “holding hands, kissing and little smiles between each other.”
“This again is all linked to the couple’s level of confidence on their ascension to the very highest level within the Royal Family. It’s clear that William and Kate have very much found their place within the monarchy,” he said.
“They come across as extremely genuine, open and honest. The one thing that is clear now is that they are not afraid to show the world that they are a strong couple, who are very much in love.”
Valentine’s Day is now approaching, and for couples worldwide, it’s a special day to do something a little bit extra to celebrate their love.
Kate Middleton reveals ‘unromantic’ gesture from Prince William
One might think the exact same goes for the royals. In the past, William sent his wife a Valentine’s Day card when they were apart. They will most likely spend the day together this year, but Kate is unlikely to get a romantic gesture in the form of flowers or such.
On Tuesday, Kate visited Leeds and the city’s iconic Kirkgate Market. During the visit, she met and spoke to florist, Neil Ashcroft. Of course, the entrepreneur tried selling the Princess of Wales some flowers.
During the chat, Kate joked about Prince William being somewhat unromantic.
“No doubt William will be buying you some red roses,” Ashcroft told Kate, as reported by Express.
Kate replied: “I don’t think he will do.”
Ashcroft later spoke about the encounter, saying: “I offered her a discount. I said I would give her a card and knock off the VAT.”
Only time will tell if Prince William and Kate Middleton will celebrate Valentine’s Day in any form. But hopefully, they, and couples worldwide, will have a wonderful day filled with joy and love.
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