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Though they seem polished and domesticated now, the romance between Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton was an epic saga that spanned nearly a decade before they walked down the aisle. Though the couple began dating during the second term of their freshman year at St. Andrew’s University in 2001 –two breakups, some inappropriate behavior by the prince, and the pressure of the public took its toll on their seemingly picturesque romance.

In fact –the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s romance had so many ups and downs that Kate Middleton was dubbed “Waity Katie” by the press.

Why was Kate Middleton called “Waity Kaity” by the press?

Middleton and Prince William broke up in 2003 for the first time, but the pair quickly reconciled. However, after they pulled the plug on their romance in 2007 and then got together again –everyone was certain wedding bells were in the air. Still, the prince would not pop the question for another three years which confused everyone from Middleton’s parents to the press.

The duchess had been dubbed “Waity Katie” since she had been waiting so long for a marriage proposal. In fact, as the years went on, her mother, Carole Middleton was growing quite concerned. Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair, “I know that it was the Christmas of 2009 when [Kate’s mother] Carole was getting quite concerned. Kate was nearing 30, there was still no ring on her finger.” Middleton hated the cruel nickname. Luckily, the duchess would have a ring on it before the end of the following year.

Why did Prince William and Kate Middleton wait so long before getting engaged?

Prince William and Kate Middleton were just teenagers when they fell in love. With the pressure of life, and the prince’s eventual title as the King of England –the pair wanted to be absolutely sure they were ready for marriage before they took the plunge.

Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair that the royal duo made a secret pact about marriage after they got back together in 2007. After all, the prince knew that he had to finish his military training as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot before he could marry Kate. Nicholl said,

I suppose what none of us knew was that [she] and William had actually made a secret pact to be married way back in 2007, after they got together after their second major breakup. This was a secret pact. And we know that this is a couple who are very good at keeping secrets. So really, Kate had the last laugh, because she’s got her prince.

How did Prince William propose to Kate Middleton?

In the fall of 2010 during a romantic trip to Kenya, Prince William finally popped the question with Princess Diana’s ring. He said later, “I didn’t really plan it that far in advance. I just knew I wanted it to feel comfortable where I did it. [The ring] was my way of making sure my mother didn’t miss out on today and the excitement. It’s very special to me. As Kate’s very special to me now, it was right to put the two together.”

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