Kate Middleton Played ‘Hard to Get’ When She First Started Dating Prince William
Kate Middleton was not an easy catch, even for a future King. When she first laid eyes on Prince William, Kate was reportedly dating another man and played “hard to get.” Luckily for William, Kate eventually caved in, but not until after they became good friends. Here’s a look at how Kate and William’s romance really started.
Inside Kate Middleton’s early romance with Prince William
Kate and William first crossed paths while attending the University of St. Andrews in the early 2000s. Reports indicate that William noticed Kate when she was modeling at a fashion show for the university.
The future Duchess of Cambridge rocked a see-through dress on the catwalk, which allegedly caught William’s attention. Sources at the time say that William turned around and told his pals, ‘Wow, Kate’s hot.”
In her book, The Making of a Royal Romance, author Katie Nicholl claimed that William immediately fell for Kate Middleton. After the fashion show was over, he reportedly introduced himself and told her that she crushed hit.
“She played it very cool and at one point when William seemed to lean in to kiss her, she pulled away,” Nicholl added.
William and Kate went on to be good friends and even moved into the same flat with a few other classmates the next year. Although we know a lot about William’s dating life during that time, Kate’s romantic history has remained more of a mystery.
Was Kate single when she met Prince William?
Before she enrolled at the University of St. Andrews, Kate was in a relationship with a man named Willem Marx. He is currently a reporter and wrote a book called Balochistan at a Crossroads.
Willem is employed by CNBC and reports on political and business news in London. It is unclear when he stopped dating Kate, but by the time she ran into William, she was dating a completely different person.
As a side note, Kate Middleton also reportedly dated Henry Ropner when she and William parted ways in 2007. Ropner comes from a very wealthy family who owns a shipping firm that is worth millions of dollars.
Kate and Ropner’s relationship was very short-lived as William and Kate got back together a few months after taking a break. They went on to get engaged in 2010 and tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony inside Westminster Abbey in 2011.
Kate Middleton was dating when she met Prince William
Speaking of Kate’s dating life prior to William, she was dating another man when William saw her on the catwalk. According to Mirror, Kate was in a relationship with a student named Rupert Finch, who was in his last year at the university.
After meeting Kate at the fashion show, royal expert Victoria Arbiter says that William “expressed an interest” in her and wanted to spark up a romance.
But because Kate Middleton was in a relationship, she played “hard to get.” As Arbiter explained it, Kate knew what was at stake and did not want to come across like she was an easy catch for the future King.
“She didn’t want to give off the wrong impression or make it too easy for Will,” she explained.
At some point, Kate and Finch parted ways, opening the door for William to swoop in and work his magic. It is unclear exactly when William and Kate’s relationship turned romantic, but we do know that her father denied it as late as 2003 (though that could have been an attempt to keep Kate’s privacy).
Was Prince William a ladies man?
With Kate dating somebody else, William was free to play the field. In his book, William and Catherine, Andrew Morton wrote about how William was a total “ladies man” and was constantly checking out potential mates.
“William was known for his roving eye, which would cast around a room checking out the female talent, while he appeared to be absorbed in his companion’s conversations,” Morton wrote. “Everyone thinks Harry is the naughty one. Not true. William is a ladies man.”
Fortunately for Kate Middleton, William did not hit it off with anyone else. Although they started off as good friends, it did not take long before they took things to the next level.
Upon graduating from St. Andrews, it took William five years before he proposed to Kate. Along the way, the couple faced their biggest challenge in 2007 when they decided to call it quits.
The split shocked royal watchers around the world, many of whom were expecting a proposal. The pair, of course, got back together that same year and have been going strong ever since. Kate Middleton and Prince William have now been married for close to a decade and share three adorable children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
