Prince William and Kate Middleton: The story of how they met and how that sheer dress came to be

It’s no secret that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s love story is adorable. The pair met in 2001 and have been with each other since - mostly romantically involved. The couple will be celebrating their 13 years of marriage this month with their three kids - George, Charlotte and Louis.

Their relationship timeline is as interesting as it gets, but how they met still steals the show away. Let’s take a look at their first meeting and how things unfolded afterwards.

Here’s how Prince William and Kate Middleton met

It is already well-known that the Royal couple met in 2001 at St. Andrews University in Scotland. The two started off as friends and went on to develop a romantic relationship in 2002 when Kate walked for a charity fashion show. According to Town & Country, Kate’s sheer dress caught Prince William’s eye and their romance began. Rumour has it, that after seeing Kate walk the fashion show, William leaned to his friend and said:

Wow, Fergus, Kate's hot!

Their friends have stated over the years how the future King was ‘smitten’ by Kate’s beauty and there was definitely a chemistry between them. However, Kate played it cool. Their friend said:

Kate had really made an impression on William. She played it very cool, and at one point when William seemed to lean in to kiss her, she pulled away.

She didn’t want to give off the wrong impression or make it too easy for Will.

Meanwhile, People Magazine suggests that Kate and William may have met when they were teenagers. According to Katie Nicholl, royal biographer and author of Kate: The Future Queen, the future Prince and Princess of Wales might have initially crossed paths during their secondary schooling days in the '90s. It was rumoured that Kate manifested a relationship with Prince William and delayed her enrollment at St. Andrews for a year as she wanted to be around him.

The couple dated other people before getting together and Kate even had a serious relationship before Prince William. During their second year in school, Kate and William became roommates as they shifted from college dorms to a flat. William famously revealed in their engagement interview that living together as friends ‘blossomed’ their connection.

Kate’s iconic sheer fashion show dress

It is still believed that seeing Kate in the sheer dress was the final nail in the coffin for Prince William to make a move. The Prince paid £200 for a front-row ticket to Kate’s fashion show in March 2002. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Kate’s sheer dress was designed by fellow student Charlotte Todd.

Todd had been studying for a degree in Fashion and Textiles at the University of the West of England. Knowing that Kate and William’s romance sprung after the fashion show, Todd previously said:

If it is true that my design helped change the Prince's interest in Kate from platonic to romantic as has been reported, then I am pleased to have played a part—however minor.

The dress was sold at an auction in 2011 for £78,000 while it only took about £30 to make it. Regardless, the dress facilitated giving the nation a fantastic team that would carry the monarchy forward.

Read More

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⋙ Prince William and Kate: Here's what the royals do every day, and it's not as glamorous as you think

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Sources Used

Town & Country: The True Story of Kate Middleton's Iconic Fashion Show

People Magazine: How Did Kate Middleton and Prince William Actually Meet? Fact-Checking The Crown

Harper’s Bazaar: The true story behind Kate Middleton’s sheer dress runway moment, as seen in The Crown