Kate Middleton's heartbreak over ex-boyfriend who was 'the one who got away'

09 December 2023 , 11:35

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Kate had a couple of boyfriends before William (Image: PA)

The love story of Prince William and Kate is widely known, with the pair first meeting and becoming friends whilst they studied at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland before things eventually became romantic between them.

After their studies, they continued dating for many years. After going through a short breakup in 2007, the pair eventually got engaged in 2010 and married the following year in Westminster Abbey, making Kate an official royal.

Despite how much of their lives they have spent together, William isn't the only person that Kate is reported to have been seriously involved in and there is one lesser-known romantic partner she had that is said to have - at least at one time - been seen by the future Queen as "the one that got away".

This particular ex-boyfriend is reported to be someone that Kate went to school with at Marlborough College, which she attended as a boarder from 1996 until 2000. Marlborough was the second secondary school that Kate attended, her first being the all-girls school Downe House.

Kate is reported to have "absolutely hated" Downe House and left because of bullying, according to a schoolmate from Marlborough College Jessica Hay, who told the News of the World: "Some of the girls there were horrible. She was picked on because she was perfect - well turned out and a lovely person. She was not the type to stick up for herself."

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Hay also said that when Kate tried to sit with people at lunch, they would stand up and change tables. Kate was reported to enjoy her second school much more, which is where she met Harry Blakelock - aka the "one who got away".

Harry was 'the one who got away' (Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Kate met Harry before attending university (WireImage)

Kate is said to have really fallen for Harry, who also studied in Florence during his gap year the same as she did. A friend of hers was reported in the Mail on Sunday as saying "When Kate arrived in Florence, she was really hung up about Harry. She spoke about him all the time and he seemed to have messed her around quite a bit. He seemed to have blown hot and cold with her when they were at school and she was always talking about how she could get him back".

Harry wasn't her only boyfriend from school - Kate also dated someone called Willem Marx while at Marlborough College. Willem went on to become a journalist and Harry an insurance broker - the latter also marrying one of her school friends.

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Emma Mackenzie