07 August 2023 , 09:48
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They've been happily married for more than 12 years and are currently enjoying down time with their three gorgeous children.
But the Prince and Princess of Wales hit a rocky patch in their relationship before they wed, which saw them split briefly in 2007. And before the temporary break-up, Prince William confided in the late Queen and his father then Prince Charles over his doubts about a future with Kate, a royal expert has revealed.
It is thought that William got cold feet as speculation grew about an imminent engagement. And expert and author Katie Nicholl said that during Christmas in 2006, William had become so anxious he had a meeting about it with his father and grandmother.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been married for 10 years (Getty Images)
The couple briefly split in 2007 before they got married (Getty Images)She explained: “William had been having second thoughts and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank discussion about his future with Kate. Both advised him not to hurry into anything.” Sources later said the Queen was disappointed by the break-up.
After the split, Kate's was spotted enjoying nights out at several London hotspots and even gave a glimpse of a self-help book in her handbag, entitled Love Is Not Enough: A Smart Woman’s Guide To Keeping (And Making) Money.
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She even signed up to an all-female dragon boat race team that was due to row across the English Channel for charity. However, royal historian Robert Lacey previously described how William “got the message quicker than he or anyone else expected”.
And shortly after, he and Kate were seen kissing at an army party at barracks in Bovington, Dorset, and, in July 2007, Kate and her brother James were seen at the Concert for Diana, held at Wembley to mark 10 years since William’s mother’s death. It wasn’t long before their romance was confirmed to be back on, and Kate moved into William’s Clarence House flat, where he would return from military duties on Friday nights for cosy weekends together.
The pair eventually announced their engagement in 2010 and in an interview talked about the brief split. Kate admitted: “At the time, I wasn’t very happy about it, but it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realised. 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.”
While William said: “We were both very young… we were both finding ourselves and being different characters. It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up, so it was just a bit of space and it worked out for the better.” Months later, the couple wed at Westminster Abbey and are now parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.