The fairytale romance between the Prince and Princess of Wales was “strategically” orchestrated by Kate, a source reveals.
Prince William and Kate Middleton, who celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary yesterday, met while studying at the University of St Andrew’s in Scotland in 2001, but that was no coincidence, reports. she magazine.
According to Cambridge-educated royal historian Robert Lacey, Kate, 42, implemented an airtight ploy to capture the future king, which involved abandoning her university in favor of one William attended and even tempting him with a dress.
In Lacey’s 2020 book Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, she described a young Kate as a “strategic lady” who made sacrifices to get what she wanted.
He wrote: ‘Kate was very strategic. She gave up her place at one of Britain’s leading universities, Edinburgh, and opted for another (St. Andrews) that was probably not of the same academic standard.
One historian has described the then-young Kate as “very strategic” in her pursuit of Prince William (pictured: Kate Middleton and Prince William on their graduation day at St Andrew’s in 2005).
Royal historian Robert Lacey told of the moment Kate removed an extra layer of clothing while walking down the runway (pictured: Kate Middleton models on the runway at a student fashion show attended by Prince William in St. Andrew’s).
“She had already been to Edinburgh to get accommodation in her flat, but changed universities and changed her courses to Art History because it was William’s. She delayed her own education by a year and even risks not being able to get into St. Andrews .
The historian also shared how the future royal planned to dazzle William during a charity fashion show for students – one in which William is believed to have paid £200 to take part.
It is no news that Kate, then 19 years old, surprised viewers and later the public with that now very famous daring transparent dress.
However, Lacey explained that it was an added spicy touch that would be sure to catch the future king’s attention.
In the book, he described Kate walking down the catwalk at the student show, aptly titled ‘The Art of Seduction’, before removing an extra layer of clothing to reveal her slender physique.
The move would reportedly lead William to comment to friends: “Wow, Kate is hot.”
The famous fashion exhibition is said to be a turning point in the couple’s relationship, as they eventually went from being close friends to developing romantic feelings for each other.
The dress itself, which cost £30 to make, is now so significant in the love story between the two students, who married and had three children, that it sold for a staggering £78,000 at auction after the show and It became one of Kate’s best-known fashion moments.
Prince William and Kate Middleton met while studying at St Andrew’s University in Scotland in 2001 (pictured: Kate on her graduation day)
The dress marked a pivotal moment in cementing Kate’s reputation as a style icon, but perhaps even more significant was that it caught the attention of Prince William and, from then on, the two St Andrews students became romantically involved.
Until that night, William considered Kate solid and reliable only as an understanding and sensible friend. Because it was his wise advice that helped him overcome the “wobble” of the first term, when he was miserable and torturing himself about whether he should drop out of college in the Scottish seaside town.
During her daily routine, Kate rarely deviated from what one friend described as “a very public school look with Ralph Lauren shirts, V-neck sweaters, and jeans.”
Accounts of what happened at a party after the show vary. It is generally accepted that, after having had a drink, William generously congratulated Kate and then made an awkward gesture: a kiss on the hand, according to one account; a bolder move, in another version, with him ‘leaning in’ for a loving ‘slap’.
Either way, Kate politely declined.
Kate’s daring dress reportedly prompted William to comment to friends: “Wow, Kate is sexy” (pictured: Prince graduating from St Andrew’s)
Despite a supposedly clumsy start to their romance; Something certainly seemed to change, and within a few weeks, they had both abandoned their respective partners.
They had both started university six months earlier and the Prince had already identified Kate as a possible roommate for the shared house he was setting up for their second year.
They got on well and shared an interest in sport and the outdoors, as well as a “naughty” sense of humor.
William also felt he could trust Kate, something incredibly important to him given her public profile.
It’s more than likely that they would have gotten together anyway, but their mutual friends, key players in the royal romance and all present at the fashion show, admit that the dress piqued William’s interest and made him see the beauty born in Berkshire. in a different light.”
Designer Charlotte, who later decided not to pursue a career in fashion and worked at Bristol Aquarium, recalled: “I didn’t know who Kate Middleton was and I didn’t put her there. It was purely by chance.
The couple celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary yesterday, April 28 (the Prince and Princess are pictured along the Processional Route to Buckingham Palace on their wedding day in 2011).
“I made it as a skirt, but others uploaded it to Kate and she wore it as a dress. Maybe if she hadn’t been transparent, William wouldn’t have noticed her.
For years, the dress remained in the back of Charlotte’s mother’s closet. Charlotte said that she realized her importance only when the couple announced their engagement in November 2010.
The dress is part of fashion history, the moment when William was able to fall in love with Kate for the first time, and that makes me very proud,” she said. ‘That image has been used a lot over the years. I always wonder if Kate is embarrassed or if she liked it.
Kate had a place at Edinburgh University in 2000, but left and took a gap year in Italy, reapplying for a place at St Andrews in 2001 after William’s place became public.
In Kate: The Future Queen, by Mail on Sunday Royal editor Katie Nicholl, it is claimed that Kate’s mother Carole Middleton held a secret summit with William to ask if he planned to propose to her daughter.
Kate achieved two A’s and a B in her A Levels (the grades she needed for Edinburgh) and university was her first choice. William achieved an A in geography, a B in art history and a C in biology and won a place to study art history after a year’s absence.
In Kate: The Future Queen, by Mail on Sunday Royal editor Katie Nicholl, it is claimed that Kate’s mother Carole Middleton held a secret summit with William to ask if he planned to propose to her daughter. (Pictured: Carole Middleton attends ‘Ladies Day’ at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2011)
Applications to St Andrews increased by 44 per cent after the news broke, meaning Kate’s decision was a risky one as there was no guarantee she would get a place.
Jasper Selwyn, a careers adviser at Kate’s former school, Marlborough College, and her tutor Joan Gall confirmed that her first choice was Edinburgh.
Mr Selwyn said: “Kate’s firm choice was Edinburgh and that was confirmed.”
According to his housewife, Ann Patching, the change of heart came as a surprise.
She said: “After leaving school, Catherine made some different decisions, but I don’t know why she made those decisions.”
In 2007, William and Kate split amid rumors that she disapproved of his partying lifestyle and his reluctance to propose.
A fateful vacation followed and Kate reportedly gave William an ultimatum. According to the book, the couple made a pact to marry and have children.
However, on Christmas 2009, Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, reportedly took William aside to discuss a possible engagement.
A friend said: ‘She put pressure on William to let the family know where it was all leading.
William assured her that the relationship was on the right track and that there would be an engagement soon. Carole trusted William and put her faith in him.