The public has been swept up in news of the romance between the late Queen’s youngest granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, and her boyfriend Félix da Silva-Clamp.
It’s no surprise, given that the relationship, formed during their current studies at the University of St Andrews, mirrors the fairytale romance of the Prince and Princess of Wales during their time there.
Since those first hints of Kate and William’s relationship emerged, a global audience has devoured stories about their love and family life.
However, while fans had to settle for reading about the relationship secondhand, Laura Warshauer had a front-row seat as a result of her close friendship with the couple.
Whether it’s William helping her carry her luggage, Kate comforting her on a night out or simply having a drink together in a cozy corner of a pub, those memories live on.
His interactions with them are something few can share: teaching Kate to play the guitar, William buying his first Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola, eating takeout together, or laughing and joking during road trips.
After all, it was a pivotal moment in the lives of the young royals, and for Ms Warshauer, who arrived in St Andrews in 2001 when she was 17, 5,000 miles from her home in New Jersey.
She said: ‘I graduated from school a year early and then spent what would have been my final year at secondary school at St Andrews. It was a beautiful moment in time.
Kate and Wills’ former student friend Laura Warshauer has told their love story.
Warshauer lived with the couple at the University of St Andrews and even wrote a song for them.
‘I ended up getting a front row seat to see the beginning of what would become one of the greatest and most iconic love stories of our time. “It’s great to see Will and Kate, the same people they were then, on the world stage.”
And while the world marvels at the fact that another royal relationship has taken root in St Andrews, Mrs Warshauer reckons it fits in with the magic of the city.
Giving her own take on Lady Louise’s love story, she said: “It’s such a sweet story.” My roommate from St Andrews also met her husband there. It’s a special place.’
Amid a slew of photos from their time in college, there’s one that shows William and Warshauer sitting next to each other in a group photo, smiling and calm.
The Prince, or Will, as Mrs Warshauer still calls him, was on the same floor of St Salvator’s student accommodation, while Kate was on the floor below.
She remembers preparing dinner (her mother’s lasagna recipe and her aunt’s caramel) for William and some of his friends, as well as chatting with him during meals in the ‘Harry Potter-style’ dining room.
She said: ‘Will lived down the hall with two of his Eton friends. Kate lived on the bottom floor.
‘I met them the same week they met. I was surprised by how normal Will was. You could talk about anything, the most mundane things.
‘Coming home from a trip to New Jersey with my large luggage, Will would grab my bag and carry it into the bedroom.
“We were all trying to find our way. Even if you had been at a boarding school like Eton, people were still in a new environment.
She added: “I remember making dinner for everyone on my birthday in December and Will brought me a gift – a stuffed animal from Tesco.
‘It’s a seal with a blue backpack with stars. It’s in a place where I can see it every day and think, “How cool.” It’s adorable.’
Warshauer, 41, said Kate and William had instant chemistry and fell in love months before the now well-documented March 2002 fashion show, when William saw Kate modeling a sheer slip and described her as “hot.”
She said: ‘We went to a party at a castle. It was a Harry Potter theme and they had a charity auction where people bid to win a date. I’ll offer £200 to win a date with Kate.
While Ms. Warshauer doesn’t know what they ultimately did for their date, she recalled that Kate’s reaction was calm and effortless, showing that she was unfazed by the titles and comfortable with him.
This calm nature between them was clear at another party where Kate pulled William out of an awkward encounter.
The Prince and Princess of Wales shared many fond memories at Fife University.
Lady Louise Windsor and Felix Da Silva-Clamp reflect on their fairytale romance.
Mrs Warshauer said: “It was very early on when Will and Kate started getting to know each other. “This girl was talking to Will and he was being polite but it was obvious he needed an outlet.
“Suddenly, Kate comes over from across the room, puts her arms around him and allows him to turn to the other girl and say, ‘I’m sorry, I have a girlfriend.’
‘And then he turned to Kate and silently mouthed the words “Thank you.” I remember thinking at the time that no one but Kate could have done that.
“They had just met, but it was clear they had a connection.”
And their memories of Kate are as fond now as they were when they were young.
She said: ‘Kate saw I was upset one night while we were out. I was walking in front so people couldn’t see that I was upset and she came over and put her arm around me. You remember these moments.’
A photograph of Kate and Warshauer taken at the town’s photography store in 2001 shows their friendship.
They had gone there to look for the equipment they needed to film an audition that Ms. Warshauer wanted to perform for a program on the American broadcaster CBS.
She said: ‘As you know, Kate loves photography, she loved it then. Even in his bedroom I remember the beautiful photos.
“She and I went to the photography store together to get everything we needed and then she filmed the audition for me.”
About a decade later, Kate found herself on the other end of the lens when she and William married at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, in front of 162 million viewers around the world. That popularity prevails.
In November, Warshauer, a singer-songwriter once signed to major label Island Def Jam, shared a photo on social media of her and Kate, taken at a 19th birthday party during her stay in St Andrews, in a showcase of support. for the Princess after her cancer treatment.
The childhood sweethearts kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after getting married in 2011.
In the caption, he wrote, “Sending love to Kate Middleton, the future queen of England and my college roommate!”
He added: “She is the kindest, most thoughtful, most down-to-earth and genuine person, and it’s incredible to see her shine so brightly and inspire the world with her compassion and courage.”
Before long, the post had been viewed more than 600,000 times and saw her appear once again in the global media spotlight.
Ms Warshauer said: “The interest is now even greater than the first time.”
Remembering the party where the photo was taken, he remembers that he had just been in Paris to visit his sister who was studying there and remembers how his father also traveled to meet them.
In fact, the outfit she’s wearing in the photo is one she bought during that French adventure.
Even that trip to Paris had begun with another precious moment with William and Kate.
She said: ‘Kate and I were supposed to go to the airport in a taxi together but then Will gave her a lift so I got in. I love how he offered her a ride and that’s how I had to go.
“It was great to arrive in Paris and say, ‘So, guess who took me to the airport?'”
‘The radio was on and Will said, “Laura, you can sing to the radio.” It was like popular music. “It was sweet that he made that reference to me as a singer.”
By then, Mrs. Warshauer had already launched her musical career and was full of ambitions.
Some of the pieces he wrote during his time at St Andrews earned him a first recording contract with Island Def Jam.
One song, titled To Will and Kate, Meet Me at Exit 109, describes the image of a fun-loving couple who joined in a big foam fight on the patio, drank wine from plastic Woolworths cups, and sat on the ground to eat. lasagna with fellow students.
His music has appeared in advertising campaigns for Ralph Lauren and Motorola, in addition to the global video game franchise Just Dance and shows broadcast on Netflix, Amazon and Fox.
She has also dated numerous celebrities, and was told by Jay Z that she had “a fantastic talent” at a Grammy Awards after-party.
He also met music legends such as Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith.
Warshauer has written a workbook for others looking to break through, titled My Creativity Is Killing Me, which she says aims to help people take control of their creative careers.
It’s her own experience that shines through, and Ms. Warshauer says, “I’ve experienced the incredible highs and lows of the entertainment industry.”
And now, when she looks back, she recognizes that William’s encouragement is one of the things that has boosted her confidence over the years.
She said: “I carried those words with me into the moments of my future.”