Before the Prince and Princess of Wales were married, tradition dictated where Princess Kate could spend Christmas. It meant she could not be with the royals at Sandringham – so December 25 was spent apart.
In 2006, after many years of dating, despite having Christmas apart they both had plans together for the New Year. But according to a book, Princess Kate was left in “floods of tears” when William cancelled their arrangements at the last-minute.
This reportedly left Kate worried about the future of their relationship according to The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl. The book, released in 2011, reports Kate was informed on the phone on Boxing Day.
Ms Nicholl writes: “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.”
The book reports the couple briefly split in 2008, with sources saying the late Queen Elizabeth II was disappointed by the decision.
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However, after a short while, Prince William and his then-girlfriend, Kate Middleton, were seen kissing at an army party at barracks in Bovington in Dorset.
Kate’s wider family was also spotted at the Concert for Diana held at Wembley to mark 10 years since her death. Kate attended the concert with her younger brother, James Middleton. The romance was later confirmed and the couple announced their engagement in November 2010.
Soon after their engagement the future Prince and Princess of Wales sat down together for their first-ever joint interview. The couple spoke of the sentimental value behind the sparkling engagement ring, once belonging to Prince William’s late mother.
Speaking of Princess Diana, Prince William said: “Obviously, she’s not going be around to share in all the fun and excitement, so this is my way of keeping her close to it all.”
The couple also discussed the origin of their relationship, starting with when they met as students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Prince William and Princess Kate have now been married for almost 13 years and have three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
Next year will be a busy 2024 for the couple as they dive into their royal responsibilities after the festive holiday.
