The world watched in awe as Prince William and Princess Kate wed at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011, and years later, commoners still stand impressed with the couple. Though they didn’t tie the knot until 2011, Kate and William first met 10 years prior while studying history at Scotland’s University of St Andrews. The two would go on to keep quiet about their romance as they completed their education, but later had a high-profile split in 2007.
“At the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but it actually made me a stronger person,” Kate shared during a joint interview with William in November 2010. “You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger, and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time.”
The pair reconciled the following year, and announced their engagement in November 2010. They are now proud parents of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Scroll down to take a look back at William and Kate’s royal romance:
September 2001
The two began dating after meeting at the University of St Andrews. Years later, William admitted during an interview with BBC’s Tom Bradby that he attempted to impress his then-girlfriend by making “amazing fancy dinners.”
October 2010
Shortly after news of their engagement broke, William and Kate did their first-ever joint video interview. “It was about three weeks ago on holiday in Kenya. We had a little private time away together with some friends and I just decided that it was the right time really,” William revealed of how he popped the question. “We had been talking about marriage for a while so it wasn’t a massively big surprise.”
April 2011
Just married! Kate stunned in a long-sleeve, Alexander McQueen wedding gown for the nuptials, while William wore a red Irish Guards Mounted Officer’s uniform.
July 2013
It’s a boy! The duo welcomed their first child, Prince George, on July 22. William and Kate announced news of their growing brood in December 2012. “Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby,” Kensington Palace said in a statement at the time.
May 2015
Princess Charlotte makes her debut! Kate gave birth to the couple’s daughter on May 2, and the proud parents showed off their baby girl outside of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, with William in a blue sweater and the doting mom in a white and yellow Jenny Packham dress.
July 2017
William and Kate displayed a rare moment of PDA at the Wimbledon championship when the duchess wiped a speck from her husband’s cheek.
April 2018
Baby makes five! Kate and William welcomed their second son, Prince Louis, on April 23. “We’re very happy. We’re delighted. Thank you,” the prince told the press as he, Kate and the newborn left the hospital hours later. “You’ll find out soon enough,” William teased of the name at the time. “We didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
December 2019
Kate went viral when she pulled away from the prince when he attempted to place his hand on her shoulder during their appearance on the A Very Berry Christmas Special.
February 2020
A source exclusively told Us Weekly that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping down from their senior royal duties brought the Cambridges “closer together” despite their busier schedules.
March 2020
William and Kate marked their first official visit to Ireland with a three-day trip in Dublin, County Meath, County Kildare and Galway.
April 2020
The royal couple advocated for the Every Mind Matters mental health campaign to highlight the importance of maintaining mental health amid the coronavirus quarantine.
December 2020
The family of five shared a sweet Christmas card in December 2020. A source told Us at the time that George, Charlotte and Louis couldn’t “wait for Christmas” because it is their “favorite time of year.”
April 2021
The couple made headlines for their color-coordinated outfits and attempts to golf during a royal engagement at the Cheesy Waffles Project in Durham, England, in April 2021.
April 2021
William and Kate celebrated a decade of marriage with two picture-perfect portraits and a family video on April 29, 2021. “Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary. We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W&C,” their official Instagram read alongside the video, which included the parents running around with their kids and roasting smores.
May 2021
William and Kate returned to the University of St Andrews during their royal tour of Scotland in May 2021. “It was here in Scotland — 20 years ago this year — that I first met Catherine,” he gushed during an appearance at The Church of Scotland. “Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart.” The couple stopped by some of their old haunts, which she called a “trip down memory lane.”
December 2021
The royal couple attended the “Together At Christmas” community carol service at London’s Westminster Abbey. Kate wore a red dress and coat, holding hands with her husband as they entered the chapel.
December 2021
“Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!” the pair wrote via Instagram on New Year’s Eve alongside a photo of them all dressed up and smiling as they waved goodbye to 2021.
March 2022
“[Kate] has the coldest hands ever,” the Duke of Cambridge told Welsh residents during a joint St. David’s Day outing with Kate on March 1. “They say, ‘Cold hands, warm heart.’”
April 2022
Will and Kate brought their eldest children, George and Charlotte, to the royal family’s annual Easter service at St George’s Chapel for the first time.
May 2022
The duke and duchess stepped out at the London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, where they met the entire cast — including star Tom Cruise.
June 2022
Us confirmed that the pair are planning to relocate from their longtime Kensington Palace residence.
“Kate and William are moving to Windsor to be closer to [Queen Elizabeth II] and Carole [Middleton], who is always on hand to look after the kids when the Cambridges need to travel back and forth from London,” a source noted at the time. “They’re starting over there, and George, Charlotte and Louis are really excited about going to a new school and being in the countryside in the fresh air where there’s lots of space for them to play freely.”
June 2022
The pair unveiled their first joint portrait on June 23 at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum. The Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund commissioned the art piece, which was painted by Jamie Coreth, in 2021.
September 2022
Following the queen’s death, both William and Kate received new titles, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in addition to their previous titles as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. During his first speech as king, Charles also announced that William will be styled as the Prince of Wales, which is the title traditionally reserved for the heir apparent. As his wife, Kate will be called Princess of Wales. The title was most famously used by Diana, but Queen Consort Camilla technically became the Princess of Wales when she married Charles in 2005. (She used the title Duchess of Cornwall because Princess of Wales was so closely associated with the late Diana.)
September 2022
The royals made their first solo appearance as the Prince and Princess of Wales as they viewed floral tributes to the late queen outside Sandringham Estate.
September 2022
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall stood beside their two eldest children, George and Charlotte, during the queen’s state funeral.
September 2022
The couple returned to work with a visit to Wales following Queen Elizabeth II’s death and funeral celebration earlier in the month. The trip marked the first time that the duo appeared in the country as the newly dubbed Prince and Princess of Wales.
The twosome kicked off the week on September 27 in Anglesey, which is where William and Kate lived as newlyweds in 2010 and as new parents after the birth of Prince George in 2013. The royals were all smiles as they toured the RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station before jetting off to Swansea to meet with food bank workers and children from the area.
April 2023
During a joint outing in England, William responded to an onlooker who said his wife looked “beautiful” in a dark maroon dress. “Oh she always looks stunning!” he replied in footage uploaded to Twitter.
When the couple celebrated 12 years of marriage later that month, a source exclusively told Us they marked the occasion with heartfelt gifts. William gave his wife “a stunning diamond ring” that once belonged to his late mother, along with “a replica of the bouquet of flowers” Kate held on their wedding day. From his wife, he received “a framed sketch of the two of them from an old photograph” taken in college.
May 2023
William and Kate attended Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey, where they followed the king and queen’s procession into the chapel. The duke and duchess were joined by all three of their children.
October 2023
They may be royalty, but the Prince and Princess of Wales face issues in their relationship just like the rest of the world. “Kate and William have been having ups and downs in their marriage like everyone else,” a source exclusively told Us. “But they’re focused on their royal duties and doing that as a unit.”
March 2024
After questions rose regarding Kate’s well-being, she and William were spotted out and about at the Windsor Farm Shop on March 18. Days later, Kate announced that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after she was diagnosed with a cancer, making it clear that William was by her side.
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you,” she said in the March 22 announcement video. “It means so much to us both. We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
April 2024
William and Kate celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary by releasing a never-before-seen portrait from their big day
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September 2024
Kate highlighted her husband’s support as she announced that she completed chemotherapy treatment.
“This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted,” she said in a statement. “Of simply loving and being loved.”
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