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Privacy NoticeWhen Prince William met his wife-to-be at university in St Andrews, he was known as a somewhat shy and aloof type of character. After losing his mum, Princess Diana, when he was just 15, he had already been through more than one would ever wish for a child. But on meeting Kate Middleton, a royal expert exclusively tells OK!, he started to come out of his shell and began revealing elements of the strong father and husband we see today. Duncan Larcombe, a royal biographer and former newspaper royal editor, says there was one character trait that William revealed after meeting her that helped Kate decide he was the man she wanted to be with – his love of her family. “It’s easy to underestimate the role the Middletons have played in William’s life,” he says. “Yes, he fell in love with Kate at university, but frankly he fell in love with the Middleton family as well.” Sign up to OK’s royal newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
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He continues, “They were the family he has never had – the mum, dad and three kids spending time together and going on family holidays. It was a new world he’d not experienced before.” William’s willingness and desire to engratiate himself with the Middleton clan was attractive to Kate, he continues, and in turn she helped bring out the best the young King-to-be. “William was really very starry-eyed about Kate and they brought out the best in each other in many ways. William is quite shy and can be reserved around new people. He’s very cautious, and in that way they are quite similar characters. Their relationship blossomed on spaghetti Bolognese and rain-swept beaches.”
Kate and William both love the outdoors
(Image: Getty Images)
It’s also this love of a so-called normal life that has kept the two so grounded, even after they became parents to three more royal family member – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Royal expert Hugo Vickers tells OK!, “We’ve always been told that Prince William found the Middleton household very convenient, in the sense that he felt it had a sort of a normality that his own upbringing hadn’t particularly had.” “They’ve always been good at keeping their private life away from the public gaze, just as they did in Anglesey. Now, of course they have help at home in Windsor but they don’t have many staff. I think they’ve always tried to keep it informal so that they are all together as a family.”
The Princess of Wales – A Portrait of Courage and Grace, OK! Collector’s Edition
In this special collector’s edition of OK!, we look at how The Princess of Wales’ past has equipped her with the tools she has needed to face the toughest year of her life With the help of royal experts, we delve into Kate’s marriage to Prince William, and reveal how he has provided unfailing love and support during her treatment and recovery We also examine how Kate’s experiences will be helping others going through a similarly difficult time, and why she’s such an inspiration to the nation Click here to purchase your copy of this collector’s edition.
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