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Prince William was not happy when the world found out he was dating Kate Middleton. The future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sparked up a romance during their college days and were first photographed in public in 2004. When William saw the published photos, he was reportedly both “furious” and “worried” that his first serious relationship was out in the open. Turns out William had a very good reason to be concerned over the leak.

Prince William Kate Middleton
Prince William and Kate Middleton | Chris Jackson / Getty Images for St James’s Palace

The paparazzi find out about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance

William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, met while attending St. Andrew’s University. Their relationship started out as a friendship before turning romantic in their second year at school.

At the time, the pair had moved into the same apartment, which they shared with other friends. According to Express, William and Kate started dating sometime in 2003, yet it would be another year before the paparazzi found out that they were dating.

Given how William is second in line to the throne, he and Kate did an amazing job keeping their romance under wraps. Unfortunately, their secret didn’t hold for long.

In 2004, photographers caught the couple getting extra close during a ski trip at Klosters. Photos from the outing clearly showed William and Kate sitting next to each other on a ski lift. The images made headlines around the world and seemingly confirmed that William had found himself a girlfriend in college.

Although royal watchers eagerly waited for information about William’s new romance, he was reportedly furious that his romance was being published in newspapers, especially considering how he and Kate were still in school.

This is why William was ‘furious’ and ‘worried’ about the paparazzi

Rebecca English, who works as an editor for the Daily Mail, revealed that William was “furious” when he saw the photos of Kate in the headlines. The Duke of Cambridge was also worried about Kate’s safety and what the paparazzi might do to her family.

“William was furious, and he was also genuinely worried for Kate and her family about what this would now mean for them,” English shared.

To make things even worse, Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, was believed to have orchestrated her daughter’s royal romance. English pointed out that Carole was adamant that Kate went to St. Andrews because she knew William was going there.

“There was talk of Kate having a poster of William on her wall at her school, Marlborough College,” English added.

The editor noted that the poster rumors have never been confirmed. Even some of Kate’s best friends at school do not remember her having a poster of William in her dorm, casting a lot of doubt on the rumors.

Kate addressed the reports in 2010 and joked that she actually a photo of the “Levi’s guy” on her wall. William, who was also in the interview, quickly fired back, “It was me in Levi’s obviously.”

How did Kate Middleton snag Prince William?

Poster rumors aside, William allegedly fell hard for Kate when she modeled a see-through outfit on a catwalk. But according to inside sources, Kat played hard-to-get when William expressed an interest in dating her.

According to Cheat Sheet, Katie Nicholl, who wrote the book, The Making of a Royal Romance, claims that William introduced himself after the fashion show and tried to sneak in a kiss. But Kate refused to get romantic until they got to know each other.

“She played it very cool and at one point when William seemed to lean in to kiss her, she pulled away,” Nicholl shared.

Related

How Kate Middleton Saved Her Relationship WIth Prince William Before She Became the Duchess of Cambridge

After their friendship blossomed into a romance, William and Kate dated for several years until their surprise breakup in 2007. They got back together that same year and William finally popped the big question in 2010.

The couple tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony in 2011 at Westminster Abbey. They now shared three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — and Kate really come into her own under the royal spotlight.

Prince William has not commented on the rumors surrounding the early days of his romance with Kate.