Queen Elizabeth Stepped in During Prince William and Kate’s Breakup About Going ‘Their Separate Ways’
Today, Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) have been married for several years and share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
But before they tied the knot, Will and Kate broke up not once but twice. In the book William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers wrote, “Catherine delivered an ultimatum to William. She wasn’t demanding an engagement, but she wanted a commitment and if he couldn’t deliver that, well, then she left him in no doubt that it was best they go their separate ways.”
During their time apart, Queen Elizabeth’s words mattered most, even when others thought that the prince should let Kate go. Here’s the different advice William got from his father and grandmother regarding his split from Kate.
King Charles also told Prince William to break up with Kate
Royal biographer Christopher Andersen said that King Charles offered his son some blunt advice about his breakup with Kate. In the documentary Kate Middleton: Biography, Andersen claimed that during their split in April 2007, William asked his father for relationship advice and Charles told his son to break up with his girlfriend.
According to Andersen, “William went to his father and said, ‘Look, I’m 25, I’m too young to get married. I just don’t want to commit at this point.’” The author added that “Charles, who was by then very fond of Kate, said, ‘It would be unfair to the young lady. You cannot string her along anymore, so you should just break it off.’”
But it wasn’t just Charles who suggested William end the relationship. The king’s wife, Queen Camilla (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles, wasn’t always on board with the couple being together.
In his book, Game of Crowns, Andersen alleged that William’s stepmother wanted the prince to leave Kate and had asked her husband to coax him into breaking things off. The reason was reportedly because, at the time, Camilla was trying hard to win over the British public and was “disgusted” that everyone seemed to fall in love with Kate instead of her.
Queen Elizabeth’s words of wisdom saved William and Kate’s relationship
Queen Elizabeth II also became a sounding board when the prince and Kate were taking time apart, and her words stayed with her grandson and ultimately saved his relationship.
“Sensing William was struggling, the queen invited him to Sunday lunch to judge his mood,” Myers wrote (per Closer). “William was more than just crestfallen and worried about whether he was throwing away the one constant in his life. He was, according to one well-placed source, ‘completely broken.’ In that moment, the queen advised her grandson that the only certain path is the one supported by faith. It was all she had to say.”
Myers noted that William then suggested he and Kate attend a party together “that had been in their [calendar] for months … Fellow guests said as soon as William and Catherine set eyes on one another it was clear their love had not extinguished.”
In 2010, William proposed to his longtime girlfriend when the two were vacationing together in Kenya. They said “I do” on April 29, 2011.
