Prince William's university romance with the Duchess of Cambridge was not expected to last, a royal expert has claimed.
William and Kate met as students at St Andrews University in Scotland - and at times had a rocky romance, especially after they graduated when they even split for a short time.
However, their relationship managed to survive and 11 years ago, they tied the knot in a lavish wedding at Westminster Abbey.
They now have three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - and have become a safe pair of hands for the monarchy.
But according to royal biographer Andrew Morton, many in the royal household did not think their relationship would go distance and would be nothing more than a university romance.
He told OK! magazine : "In the beginning, nobody expected for a second that the university romance with Catherine and William would continue for any time after they graduated, like most college romances which disintegrate under the intense scrutiny of jobs and geography.
"After he left college, William was doing all kinds of jobs, to get a sense of the Britain he will take over. Catherine was left to go her own way, but she survived."
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Meanwhile, Mr Morton, who has penned books on Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, says Kate also received admiration from the Queen for adoring her grandson as himself, and not his title.
He added: "The thing about Kate is the Queen was impressed she adored and loved William for himself, not for his title.
"She spends a lot more time supporting and nurturing the relationship between William and Catherine than she did with Charles and Diana. It's pretty clear she wasn't going to make that mistake again."
His comments come following the release of his latest biography on the Queen, which is being released in her Platinum Jubilee year.
And in the book, simply titled The Queen, he reveals how the monarch was "positively playful" on William and Kate's wedding day.
He writes in the book: "The Queen was positively playful on the day of her grandson’s nuptials, ‘practically skipping’ according to one observer, absolutely thrilled at the way the public had reacted to the royal newlyweds.
"She had a sense that the future of the Royal Family, her family, was now secure. The monarchy was once again held in admiration and affection by the masses."
