Princess Kate and Prince William's fairytale romance hasn't always been smooth sailing. As most royal fans know, the Prince and Princess of Wales briefly split up in 2007. A new biography reveals some extra details about the breakup and subsequent reunion.
In his new book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen, royal expert Robert Jobson takes readers through the events leading up to Kate and William's split. In an excerpt published by the Daily Mail, Jobson shared that Princess Kate was somewhat blindsided by the breakup. "Catherine knew William wasn't in any hurry to propose, and the truth is she was prepared to wait until he was ready," he explained. "After all, they were in love—weren't they?"
Unfortunately, William and Kate weren't on the same page in 2007, so the prince instigated a breakup over the phone. "He told her they both needed 'a bit of space' to 'find our own way', and he was unable to promise her marriage," Jobson recalled. "In an emotionally charged 30-minute conversation, they both acknowledged they were on 'different pages.'"
Understandably, the breakup hit Princess Kate hard, with Jobson calling the split a "devastating blow to Catherine, who felt doubly let down at being dumped over the phone." Rather than grieving the royal romance, Kate decided to keep herself busy. As well as taking a vacation to Ibiza with some friends, Kate started going to nightclubs with sister Pippa Middleton.
According to Jobson, it was Kate's exuberance in the face of the split that caught William's attention. While the future princess was being romantically linked to other men, William was reportedly spending time at his army barracks. It wasn't long before the prince realized he'd made a grave error in letting Kate go.
"Seeing photographs of his ex‑girlfriend having fun and looking sensational was a bitter pill," Jobson noted. "He soon began having serious second thoughts, though he realized that after the way he'd treated Catherine, it wasn't going to be easy to woo her back."
According to Jobson, a mutual friend was responsible for Kate and William's reunion. Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen hosted a costume party with the theme "Freakin Naughty," which allegedly led to some pretty racy outfits. In particular, Kate apparently "arrived dressed as a nurse." Unsurprisingly, "William had made a beeline for her," according to Jobson.
It would seem that the costume party was the perfect place for the pair to reunite. "The chemistry between William and Catherine did the rest," the royal expert noted. He continued, "They then spent the first part of the evening deep in conversation before hitting the dance floor, where they ended up kissing." According to the royal expert, the pair left the party together, and the rest is history.
