Prince William Has a Throwback Moment to His Military Graduation, 12 Years Later

In December 2006, Prince William graduated from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and his girlfriend at the time Kate Middleton showed up to support him. Almost exactly 12 years later, William inspected the Sovereign's Parade on the Queen's behalf, which much have been quite a trip down memory lane for the young royal.

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In December 2006, Prince William graduated from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and his girlfriend at the time Kate Middleton showed up to support him—which was a big deal, as it showed that the relationship was getting serious. Almost exactly 12 years later, William inspected the Sovereign's Parade on the Queen's behalf, which much have been quite a trip down memory lane for the royal. Per the Daily Mail, Prince William also gave out awards in full military regalia (the same outfit he wore to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding!).

William spent over seven years in the military before leaving in 2013 to focus on his royal duties and charity work. He spoke to the members of the academy and reminisced. "I remember the deep sense of pride that came from passing out of one of the finest military academies in the world, as well as wanting a short speech delivered so I could march off the parade square that little bit quicker!" he said.

He also congratulated them, saying, "The friendships forged will last a lifetime and you will have been fortunate enough to have shared experiences with people from many different backgrounds, countries, cultures and religions."

In 2006, the Queen herself inspected the troops, including her grandson, leading to a hilarious photo. It's such a sweet family moment, with the Queen's mischievous grin and William's internal monologue of "GRANDMA stop, you're embarrassing me! I'm trying to be serious!"

Uniform, Military uniform, Military officer, Marching, Event, Official, Team, Military person, Military, Gesture,

(Image credit: Lewis Whyld - PA Images)

We also got this amazing throwback shot of Kate's hat with an enormous black bow:

People, Crowd, Hat, Event, Fashion, Fashion accessory, Fedora, Headgear, Audience,

(Image credit: Lewis Whyld - PA Images)

Wow. That was...a look! Luckily, Kate's headgear has become decidedly more modern over the years.

The royals also just released their Christmas photos, so William's probably getting all sorts of compliments on his beautiful family as he completes one of his last royal engagements of the year.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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