Prince William's First Words to Kate Middleton Were Hilariously Awkward

• Prince William and Kate Middleton met at the University of St Andrews in 2001.
• According to royal memoirist Tom Quinn, William's introduction to Kate didn't exactly go smoothly.
• He reportedly tripped as he walked towards her, before saying, "Oh that's a terrible start, you're going to think I'm a complete clot."

Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship had an ever so slightly awkward start, according to a new documentary about the couple. The future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001, where they lived in the same halls of residence and often shared classes together, as the Mirror reports. But William's introduction to Kate didn't go as smoothly as he might have hoped; in fact, it was kind of hilarious.

According to royal memoirist Tom Quinn, who spoke in the British documentary William & Kate: Too Good To Be True?, the future Duke came close to hitting the ground as he approached Kate for the first time. "One of the funny stories is he was so desperate to meet her that as he walked towards her, he apparently tripped and said, 'Oh that's a terrible start, you're going to think I'm a complete clot,'" Quinn said. How quaint!

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Evidently, Kate was charmed by William all the same—and he went on to impress her with his student cooking, as People reports. Speaking to Mary Berry in their holiday special A Berry Royal Christmas, Kate said, "In our university days he used to cook all sorts of meals. I think that’s when he was trying to impress me." And his dishes of choice? "Things like bolognese sauce and things like that."

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