Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Runway Color Combinations
    • Fig Perfumes
    • A.P.C. x Gap
    • Sasha Compère
    • TWP
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Princess Kate and Prince William Used the Funniest Fake Names During Romantic Getaways

    "Occasionally they checked into hotels using the names Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 14 August 2024 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Kate Middleton and Prince William at The Carlyle Hotel in New York on December 7, 2014.
    (Image credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Princess Kate and Prince William's romance first started while they were both studying at St Andrews in Scotland. Their relationship was far from a secret, though the young couple apparently enjoyed some discreet weekend getaways. However, as a royal, it's unlikely Prince William went unrecognized during these trips. Still, the prince apparently used some unexpected monikers in an attempt to fly under the radar.

    In his new book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen, royal expert Robert Jobson writes (via the Daily Mail), "For weekends and holidays, he'd often whisk Catherine off to Highgrove or Sandringham or to a cottage on the Balmoral estate." However, the young couple would also stay in hotels, but they'd attempt to disguise their identities when doing so. "Occasionally they checked into hotels using the names Mr and Mrs Smith—which doubtless fooled no one," Jobson wrote.

    Prince William Graduates From St Andrews

    "Occasionally they checked into hotels using the names Mr and Mrs Smith," Robert Jobson said of William and Kate.

    (Image credit: Anwar Hussein Collection)

    As well as using pseudonyms for romantic hotel stays, Prince William apparently tried out other names during his college life. "In 2001, William quietly slipped into undergraduate life at St Andrews, where he used the pseudonym 'Steve' in a rather pathetic attempt to stay under the radar," Jobson explained. Of course, it's more than likely most of his fellow students recognized the prince immediately. Still, it seems that Prince William is a fan of having secret identities.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Jobson isn't the first royal expert to discuss Prince William's love of fake names. In his book William and Catherine, royal biographer Andrew Morton revealed (via the Mirror) that Kate and William visited the Seychelles together in 2007. "Kate and William, under the assumed names of Martin and Rose Middleton, bid farewell to the paradise island of Desroches in the Outer Seychelles where they had spent a sublime week renewing their love affair," Morton wrote. Clearly, the Prince and Princess of Wales enjoy their privacy, and they aren't afraid to use fake names from time to time.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Prince William Sandringham
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

    Read more
    Prince William Princess Kate dating
    Royals Royal Editor Reveals the “Sincere” Advice Given To Kate Middleton While Dating Prince William
    By Christine Ross
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate and Prince William Aren't "Lazy"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Prince William playing with Princess Eugenie's hat
    Royals Prince William and His Cousins Are "Like Any Other Family" With One Activity
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince William wears a flat cap with a green hooded coat to visit the Scottish island of Bute with Princess Kate
    Royals William Told Royal Fan, "Stop, You'll Make Me Blush"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques of Monaco, Princess Gabriella of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the "U Cavagnëtu" - Traditional Monegasque Picnic on September 19, 2026
    Royals Princess Charlene Styles a Princess Diana-Inspired Bag
    Princess Diana has bouffant blonde hair and cradles Prince Harry, who has bright red hair.
    Royals Earl Spencer Says Harry and Meghan Are "Being Destroyed"
     
     
    Earl Charles Spencer wears a suit and has gray hair and King Charles waves while wearing a beige suit
    Royals Princess Diana's Brother Reacts to "Provocative" Statement
    King Charles wears a red military uniform and looks concerned while standing on Buckingham Palace balcony with Queen Elizabeth II, who wears a baby blue outfit
    Royals Queen Elizabeth's Employee Revealed "Intimate Details"
     
     
    Latest in News
    Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques of Monaco, Princess Gabriella of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the "U Cavagnëtu" - Traditional Monegasque Picnic on September 19, 2026
    Royals Princess Charlene Styles a Princess Diana-Inspired Bag
    Jennifer Lopez wearing a business-like Valentino outfit with the suede bag trend, flipping her golden brown hair
    Celebrity Style J.Lo Means Business in a Runway-Ready Valentino Look
     
     
    Princess Diana has bouffant blonde hair and cradles Prince Harry, who has bright red hair.
    Royals Earl Spencer Says Harry and Meghan Are "Being Destroyed"
    Earl Charles Spencer wears a suit and has gray hair and King Charles waves while wearing a beige suit
    Royals Princess Diana's Brother Reacts to "Provocative" Statement
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.