King Charles Made Prince William Apologize to Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton wears a pale blue silk gown while Prince William wears a suit in 2022 — (Image credit: Getty Images/Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Prince William and Princess Kate have been happily married since April 29, 2011. Due to the public nature of their relationship, royal fans have followed the couple's romance since the very beginning. As a result, even their brief breakups and separations have become public knowledge. Now, a new book is exposing even more details about some of the Prince and Princess of Wales's most tense moments.

In forthcoming book William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal editor and expert Russell Myers described a brief breakup the couple went through in 2004—two years into their college romance.

During a summer break from The University of St Andrews, Prince William reportedly had a "sudden change in attitude" towards his relationship with Kate. "He was thinking about going to Sandhurst, joining the army, maybe some traveling and what that would lead to," Myers explained, in an excerpt published by Hello! magazine. "It certainly gave his head a wobble, wondering how much time he would have to dedicate to that and what that would mean for other things in his life, such as a serious relationship."

Kate Middleton and Prince William wearing tweed blazers in 2007 — Prince William reportedly had a "sudden change in attitude" towards his relationship with Kate.

Russell Myers

'William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story'

According to Myers, "[I]t wasn't clear that Catherine would remain a priority for William after university. He was still just 22, and friends suggested he was afraid both of losing his independence so young, and of the mounting media speculation about a possible engagement."

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Princess Kate was reportedly "left in shock at his sudden change of direction." But she also "did not doubt the burden of responsibility" the Prince of Wales was facing as the future King, Myers explained.

The pair allegedly had little contact during the summer of 2004, and rumors started swirling about new romantic prospects for Prince William. According to Myers, "[H]e was torn about whether he wanted to continue his relationship with Catherine. On the one hand he missed her, and on the other the attention from the media had left him so incensed." Having a so-called "normal relationship" allegedly seemed all but impossible to the prince.

Kate Middleton and Prince William walking into the room at their engagement announcement — Having a so-called "normal relationship" allegedly seemed all but impossible to the prince.

When Kate and William returned to The University of St Andrews in the fall of 2004, the prince allegedly "broke down and apologized," per Myers. According to the royal author, William's dad, King Charles, influenced the prince's decision to reconcile with Kate.

"William told Catherine he wanted to make a serious go of the relationship and in a peacemaking gesture he invited her to his father's 56th birthday celebrations at Highgrove," Myers wrote, via Hello! magazine. "[U]nbeknown to Catherine, it was Charles who had insisted on William having an honest conversation with her."

Luckily, it sounds as though King Charles worked his magic and ensured Kate and William were able to reunite, in spite of any stresses they were both experiencing.

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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.