This was many, many moons ago, and—spoiler alert—everything turned out just fine between Prince William and the then Kate Middleton. (They have been married for 12 years, are parents to three children, and seem extremely happy together.) But when the couple of roughly five years split in April 2007, many royal followers couldn’t figure out why—was it because Kate was ready for marriage, and William wasn’t? Or the other way around? The Mirror reports that “one of the reasons behind the decision was William’s decision not to spend New Year’s Eve with the Middletons in 2006.” (The Middletons are Kate’s family, comprised of parents Michael and Carole and younger siblings Pippa and James; they’re famously tight-knit, and always have been.)
William’s choice to not spend the holiday with Kate’s family “reportedly prompted the couple to reevaluate their relationship and ultimately decide to take a break,” The Mirror writes. (William actually broke up with Kate over the phone while she was at work, with the now Princess of Wales taking the call “in the office car park in London,” The Mirror reports.)
“It was clear it was William—and definitely a tiff,” Kate’s former colleague said of the 2007 breakup. “Around the middle of the day, she was pacing the car park outside the office on her mobile. A few people noticed, because it’s a pretty unusual thing to do. She’d deliberately gone outside to take the call because she didn’t want to be overheard.”
They added “Kate was walking up and down and looking upset as if she was having an argument. But she didn’t cry. Word went ‘round that it was William, and they were having problems. Now it’s clear what it was all about. When she came back to the office, she didn’t say a thing and disappeared for the rest of the day. We didn’t think anything about it at the time. But looking back, the call was definitely a girlfriend-boyfriend tiff.”
The story ends well: after a brief split, William and Kate were back together by July 2007, about three months later. During her engagement interview in 2010, Kate said of their breakup “At the time, I wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person.”
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Princess Eugenie Posts Sweet Birthday Message to Husband Jack Brooksbank
"Always making joy wherever you are."
By Danielle Campoamor Published
-
Bindi Irwin Opens Up About Her Decision to Go Public With Endometriosis Diagnosis
"My fear was not knowing what would happen when I stepped off into that world of sharing my journey."
By Danielle Campoamor Published
-
Kate Middleton is Expected to Stay Away From "Public Duties for Some Time"
The Princess of Wales will be able to attend events "when she feels able to," reports say.
By Danielle Campoamor Published
-
Princess Kate Refuses to Be Anything But “Resolutely Cheerful” Around Her Kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Royal Author Says
More than ever, as she receives treatment for cancer, the hope is to “keep the prevailing mood as upbeat as possible.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Gives Simple But Powerful Update on Princess Kate's Health
He was characteristically demure.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince William Is "A Bit Envious" of Prince Harry's Lifestyle, Sources Claim
The Duke of Sussex has more freedoms.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Kate Middleton Omitted This Word from Her Wedding Vows to Prince William So That, From the Start, They Would Be Seen as Equals
Her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, had broken tradition and done the same in her own vows to Prince Charles 30 years prior.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William “Has Never Been More Protective” of Princess Kate Than He Is Now—and Will “Make Sure She’s Spoiled” on Their Anniversary Today
To mark 13 years since their royal wedding, the couple released a never-before-seen photo from the big day.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Former Royal Butler Describes What It Was Like to Work for Princess Kate
“I’m really grateful for all those memories.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Told Princess Charlotte's Favorite Joke, And I'm Cackling
Help, I have the sense of humor of an 8-year-old.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Are Prioritizing Their Children's "Happiness" Amid Kate's Diagnosis, Source Says
The little ones come first.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published