Prince William has turned 40 today (June 21), which means that it’s now been over two decades since he first met his wife Kate Middleton.
The pair’s romance has blossomed over the past 20 years and they’ve been married for over a decade too, after throwing the wedding of the century in April 2011.
But their relationship journey wasn't straightforward and love between the pair hasn't always been easy.
The beginning of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's relationship might not be the sweet story that many imagine it to be.
As Prince William celebrates his 40th birthday, we’ve taken a look back on his younger years and exactly how he and Kate met.
How did Prince William and Kate meet?
Kate and Will met in 2001 while they were both attending the University of St Andrews.
During their first year, the young pair lived just a few doors away from each other in the St Salvator’s Hall of residence and both were studying art history.
Their close proximity meant that they quickly became friends as they regularly attended the same social events.
Over the first semester, their friendship grew and they’d often eat breakfast together, share notes and play tennis.
But despite their easy friendship, it wasn’t love at first sight and it took some time before their relationship turned romantic.
How did William and Kate's relationship start?
It seems that their blossoming friendship wasn’t quite enough to convince William to make the next move when it came to Kate.
But the catalyst to their romance came in 2002 when Kate took part in a raunchy fashion show.
William paid £200 to get a front-row seat to watch Kate strutting the runway in a see-through lace dress.
The saucy fit seemed to encourage a change in Will’s feelings towards Kate; upon seeing her walking in lingerie he reportedly whispered to their friend Fergus Boyd: “Wow, Fergus, Kate’s hot!”
Kate and Will moved into a four-bedroom house with two other friends in their second year.
While they were still friends when they started living together, a romance blossomed and news of their relationship quickly spread around the St Andrews campus.
In 2004 their relationship went public and Kate was thrust into the spotlight after a tabloid pictured the pair skiing together in the Swiss Alps.
Why did Prince William and Kate split up?
While William was at university the British press had agreed to give him privacy, but after his graduation in 2005, Will and Kate’s relationship became the talk of the town.
But the country was shocked in 2007 to learn that the pair had split.
It was rumoured that they were at different points in their lives, with Kate ready to settle down while William was pictured partying - earning her the cruel reputation 'Waity Katie'.
But like all good romances, they found their way back to each other and rekindled their relationship before announcing their engagement in 2010.
