In their 2010 engagement interview, Kate reminisced about their very first meeting, admitting she was incredibly shy when she met William

The royal love story between Princess Kate and Prince William began long before the world had any idea.

Both Kate and William attended the University of St Andrews, where their initial encounter was far from the polished, public-facing relationship we see today. In fact, Kate’s first reaction to meeting the future king speaks volumes about her nature.

In their 2010 engagement interview, Kate reminisced about their very first meeting, admitting she was incredibly shy when she met William. Tom Bradby asked the pair: “When did you first set eyes on each other and what did you think?” William replied: “It’s a long time ago now, Tom, I’m trying to wrack my brain. We obviously met at university – at St Andrews we were friends for over a year first and it just sort of blossomed from then on. We just spent more time with each other, had a good giggle, had lots of fun and realised we shared the same interests and had a really good time.

Kate confesses how she truly felt and reacted after meeting Prince William for the first time ( 
Image:
PA)
“She’s got a really naughty sense of humour, which kind of helps me because I’ve got a really dry sense of humour, so it was good fun, we had a really good laugh and things happened.” Tom then asked Kate, “What did you think of William? It’s clearly not quite the same as meeting your average university student, or maybe it was, what was your first impression?

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The future Princess confessed: “Well I actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you. Actually William wasn’t there for quite a bit of the time initially, he wasn’t there for Freshers Week, so it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each other but we did become very close friends from quite early.”

It wasn’t until a fateful university fashion show in 2002, where Kate took to the runway in a daring sheer dress, that William’s feelings became clear. He reportedly turned to a friend and whispered, “Wow, Kate’s hot!” Royal commentator Ingrid Seward explained that while the couple’s relationship had started as a platonic friendship, this was the moment William began to see Kate in a different light.

After that turning point, their romance developed more privately. Their early dates were understated and simple. They kept their budding relationship discreet, arriving separately to avoid attention. In their second year, they shared a flat, and this allowed their bond to strengthen even further.

Kate’s initial shyness, followed by their deepening friendship, laid the foundation for the royal couple’s enduring relationship. What began as a modest university encounter has now grown into one of the most beloved royal partnerships.