A new book has revealed that Kate Middleton was left devastated when Prince William cancelled an important plan at the last minute, before they were married. As per tradition, Kate could not celebrate Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham before their marriage. Despite their long-term relationship, Kate and William stayed apart on December 25 even in 2006.
However, they had made significant plans for New Year’s that year, which William cancelled. This reportedly caused her to become concerned about the future of their relationship.
Royal author Katie Nicholl said in her 2011 book, The Making of a Royal Romance, that the Prince of Wales had initially promised to join Kate’s family on New Year’s. However, he later decided to stay with his own family, and told Kate so on Boxing Day over the phone.
“William had been having second thoughts and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank discussion about his future with Kate. Both advised him not to hurry into anything,” Nicholl wrote.
It is believed that Kate and William briefly separated a few weeks later in 2007, a move that disappointed Queen Elizabeth, according to sources. Their split, however, was short-lived. Days later, the two were seen kissing at an army party at Bovington barracks. The couple announced their engagement in 2010, and got married in April 2011.
When Kate Middleton was given a cruel nickname by Prince William’s friends
Nicholl has also revealed that Kate had to deal with Prince William’s “snooty” friends giving her a cruel nickname. Kate and William met while at university, and the princess would often be made fun of because her mother Carole Middleton once worked as a flight attendant.
Nicholl said that the Prince of Wales’ friends would say: “Doors to Manual,” in reference to Kate. The princess, however, always rose above the taunts and never got angry, Nicholl said.
“To her full credit, Kate never rose to it – the snootiness of the upper classes leveled at what they called the en-masse Middletons,” Nicholl said during an appearance on the Vanity Fair Dynasty podcast.
A royal aide said that although the nickname hurt Kate, she never let it show. “It was never water off a duck’s back, but she has extraordinary strength of character and resilience,” they told the Sunday Times Magazine.