Prince William and Kate Middleton met as students at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001. They began as friends and housemates, and over time became a couple.
By early 2007, the pressure on Kate was intense. Photographers waited outside her London flat, and on her 25th birthday in January 2007 she was surrounded by cameras as she left home. Some newspapers mocked her as Waity Katie, suggesting she was simply waiting for a proposal.
In April 2007, newspapers reported that the couple had split up. William was serving with the British Army at the time, and reports suggested the pressures of his new career and of royal life had played a part.
Kate did not give interviews. Instead she carried on with her life. She was photographed enjoying nights out with friends in London, looking relaxed and happy.
She also joined an all-female dragon boat crew that was training to cross the English Channel, although she did not take part in the final crossing.
Within weeks, reports emerged that the couple were back together. On 1 July 2007, Kate attended the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, sitting just a couple of rows behind William, and many took it as a quiet sign that the romance was back on.
When the couple announced their engagement in November 2010, they were asked about the split. Kate said that at the time she was not very happy about it, but that it made her a stronger person. William said they were both very young and still finding their own way.
They married at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. In 2022, Kate became Princess of Wales, and one day she is expected to become Queen.
Looking back, the break-up that once filled the tabloids may have been one of the most important chapters of their story.