How William dumped devastated Kate in a 30-minute phone call but she won him back - dressed in a nurse's uniform!

In nan concluding extract from an charismatic caller curriculum vitae of nan Princess of Wales, ROBERT JOBSON recounts nan ups and downs of Kate's romance pinch assemblage sweetheart William, why he sewage acold feet — and nan 'Freakin Naughty' fancy dress statement wherever their 'chemistry' was rekindled. 

She'd waited respective years for him to dress up his mind, and rather abruptly he had. Prince William, past nan world's astir eligible bachelor, had decided it was conscionable excessively soon to beryllium tied down to Catherine Middleton.

He celebrated their break-up pinch an alcohol-fuelled nighttime astatine nan Mahiki nightclub successful Mayfair pinch his adjacent pals.

'I'm free!' he shouted arsenic he slipped into a drunken type of nan robot dance. He past told his friends that they should each 'drink nan menu', which they much aliases little ended up doing.

Naturally, Catherine sewage to perceive astir these juvenile antics. They seemed to people a humiliating extremity to nan romance that had begun erstwhile they were some students astatine nan University of St Andrews successful Scotland.

The rumors columnists had a section day. Some claimed William 'had his caput turned' by different young female — nan beautiful socialite Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe.

They'd met years earlier connected vacation successful Greece. But contempt being azygous astatine nan clip of William and Catherine's break-up, Isabella was apparently unkeen connected becoming a royal girlfriend, emotion it would limit her profession prospects arsenic an actress.

This did not cool William's ardour: he reportedly tried to woo Isabella, visiting her respective times astatine her family home. Despite his evident crush, she apparently rebuffed his advances.

Few could person predicted that he'd return to Catherine — aliases that she'd ever work together to return him back...

There's ever been acold much to nan existent Princess of Wales than nan smiling alternatively placid image she has sometimes projected successful public. For 1 thing, she's very bright, has an inquiring mind and has ever been mature for her age.

At nan property of conscionable three, she was being encouraged to study Arabic. The Middleton family were past surviving successful Amman, Jordan, wherever her begetter Michael was moving for 2 and a half years arsenic a dispatcher for British Airways.

They weren't precisely surviving nan ex-pat precocious life: from May 1984, they rented a humble three-bedroom villa for £300 a month. Catherine attended a nursery schoolhouse where, each morning, she'd singing rhymes including Incy Wincy Spider successful some Arabic and English.

'To amended nan children's Arabic, we'd delve into a verse from nan Qur'an,' recalled their teacher, Sahera al Nabulsi. 'And past we'd stock tales of nan Prophet's companions, for illustration Umar ibn Al-Khattab, underscoring values of respect and love.'

At Christmas, Ms al Nabulsi would dress to beryllium Father Christmas, while Eid al-Fitr, marking nan extremity of Ramadan, was enlivened pinch nan sound of drumming.

After 3 years successful Jordan, nan Middletons returned successful 1986 to their location successful West Berkshire. Shortly afterwards, Catherine was enrolled astatine nan fee-paying St Andrew's preparatory schoolhouse successful Pangbourne, wherever her teachers described her arsenic very conscientious, a difficult worker and a earthy jock — each traits that still apply.

Today, Catherine would beryllium nan first to work together that her play successful nan Middle East, galore elements of which she still recalls, has helped style nan female she has become. One of nan causes closest to her bosom is to item nan important value of a child's early years — up to 5 years old.

In 2018, erstwhile Prince William attended a reception successful Amman, nan main executive of nan Save nan Children Fund successful Jordan told him she knew nan location wherever Catherine had lived.

'No way!' he replied. 'She will beryllium thrilled. She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I americium coming present without her.'

Thanks to her mother, Carole, who launched a highly successful business trading items for children's parties, nan Middleton children were sent to costly independent schools. However, Catherine grounded to settee aft starting aged 13 arsenic a day-pupil astatine Downe House, still known for its pupils' precocious world attainments.

Was she bullied? Perhaps. It's adjacent to opportunity she struggled to fresh in. She felt for illustration an outsider, chiefly because her adjacent group had been together astatine nan schoolhouse since nan property of 11 and had already bonded.

After conscionable 2 position astatine nan all‑girls Downe House, her parents whipped her retired successful 1996 and sent her to Marlborough College successful Wiltshire, which admitted some sexes — and wrong weeks of starting there, nan wan look had near Catherine's face.

Contemporaries retrieve her indulging successful Marmite sandwiches, listening to her Walkman and avidly watching nan U.S. tv show Friends.

They besides opportunity she was a 'perfect pupil' — and so she achieved 11 GCSEs followed by 3 A-levels, pinch A grades successful Maths and Art and a B successful English.

At 16, she ditched her braces and shape-shifted into a beauty. She was soon apical of nan schoolboys' alleged 'Fit List', which they'd move and pin up connected their walls.

Much for illustration different girls her age, Catherine had a fewer teenage romances. Her first 'love' was Harry Blakelock, a chap student astatine Marlborough College, who later became an security broker.

Their youthful narration had its ups and downs, and yet ended earlier nan commencement of her spread year. Neither of them person talked astir it, but friends opportunity Catherine had go very attached to Harry, and was heartbroken erstwhile they parted ways.

Did she besides person a schoolgirl crush connected Prince William, past astatine Eton College? A erstwhile housemate claimed Catherine had a image of him connected her wall. She has, however, firmly denied this, saying: 'No, I had nan Levis' feline connected my wall, not a image of William — sorry.'

What's little good known is that Catherine and nan Prince first met erstwhile she was astatine Marlborough, and it was past that they really became friends. 'There was plentifulness of socialising [between pupils astatine some schools] backmost then, and they were known to each other,' said a elder root adjacent to nan Middletons. 'I understand he invited her connected a fewer things.'

Initially, Catherine group her sights connected Edinburgh University to do a History of Art degree, moreover confirming her place. But doubts crept successful astatine nan eleventh hour, and she decided to return a spread twelvemonth first, which she mostly spent abroad.

Why then, connected her return, did she subsequently use to nan University of St Andrews? The rumors mill would later spell into overdrive, not only alleging she'd changed her mind because she'd heard William was going there, but that her mother had encouraged her to drawback nan oculus of nan Prince.

This is 'utter nonsense', said a root adjacent to nan family. Indeed, it had been confidently expected nan Prince would be Trinity College, Cambridge, for illustration his father.

In 2001, William softly slipped into undergraduate life astatine St Andrews, wherever he utilized nan pseudonym 'Steve' successful a alternatively pathetic effort to enactment nether nan radar. He soon struck up an friendly relationship pinch a stunning student, Carly Massy-Birch.

A state woman from Devon, Carly clicked pinch nan Prince consecutive away. They talked astir literature, played committee games together and attended meal parties pinch pals aliases drank pints of cider astatine The Castle pub.

Their narration dissolved astatine nan extremity of nan first term, however, aft William admitted he felt torn betwixt her and different girl, Arabella Musgrave — girl of nan head of Cirencester Park Polo Club. He'd fallen for Arabella astatine a statement successful 2001, and they'd enjoyed a passionate summertime romance conscionable earlier he went up to St Andrews.

William had been very keen connected her, but they'd mutually agreed that it would beryllium amended to cool their relationship.

Once astatine university, however, he recovered he missed her. So they'd put to meet astatine weekends, whenever he went backmost to Highgrove, his father's state home.

At St Andrews, he was cautious astir whom he'd admit into his relationship group. 'People who effort to return advantage of maine and get a portion of me, I spot it quickly and soon spell disconnected them. I'm not stupid,' he said.

One of his adjacent friends from rather early connected was, of course, nan beautiful woman from Marlborough. He and Catherine had met again erstwhile they recovered themselves sharing nan aforesaid hallway of residence, and began to spell retired for drinks and play nan overseas crippled of tennis together.

'We were friends for complete a twelvemonth first and it conscionable benignant of blossomed from past on. We conscionable spent much clip pinch each other, had a bully giggle, had tons of nosy and realised we shared nan aforesaid interests and conscionable had a really bully time,' William would opportunity later.

Catherine's infectious power group her apart. He recovered himself smiling each clip she laughed and admired nan measurement that — dissimilar him — she threw herself into each aspects of student life. Then, famously, he started seeing her successful a different ray successful March 2002 erstwhile she strutted down nan catwalk successful a student kindness show, wearing a daring achromatic sheer ensemble that showed disconnected her figure.

From that pivotal moment, William knew he wanted to beryllium much than conscionable friends.

As for Catherine, she was casually progressive astatine nan clip pinch Rupert Finch, a fourth-year rule student, but they soon went their abstracted ways.

In their 2nd world year, William and Catherine moved into a student location on pinch 2 undergraduate friends. Among nan student community, it was an unfastened concealed that they were a couple: they could often beryllium seen stepping aliases cycling to lectures aliases browsing nan aisles of nan section Safeway.

For weekends and holidays, he'd often whisk Catherine disconnected to Highgrove aliases Sandringham aliases to a cottage connected nan Balmoral estate. Occasionally they checked into hotels, utilizing nan names Mr and Mrs Smith — which doubtless fooled nary one.

In May 2003, news of their narration collapsed — though William insisted a period later that he didn't person a dependable girlfriend. He whitethorn person been telling nan truth, arsenic nan mates concisely collapsed up that year.

By August, nan romance was backmost on, and they'd decided to move to a cottage connected a backstage state estate. This served arsenic their sanctuary for their last 2 years of undergraduate life, though they besides went retired to bars and attended student balls.

All this came to an extremity successful 2005, erstwhile some graduated pinch precocious second-class honours degrees. Following nan ceremony, William introduced Catherine's parents to nan Queen, marking a important measurement guardant successful their relationship.

Then it was connected to London, wherever Catherine had a level adjacent nan King's Road successful Chelsea.

As William's girlfriend, she danced astatine nan trendiest clubs and enjoyed nan VIP curen that came pinch making love a royal.

Speculation astir a royal matrimony began to attack fever pitch, but nan Prince was wary of committing himself. It mightiness good beryllium a lawsuit of nan correct woman astatine nan incorrect time, he feared.

While he wrestled pinch doubts, Catherine was having to woody pinch nan regular reality of being a royal girlfriend. She could beryllium taking beverage pinch nan Queen astatine Windsor Castle 1 day; nan adjacent she'd beryllium moving for a bus, trailed by galore paparazzi.

By nan clip she turned 24, William had embarked connected a year's subject training astatine Sandhurst. He nevertheless met up pinch Catherine each Friday evening astatine nan Middletons' five-bedroom location successful Berkshire.

The Middletons were invited, on pinch Catherine, to his subject graduation successful December 2006. It was William's large day, but nan newspapers inevitably focused connected nan value of his girlfriend's presence. A fewer weeks later, nan Sunday Times published a lengthy article nether nan headline, 'The woman who would beryllium Queen'.

What could spell wrong? Plenty. Already — pinch nary motion of an engagement — Catherine was being labelled Waity Katie, and criticised for first moving for her mother's Party Pieces business alternatively than starting a career, past taking a part-time occupation arsenic an accessories purchaser astatine Jigsaw.

There were besides 'raised eyebrows' successful nan Royal Family complete her predominant trips to Mustique successful nan confederate Caribbean. Her leader astatine Jigsaw had fixed Catherine nan usage of her luxurious villa connected nan land for backstage romanticist holidays pinch nan Prince — hardly a perk afforded to astir employees.

Catherine knew William wasn't successful immoderate hurry to propose, and nan truth is she was prepared to hold until he was ready. After all, they were successful emotion — weren't they?

As Catherine approached her 25th day successful January 2007, he unexpectedly cancelled plans to be a New Year gathering successful Dundee, arranged by nan Middletons.

She sensed thing was wrong. It surely wasn't helping that newspapers were confidently predicting a royal engagement. Soon afterwards, seemingly retired of nan blue, William — now a 2nd Lieutenant successful nan Blues and Royals — telephoned her to propose that they divided up.

He told her they some needed 'a spot of space' to 'find our ain way', and he was incapable to committedness her marriage. In an emotionally charged 30-minute conversation, they some acknowledged they were connected 'different pages'.

It was a devastating rustle to Catherine, who felt doubly fto down astatine being dumped complete nan phone. Though it wasn't nan first clip William had called clip connected their relationship, it felt final.

In nan aftermath of nan break-up, doubts began to creep in. Had she been led on, she asked herself?

Although she was distraught, Catherine resolved to hide her symptom from nan extracurricular world. Carole Middleton acted swiftly, taking her heartbroken girl for a break successful Dublin — a invited respite from media scrutiny. William, of course, simply sewage drunk astatine Mahiki and started yelling astir being 'free'.

On Catherine's return, she decided she wasn't going to beryllium astir moping; what was bully for nan goose was bully for nan gander. She turned to aged friends for support, going connected vacation pinch a woman to Ibiza.

They partied agelong into nan night. Back successful London, location were soon truthful galore paparazzi shots of Catherine leaving nightclubs — often pinch her sister Pippa — that nan media dubbed them nan 'Sizzler Sisters'.

In nationalist astatine least, Catherine seemed much vibrant and sociable than ever before. One evening, she moreover donned silk Playboy bunny ears to be a statement to beforehand Rabbit Fever, a movie astir women obsessed pinch a marque of vibrator.

Predictably, nan rumors columns chronicled her each move, making it difficult for William to put her retired of his mind.

After years arsenic his loyal girlfriend, she seemed to beryllium enjoying herself without him. Her heels were higher, and nan outfits she wore — that sometimes bared her midriff aliases her spectacular legs — were acold racier. She was moreover said to beryllium making love Sir Henry Ropner, a shipping heir. For William, aft his first activity of drunken nights out, it was a different story. As an service officer, he was holed up successful his barracks for astir of nan summer.

Seeing photographs of his ex‑girlfriend having nosy and looking sensational was a bitter pill. He soon began having superior 2nd thoughts, though he realised that aft nan measurement he'd treated Catherine, it wasn't going to beryllium easy to woo her back.

This time, he knew, he'd person to springiness her cast-iron assurances astir their early together. But really and erstwhile would he get nan chance?

He didn't person to hold long, acknowledgment to a communal friend. Sam Waley-Cohen, an amateur jockey, invited them individually to a 'Freakin Naughty' themed fancy-dress statement astatine his family's 17th-century manor house. The chemistry betwixt William and Catherine did nan rest.

She'd arrived dressed arsenic a caregiver and William had made a beeline for her. They past spent nan first portion of nan evening heavy successful speech earlier hitting nan creation floor, wherever they ended up kissing. When friends joked they should get a room, they sloped disconnected together.

At first, their reconciliation was kept secret. Then nan Press noted that Catherine, seated 2 rows down William astatine a kindness popular performance for nan tenth day of Princess Diana's death, had enthusiastically joined successful nan singing of Take That's opus Back For Good.

And truthful had nan Prince. Pop songs, it would move out, often held nan cardinal to nan existent authorities of their relationship.

That September, nan mates enjoyed a romanticist vacation together successful nan Seychelles, wherever they made a concealed pact to wed astatine immoderate constituent successful nan future.

In April 2008, William qualified arsenic a pilot, past announced he'd beryllium spending nan adjacent 5 years moving arsenic an RAF Search-and-Rescue pilot.

Carole Middleton, meanwhile, was reportedly increasing anxious that her daughter's on-off narration had tally its course.

Two years on, Catherine herself whitethorn person besides been increasing impatient. When William was posted to RAF Valley, Anglesey, she made it plain she wouldn't beryllium happy pinch a long-distance relationship.

They recovered a four-bedroom farmhouse location adjacent his guidelines and moved successful together. Catherine, now moving remotely arsenic a web designer and photographer for her family's firm, shopped astatine nan section Waitrose and Morrisons and did astir of nan cooking.

She is not a vegetarian, but favoured meat-free dishes specified arsenic lentil curry and became an avid follower of barroom recipes by Mary Berry.

Neither of them are large drinkers — William prefers a pint of cider complete brew and Catherine's aperitif of prime is conscionable 1 gin and tonic — but they'd occasionally spell retired to nan section pub.

Back then, they had nary unit isolated from a regular cleaner. Their Scotland Yard protection officers slept successful nan farmhouse's converted outbuildings.

William later described their first existent location together arsenic an 'immensely typical spot for america both'. His partner, however, admitted she sometimes felt a spot lonely. 'It was truthful isolated, truthful trim off. I didn't person my family astir me, [and] he was doing nighttime shifts.'

He yet projected formally during a vacation successful Kenyain 2010, by nan broadside of nan turquoise waters of Lake Alice. The mobility wasn't wholly unexpected, of course, but Catherine's look lit up pinch a twinkling grin arsenic she said yes.

Why had he waited truthful galore years to propose, William was asked by Tom Bradby successful nan couple's consequent question and reply astir their engagement.

'I'm trying to study from lessons done successful nan past,' said Diana's elder son. 'I wanted to springiness her a chance to spot in, and to backmost retired if she needed to, earlier it each sewage excessively much.'

Catherine was going into nan matrimony pinch her eyes wide open. She'd knowledgeable awesome highs and heavy lows pinch her Prince during nan years they'd been together, but she was now convinced their heavy emotion for each different would endure.

For her bachelorette statement nighttime astatine a friend's house, she donned a figure-hugging bodysuit and did a step-perfect impersonation of popular prima Cheryl Cole singing her 2009 deed Fight For This Love. It's an exuberant broadside to Catherine that William has ever adored.

When he later met Cheryl Cole astatine nan Diamond Jubilee concert, he told her: 'Did you cognize you've sewage a spot of competition?'

On April 29, 2011, nan mates joined astatine Westminster Abbey — a time of pomp and ceremonial watched by millions astir nan globe.

That evening, however, they had a astonishment for friends astatine their late-night statement successful nan Throne Room astatine Buckingham Palace.

As they stood grinning and holding hands successful nan mediate of nan room, nan opening bars of nan opus You're The One That I Want abruptly boomed out. To their friends' delight, William and Catherine launched into nan creation of nan lead characters from nan film, Grease, mouthing nan words and pointing astatine each other.

It mightiness person taken him 8 years, but William had yet landed nan 1 female he genuinely wanted.

Adapted from Catherine, nan Princess of Wales: The Biography, by Robert Jobson, to beryllium published by John Blake connected August 1 astatine £22. © Robert Jobson 2024. To bid a transcript for £19.80 (offer valid to August 10, 2024; UK P&P free connected orders complete £25) spell to mailshop.co.uk/books aliases telephone 020 3176 2937.