It took five years for the Queen to meet Kate after she started dating Prince William

When it comes to royal relationships, William and Kate certainly stand up there at the top. The future King and Queen consort are heralded for having the perfect relationship, with the couple rarely ever talked about negatively in the press. While there have been bumps in the road – including that rumored affair – their partnership is mostly bulletproof. However, despite being the epitome of relationship goals, it apparently took a whole five years for Kate to meet the Queen.

A love for the ages

William and Kate’s love story is one that we’ve been following for a long time. These two have been in each other’s lives for so many years now, and they’ve been an item for most of that time. While they haven’t had a smooth run together by any means, they’ve weathered their storms better than most couples.

That’s why we can’t wait to see William ascend to the throne one day with his loyal partner by his side.

Their first meeting

Their romance began in the early ‘00s while the pair were at college. It was actually when they were students that the duo met. William and Kate both attended the University of St. Andrews, with the two studying degrees in art history.

Although the Prince later changed his major to geography, the time that these two spent together before then changed both their lives. Nothing happened between the pair at first, especially as Kate had a boyfriend at the time. However, once he was firmly out of the picture, a romance started blossoming between the royal and his fellow student.

A blossoming romance

The spark between these two was first ignited when William saw Kate at a charity fashion show. She took his breath away, partly because she was wearing a lacy number that he couldn’t look away from. However, as the Prince got to know the girl, he soon realized it wasn’t just her looks that attracted him to her.

She was intelligent, funny, and a great person to hang around with. Luckily for him, his interest was reciprocated, and by 2003 the pair were dating. Not long after that, the couple decided to move in together, albeit with several other students.

Interrupted by the press

Unfortunately, while the duo enjoyed exploring their love together, things weren’t smooth sailing for William and Kate. The media became heavily invested in their relationship, with many publications speculating if the Prince’s girlfriend would one day become his wife.

Given William’s standing as an heir to the throne, there was little he could do about all the media attention. However, when they started prying into Kate’s life and harassing her, he did what he could to protect her. He and his father threatened legal action against the press, and this – combined with the intervention of Middleton’s lawyers – helped calm things down.

Spending time apart

Although William could keep the media from stepping out of line, he couldn’t get rid of them altogether. As long as he was a member of the Royal Family, he’d always be a source of interest for the press. Kate didn’t know if she could handle that, which is perhaps why the couple called time on their relationship in 2007.

The public was devastated to see these two split, especially given their romance appeared to be moving in the right direction. However, they felt it was right to spend some time away from each other and see where life took them.

Back together again

Thankfully, while the duo might have split up, it wasn’t too long before they were back in each other’s arms. It seems that William and Kate couldn’t handle the thought of being away from one another. It was only a few months later that they reunited, with the Prince reportedly desperate to get back with his ex.

Although she was slightly hesitant, especially because of the press, she couldn’t say no to the man she loved.

Signs of a reunion

The public first got some confirmation that the duo had reunited when they both attended a concert in honor of Princess Diana. The event was organized by William to commemorate ten years since his mother’s tragic passing. Although he wasn’t seen with his girlfriend – Kate sat two rows behind them – their proximity spoke volumes.

Before long, their joint public appearances became a regular thing, leading many people to ask when William would put a ring on it.

A necessary break

While those few months apart were no doubt devastating for the pair, it seems that the distance was good for both of them. William admitted that he and his other half were “very young” and “different characters” before the reunion.

He stated that they were “trying to find our way [and] growing up,” something that their time apart made possible. It took being away from each other to realize they both wanted a future together.

Waiting for five years

Usually, when you enter into a relationship with someone, you meet their family and bond with them. While that certainly happened with William and Kate, one of the Prince’s relatives didn’t actually meet his girlfriend until five years after they started dating.

That person was none other than the Queen. Even though her grandson fell head over heels for the St. Andrew’s alumni quickly, she didn’t rush to meet the special woman in his life.

She’s a busy woman

Of course, this is the Queen of the United Kingdom we’re talking about here. The monarch had a perfectly good reason for not meeting Kate straight away, and that was that she didn’t want to waste her time.

The Queen can’t afford to bond with every person her grandchildren date – she doesn’t have the time. So, she waited until William’s relationship with Kate was definitely going somewhere before making the introductions. What a moment that must have been!

Years in the making

Where did this eventful meeting between William’s grandmother and girlfriend happen? Apparently, it was at a wedding of all places. Peter Philips, the son of Princess Anne, was tying the knot with his other half, and Kate was on the guestlist.

So, on May 17, 2008, the future Duchess of Cambridge finally crossed paths with her boyfriend’s famous grandmother. She’d known about the Queen her whole life, and now she actually got to talk to her.

Living up to expectations

While we’re not too clear on what went down at the wedding, it’s safe to say that the monarch approved of her grandson’s partner. We expect that William had talked highly of his girlfriend for a long time, and Kate no doubt lived up to expectations.

Even if the Queen was slightly wary of the young woman, her concerns were surely put to rest sometime in the last ten years. After all, these two appear to get along great.

Put a ring on it

Getting the Queen’s seal of approval for their relationship was no doubt assuring for William. After all, he couldn’t tie the knot without it. Following their reunion in 2007, the Prince became more and more certain about his desire to marry Kate.

He eventually turned his dream into reality in 2010 when he popped the question, and his other half said yes. It was mere months later that they got married in one of the biggest weddings ever.

An unbreakable bond

Since meeting Kate for the first time, the Queen has appeared to build quite a secure bond with the woman. Whenever they’ve been pictured together, they’ve always seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

The monarch even drove the Duchess of Cambridge around when the two were at the Balmoral estate together. Considering how much the Queen loves being behind the wheel of a car, this was a significant step forward for her relationship with Kate.

A prestigious title

The two women continue to be on excellent terms, with the Queen recently bestowing quite the title upon her granddaughter-in-law. She named Kate as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian, a distinction that very few people receive.

It’s reportedly the highest honor that any woman can get, so the Queen obviously thinks a lot of the Duchess. Apparently, it was given to Kate in celebration of her eighth wedding anniversary earlier in the year.

Preferential treatment

However, while Kate might appear to have an excellent relationship with the Queen, it doesn’t seem to be as strong as the one Meghan has with her. That’s judging by the preferential treatment that the Duchess of Sussex has received over the last few years.

This includes Meghan being invited to spend Christmas with the Royal Family in 2017, despite not being married to Harry at the time. That’s an honor Kate didn’t get before she tied the knot.

Quick introductions

What’s more, Meghan also didn’t have to wait as long to be introduced to the Queen. Of course, the fast pace of her relationship likely had more to do with that than anything else. The Duchess of Sussex was only with Harry for a year or so before he got down on one knee.

The Prince was seemingly in more of a rush than his brother, leaving his grandmother with little choice but to meet Meghan sooner than expected.

Alone with the Queen

The Queen’s apparent favoritism of Meghan continued after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot. It was only weeks after their wedding that the monarch was accompanied by her new daughter-in-law for a solo outing.

This was the first time the two had enjoyed some alone time together, and it came about far sooner than Kate’s solo trip. The Duchess of Cambridge had to wait a whole year before she got her special moment with the Queen.

An unexpected friendship

All this favoritism towards Meghan comes as something of a surprise given how controversial the new royal has been. Ever since she entered Harry’s life, she’s been criticized for not fitting the mold the way Kate did. From the clothes she wears to her desire for privacy, so many people have had a problem with the Duchess of Sussex.

However, judging by her behavior, the Queen isn’t one of them. She can seemingly look past these apparent problems.

Fights in the family

With the Queen appearing to side with Meghan, the idea of a feud between the two duchesses seems a lot more believable. The press has long been confident that the two sisters hate one another, with their rivalry supposedly starting before Meghan and Harry even got married.

While there’s no hard evidence backing it up, there’s plenty of reports supporting the notion of a rift. The Queen’s apparent preferential treatment certainly doesn’t put any rumors to rest.

It needs to stop

Then again, if there’s anyone in the Royal Family who’s going to oppose a feud, it’s the Queen. As the head of the monarchy, everyone else’s behavior reflects on her. So, if someone acts poorly in front of the media, it damages her reputation.

All this talk of a feud has undoubtedly given the royals a lot of bad publicity recently, and that’s something the Queen can’t stand. She doesn’t want to end her reign on a sour note.

High expectations

If the Queen was hesitant to bond with Kate in the past, that was likely down to William’s standing as a future king. She needed to know that the Duchess of Cambridge would be the right woman to sit alongside him when he ascends to the throne.

Given that Harry will probably never rise to power, she doesn’t have to worry as much about his other half. That’s why she can afford to relax the rules for Meghan.

Sharing the love

Regardless of how things might appear, we expect that the Queen loves both her granddaughters equally. Since entering into the Royal Family, they’ve made their respective husbands immensely happy and gifted both of them with beautiful children.

They’ve also done some great work on behalf of the monarchy, something we expect will continue into the future. The Queen has no reason to be disappointed in either of them, even if it did take her five years to meet Kate.