Prince William and Kate Middleton almost never met - but a last minute decision changed that

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the wreath laying ceremony at the National War Memorial on day 1 on the Royal Couple's North American Tour on June 30, 2011 in Ottawa, Canada

(Image credit: Samir Hussein via Getty)

published 7 April 2021

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are one of the nation‘s favorite royal couples. But did you know that they nearly didn‘t meet?

Prince William and Kate Middleton nearly didn’t cross paths at the University of St Andrews in the early 2000s
The future duchess was due to attend another university, but changed her plans at the last minute
In other royal news, Prince William and Kate Middleton are due to welcome new neighbours at Kensington Palace

Royal fans will be aware that Prince William and Kate Middleton are due to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this month, and now have three children together – George, 7, Charlotte, 5, and Louis, 2.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge depart Westminster Abbey after there marriage on April 29, 2011 in London, England — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day in 2011

But if it hadn't been for a last-minute change in plans, this iconic couple might never have been, according to reports.

Thankfully their paths did end up crossing and they met at St Andrews University in the early 2000s, where Prince William studied Geography and Kate studied Art History.

They then struck up a romantic relationship and, after a brief separation, eventually got engaged in 2010 – much to the delight of royal fans. So, what changed that allowed these two to meet in the first place?

How did Prince William and Kate Middleton meet?

According to her former careers adviser, the future Duchess of Cambridge was originally due to attend a completely different university, HELLO! reports. Kate made the last-minute decision to take a gap year instead of going to Edinburgh University – the twist of fate that meant she met her future husband at St Andrews the following year.

The exact reason why Kate ended up changing her mind is not known (but of course we’re very glad that she did!).

William and Kate lived in the same halls of residence when they were first year students, and were initially on the same course before William switched subjects. They started dating a couple of years later – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Twenty years later, it's almost impossible to imagine a world without our Duke and Duchess of Cambridge...

Lucy is a UK-based beauty journalist who has written for the likes of Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, OK!, Women's Health and more, as well as contributing to woman&home. Her work covers everything from expert skin and haircare tips to the latest product launches and the show-stopping beauty looks spotted backstage at London Fashion Week. During her career she's interviewed some seriously famous faces, from Little Mix to Drag Race royalty The Vivienne, as well as chatting to the industry's leading hairdressers, dermatologists and make-up artists.