Royal fans are well aware of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s famous love story and how it all began at St Andrew’s University in Scotland where they both attended as students.
William and Kate locked eyes on one another at the prestigious university in Fife in 2001 where they both attended to study Art History.
However, what many don’t know is that the Princess of Wales almost didn’t meet her royal husband as she originally had plans to study elsewhere before she made the unexpected decision to change her university of choice which led her to her fateful love.
The 43-year-old had her heart set on The University of Edinburgh and had actually already been given an acceptance offer there when she made the risky choice to decline admission, take a gap year and apply to study at St Andrews University instead, according to royal biographer Katie Nicholl.
This was a very bold move considering that Kate had no guarantee of getting into the highly prestigious university with her teachers reportedly not understanding what swayed her impulsive decision.
According to Jasper Selwyn, the career adviser at Kate’s boarding school, Marlborough College, a then teenage Kate had ranked Edinburgh as her top choice before she secured her spot at her dream school.
He told royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl in her book Kate: The Future Queen: “As far as I am aware she had a confirmed palce at Edinburgh.
“She was accepted through the usual UCAS routine. In those days, you applied for five courses and got acceptances and rejections depending on your grades. You chose one firm place and one insurance. Kate’s firm choice was Edinburgh and that was confirmed.”
Kate’s plans had been to study art history and Edinburgh’s history of art program which is ranked among one of the best in Britain.
The princess’ two best friends from high school were also going to Edinburgh university, making her sudden decision to change her mind even more of a ‘mystery’ to her teachers and peers.
Royal expert Kate Nicholl notes that the move was ‘very out of character’ for Kate but suspects that the mum-of-four’s decision had to do with the fact that William had just confirmed his place at St Andrew’s University, which she added made places at the institution that year even harder to come by.
Nicholls wrote: “It seemed every girl in America wanted to come to St. Andrews to search out the prince. Kate would have read the papers. She would have known that William was going and that there was every chance they could be in the same program at the same time if she got a place to study there.”
However, Nicholl added that it would not be the first time Kate had met William after she previously rubbed shoulders with him at Marlborough College with some of her friend group knowing both him and Prince Harry while they studied at Eton.
In an interview, the royal expert said: “[Kate’s friends] said, ‘Uh-uh, she didn’t meet him at St. Andrews, she met him before she got there, while she was at school during her sixth form through some of her friends. They knew Prince William and Prince Harry, so there wasn’t any meeting.’ And that, for me, it changed everything.”
Kate went on to date her future husband and the father of her three kids George, Charlotte and Louis at St Andrews University.
The Prince and Princess of Wales both studied Art History before William later switched to Geography in his second year.
The pair shared the same dorm building and became friends at first thanks to their common interests in the arts and shared passion for sports before their relationship blossomed and turned into romance.
What sparked Kate’s decision will forever remain unknown but it has been speculated in the past that her mother Carole Middleton may have deliberately encouraged her to attend St Andrew’s after hearing that the prince had enrolled.
In Tina Brown’s candid book, ‘The Palace Papers’, she wrote: “Carole has considerable strategic flair. Whenever Kate was bloodied in the ring, she retreated to Bucklebury, where Coach Carole would dress her wounds, advise her on moves, and urge her to keep her eyes on the prize. Carole’s fingerprints are all over Kate’s first move on the royal chessboard.”
Royal correspondent Matthew Bell at The Spectator, also wrote in 2005: “Some insiders wonder whether her university meeting with Prince William can really be ascribed to coincidence.
“Although at the time of making her application to universities it was unknown where the Prince was intending to go, it has been suggested that her mother persuaded Kate to reject her first choice on hearing the news and take up her offer at St. Andrews instead.”
Speaking of the first time he properly met Kate after their engagement in 2010, William said: “When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her. I knew there was possibly something that I wanted to explore there. We ended up being friends for a while and that just sort of was a good foundation.
“Because I do generally believe now that being friends with one another is a massive advantage. And it just went from there.”
However, Kate admits she did not manage to keep her cool as much: “I actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy,” she said. “But we did become very close friends from quite early.”
Whether it was fate or a meticulous decision to switch universities at the last minute, Kate and William went on to tie the knot in April 2011 and have been happily married for 14 years with their three children.
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