Prince William employed an unusual tactic to maintain some level of normalcy during his university days by adopting a pseudonym to dodge media attention and enjoy a somewhat regular student life while studying in St Andrews, Scotland.
According to Robert Jobson’s new book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales, the future King was known as ‘Steve’ among his close circle of friends, including his now-wife Kate Middleton who he first met at the Scottish university.
Although he enrolled in his course under the name ‘William Wales’, his pals simply referred to him as Steve. This clever move allowed William to experience a sense of normality during his younger years, OK! reports.
A deal was also struck with the world’s media, who agreed to respect his privacy during his time at St Andrews, following William’s agreement to a few photos and a brief interaction with the press on his first day as a student back in September 2001.
Author Robert Jobson writes in his book: “Among friends, he decided to use the pseudonym ‘Steve’ in a bizarre attempt to stay under the radar.” He further revealed that William was quick to spot those who tried to take advantage of his royal status, stating: “People who try to take advantage of me and get a piece of me, I spot it quickly and soon go off them. I’m not stupid’.”
Steve and William Wales were not the only pseudonyms he used during that period, according to the Express. As the love story between Kate and William unfolded, they took several trips together to enjoy some privacy away from curious onlookers or photographers.
Robert wrote: “For weekends and holidays, he’d often whisk Catherine off to Highgrove or Sandringham or to a cottage on the Balmoral Estate. Occasionally they checked into hotels, using the names Mr and Mrs Smith – which doubtless fooled no one.”
In 2007, while on a romantic retreat in the breathtaking Seychelles, the couple went by the aliases Martin and Rosemary Middleton when registering at their hotel, as stated in journalist Marcia Moody’s biography of the Princess. This allowed them to maintain a low profile and avoid being snapped during their clandestine getaway.
After the couple exchanged vows in front of a global audience in 2011, they reportedly adopted the names Danny Collins and Daphne Clark in their aides’ phone directories and in reference to their new titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as reported by the Daily Star.
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