![\"William](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/037ea0b349885b469a0c7d440b5233c8.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nPrincess Kate once gave Prince William an ultimatum that brought their relationship to the brink of collapse, according to a new royal biography.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The future King and Queen had been together for four years when their romance ended in 2007.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But their split did not last.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A new book reveals the late Queen Elizabeth II played a key role in encouraging William to reconsider the relationship after seeing how deeply he was affected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The revelations appear in ‘William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story’ by The Mirror\u2019s Royal Editor Russell Myers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Myers details the early years of the couple\u2019s relationship and the period when they came close to going their separate ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kate had reportedly become frustrated with the direction of their relationship and wanted William to commit to their future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Catherine delivered an ultimatum to\u00a0William,\u201d\u00a0Myers\u00a0writes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile she did not explicitly demand an engagement or even a promise of marriage, she did break free from the gentle and arguably submissive persona that had typified her relationship with the future king.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couple had met while studying at the University of St Andrews in 2001.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their friendship eventually developed into a relationship, with their romance becoming public after they were photographed together on a skiing trip in Switzerland in 2004.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They later shared a flat while at university.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But by 2007, the relationship was under serious strain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William and Kate eventually split that year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The breakdown was\u00a0reportedly particularly\u00a0difficult for William, prompting his grandmother to intervene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Queen had seen the damage caused by the breakdown of the marriage between William\u2019s father, King Charles III, and Princess Diana.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Myers writes that she invited William to lunch after becoming concerned about his state of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Sensing William was struggling, the Queen invited him to Sunday lunch to judge his mood,\u201d Myers writes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWilliam was more than just crestfallen and worried about whether he was throwing away the one constant in his life. He was, according to one well-placed source, \u2018completely broken\u2019.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Queen then offered her grandson advice about the future of his relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“In that moment, the Queen advised her grandson that the only certain path is the one supported by faith. It was all she had to say,”\u00a0Myers said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William and Kate reconciled during the summer of 2007, only months after their split.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three years later, William proposed during a private holiday in Kenya.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couple announced their engagement in 2010 before marrying at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kate later recalled feeling shy when she first met William.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you,” Kate recalled to William in their 2010 engagement interview, revealing that the\u00a0Prince\u00a0wasn’t there for Freshers\u2019 Week.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“So,\u00a0it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each other, but we did become very close friends from quite early.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couple have now been married for 15 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their relationship has also unfolded alongside the demands of royal life and periods of personal difficulty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kate underwent chemotherapy treatment in 2024 after announcing she had been diagnosed with cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couple have continued their public duties while raising their family and preparing for William\u2019s eventual role as King.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Princess Kate once gave Prince William an ultimatum that brought their relationship to the brink of collapse, 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