Advertisement

Royal butler reveals what Kate Middleton was really like as Prince William's girlfriend

The Prince and Princess of Wales' love story is one that has captivated royal fans since the early days of their relationship. Kate and William met at St Andrews University back in 2001 when they were just 19.

READ: Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding menu paid tribute to Prince Charles

The then-students lived in the same halls of residence, though it wasn't until their second year of study that their romantic relationship truly blossomed. The royals have shared few memories of their time at university, though little is known about what a young Kate Middleton and Prince William were actually like behind closed doors.

WATCH: Best moments from Prince William & Kate Middleton's wedding

Speaking on behalf of Slingo, former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles III for seven years working in the royal households, has shared his incredibly rare insight on the Prince and Princess of Wales' early stages of their relationship, including their "horrifying" momentary split.

SEE: 12 royal brides' spectacular second wedding dresses you may have forgotten

william-and-kate-kiss-uni
william-and-kate-kiss-uni

Prince William and Kate Middleton fell in love at university

"I was there when Charles married the Duchess of Cornwall, I was there when the boys went to university, when William first met Kate and they were dating - and then they stopped dating for a little while which was horrifying to me because I adored both of them, luckily they got back together," Grant told Slingo.

During his seven-year duty, Grant built a friendship with Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry who were fresh from university.

PHOTOS: Hilarious royal wedding moments caught on camera

RELATED: Prince William romanced Kate Middleton at uni with this heartwarming gesture

"That was fun," he described. "Not only did I get to know them on duty, but I got to know them off duty too. We went to the same pubs, we ended up having a lot of the same friends - I always knew who they were and respected who they were, but I got on really well with them."

Grant revealed that Prince William and Kate were "just like any boyfriend and girlfriend. Not any different to anyone else."

prince-william-kate-middleton-university
prince-william-kate-middleton-university

Kate's polite manner impressed royal staff

The former royal butler recalled Kate's polite manner, revealing that the royal was "always so polite, friendly, and fun and making jokes," despite not officially being a member of the royal family yet.

Grant shared a close relationship with William and Harry both in and outside of his royal staff duties. An experience he describes as "really special".

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to The Royal Explainer newsletter to receive your weekly dose of royal features and other exclusive content straight to your inbox.