Dating a member of the Royal Family isn’t all glitz and glamor. Most people would think of instant fame and exclusive invites to lavish events when they talk about the royalty but are these things worth the price one pays to join them? Kate Middleton’s family was already well-to-do even before she met Prince William. Her parents were already established thanks to their party planning business. Without the pressure and media spotlight that comes with being royalty, Kate had the means to live comfortably with her family’s successful business.
How Come Kate Middleton Only Met The Queen 5 Years Into Dating Prince William?
Whenever girlfriends came along, people were unsure whether they would last long enough once they found out the price of dating a Royal Family member. It appears that William and Kate had always been an item. If so, how come it took a decade before Kate finally got to meet Prince William’s grandmother, the Queen? Meghan Markle definitely did not take that long – her relationship with Harry had been just a couple of years before she was introduced to Queen Elizabeth.
Kate First Met William Back In College
Everyone who went to college knows just how temporary it is. Sure, you can meet people and make friendships for keeps. But more often than not, people will go their separate paths after graduation. A romance would seem even more short-lived since two young people are still searching for their path in life.
Kate First Met William Back In College
As people can see from their relationship, not even Prince William and Kate Middleton were exempt from this. The story of the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge might be proof the Queen had been right.
William And Kate Had To Date Secretly
William knew very well what the repercussions of going public with his relationship would be. It didn’t come as a surprise when he chose to keep the secret for as long as he possibly could. The longer they kept their relationship a secret, the longer they can enjoy their privacy. It wasn’t love at first sight and it wasn’t until 2004 that they were first spotted as a couple.
William And Kate Had To Date Secretly
In 2002, the two started house-sharing with their friends in college. During this time, William was starting to feel an attraction to Kate. When he saw her in a daring sheer dress during a charity fashion show, Prince William’s attention was piqued.
Things Weren’t Always Easy
Although the couple appeared to be living in cloud nine, their relationship took a drastic turn after college. Things changed and they had to make important decisions. The two were taking different paths and it seemed difficult for them to have a future together. There was no other choice for Prince William but to enlist in the Royal Air Force, and Kate had to do what she wanted to.
Things Weren’t Always Easy
After graduating from college, she returned to her home in London and helped out with the family business. Meanwhile, William was in Southwest England as he had to go through strict and demanding Air Force training. It seems like absence did not make their hearts grow fonder because the two only got pushed away.
William And Kate Broke Up
The two did not say any particular reason for their breakup, although they have hinted at a couple of things. One of them had something to do with the paparazzi. William was often captured in photos with women while he was training, and reports said that he had been flirting with some of them when he and Kate were still together. The two were not able to see each other very often as well.
William And Kate Broke Up
It wasn’t easy for Kate to stay at William’s barracks, so he had to travel to London or Berkshire more often to meet her. The two broke off their relationship in March of 2007. Kate then took on any opportunity that came her way and focused her energy and efforts on herself. She was an athlete back in college – she was involved in tennis, swimming, and rowing. It had been these activities that she decided to focus on to take the breakup off her mind.
Time Was Precious For The Two
Spending time apart from each other gave William and Kate the chance to think about what they really wanted. Before the breakup, she already received lots of media attention and was even dubbed the next ‘People’s Princess’ after Princess Diana herself. Kate could not go to work without having to deal with photographers hungry for a shot.
Time Was Precious For The Two
There was immense pressure on her, to say the least. Despite this, their time apart allowed them to consider if everything was really worth it. It would seem like they missed each other very much. In July of 2007, the two were seen rekindling their relationship. Kate celebrated with the Prince when he finally completed his training course. This marked the reunion of the future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Four Years Already Passed
At this point, the couple had spent four years together already. In the past, there was barely any reason for Kate to visit and meet the Queen at the Windsor Castle or Buckingham Place. William and Kate were not able to spend Christmas with each other since it was an occasion reserved only for members of the Royal Family.
Four Years Already Passed
The two could only spend Christmas together if they were married. Since there were no events that brought her and Queen Elizabeth II together, it took a long time for Kate to meet the Queen.
The Queen Had To Be Sure They Were Serious
Although Kate and William were able to go through their college years together, their relationship had not been very lucky with surviving the circumstances after graduation. The head of the Royal Family did not have the time to be introduced to every woman that her two grandsons went out with. Kate had to wait for a long time before she finally met Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen Had To Be Sure They Were Serious
Kate and William already made things official back in 2003, but it took almost five years before she could meet the Queen. It was a year after their breakup that Kate was officially introduced.
It Was No Casual Fling
It took almost five years to make everyone realize that the relationship was serious and that Kate was definitely here for the long run. We know better now, but nothing was certain back then. The time they spent apart after breakup allowed the couple to realize how serious they really were about this relationship.
It Was No Casual Fling
From here on out, it would be the two of them together, and William and Kate were clearly not taking any chances. She started to go to Royal events, proudly standing beside him as his partner.
Kate Finally Meets The Queen At A Wedding
It was at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips that Kate finally had the chance to meet the Queen. Peter Philipps is the eldest son of Princess Anne, the Queen’s daughter. Every member of the Royal Family was obviously invited, and an invitation was even sent over to Kate.
Kate Finally Meets The Queen At A Wedding
She moved to Wales in 2010 to be closer to William while he was training as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. It was soon after this that the couple officially announced their engagement. However, it did take Prince William quite a while before he asked the question.
William Asks Kate To Be His Wife
It was clear that the two were genuinely in love. During a safari trip in Kenya, William asked Kate to marry him with a beautiful ring. It was a memento from Princess Diana. The ring was made of sapphire and diamond. On top of that, it was to be given to the next Queen Consort.
William Asks Kate To Be His Wife
Kate and William were both 28 years old and it was high time for the two of them to get serious about their future together. There was nothing stopping Prince William from asking Kate to marry him.
Getting Ready To Be A Duchess
Majority of the public felt that Kate was being groomed to be a Duchess since she would be the Royal Family’s and the country’s representative in many important events. After years together, Kate and William must have known that their relationship could lead to marriage one day.
Getting Ready To Be A Duchess
If she were to marry him, it will be easier for both of them if she had royal etiquette training. The Duchess that we know now appears completely flawless when it comes to following royal etiquette. If the Queen was indeed prepping up Kate, then they certainly did an amazing job.
Kate And The Queen Get Along Splendidly
Meeting the Queen of England is a feat in and of itself. Leaving a good impression is another story. But for Kate, it seemed like this nerve-wracking event was just the start of a fond relationship with the monarch. It has been eight years since Kate married William and became the Duchess of Cambridge.
Kate And The Queen Get Along Splendidly
Including their time as a couple before their marriage, the two have been together for sixteen years already. Kate certainly had enough time to become closely acquainted with the members of the Royal Family and leave a good impression on the Queen. In several royal functions, the Duchess and the Queen could be seen laughing and having a good time together.
Kate Received The Highest Honor From The Queen
The Queen awarded Kate the highest female rank she can bestow to the Duchess: the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Kate was honored by the Queen for all the work she has contributed to the crown. It is the greatest honor the Queen can grant, and it effectively shows the high regard she holds the Duchess in.
Kate Received The Highest Honor From The Queen
With all the hard work Kate had allotted to her duties for the Royal Family, such as religiously following Royal protocols, there was no question if she was deserving of the highest rank.
The Queen’s Seal Of Approval
Queen Elizabeth II has shown her approval of William and Kate’s relationship. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge represented the traditional values of the modern Royal Family. Not all members of the Royal Family had successfully upheld the Royal Family’s values.
The Queen’s Seal Of Approval
For one, three out of the four of the Queen’s children have been divorced. William and Kate married during their late twenties and spent a long time together unlike Royal couples in the past who tied the knot at younger ages.
It Wasn’t Long Before Meghan Met The Queen
A complete opposite from Kate who waited five years to be officially introduced to the Queen, it took Meghan less than a year to meet the monarch. Perhaps the fact that Meghan and Harry begun their relationship when they were older contributed to how quickly she was introduced.
It Wasn’t Long Before Meghan Met The Queen
The two supposedly started their relationship in mid-2016. The future Duchess of Sussex met the Duchess of Cambridge and her children in early 2017, just a year after that. It seemed like everyone was going to get along just fine.
Meghan And Harry Get Engaged
It would take engagement or marriage to prove to the Royal Family that a relationship was serious. It did not take Meghan and Harry long to decide that they wanted to live the rest of their lives together. The new couple’s engagement was announced on the 27th of November 2017.
Meghan And Harry Get Engaged
The unique ring, designed by Prince Harry himself, was shown off to the press. After getting engaged, Meghan surely would meet the Queen since she will be selecting items from the Royal Family’s jewelry collection for the wedding.
The Couple Tied The Knot
Once the wedding ceremony ended, Meghan was an official member of the Royal family as the Duchess of Sussex. News reports even claimed that Meghan wouldn’t know what to do as a member of the Royal Family. Unlike Kate, she didn’t have years in preparation for her role as a Duchess.
The Couple Tied The Knot
Meghan and Harry only dated for two years before they tied the knot. William and Kate spent at least a decade together before they started preparing for parenthood. At any rate, Meghan and Harry seemed just as eager to start their family.
Meghan Breaks Royal Traditions
When Kate was introduced as a member of the Royal Family, people saw her as a novelty in the Royal family. Meanwhile, the perception of Meghan was quite different from the freshness brought about by Kate. Attention was drawn to the different sides of the Royal Family after her entry as a member.
Meghan Breaks Royal Traditions
Her supposed lack of knowledge of protocol was attributed to her life as an actress and the glitz and glam of Hollywood. There were a lot of things she had to sacrifice, but there were also things she remained firm about.
Differences In Personality
At first glance, Meghan and Kate seem to share a number of characteristics since neither of the two come from an aristocrat family. Despite this, the two Duchesses are said to be vastly different from one another.
Differences In Personality
Kate strictly embodies the traditional values of the Royal Family while Meghan is more open to deviating from Royal protocol. Even bigger are the differences in the two women’s personalities.
A Royal Feud
The only thing worse than a fight between members of the Royal Family is if that fight becomes apparent to the public eye. At first, it was believed that the problem began with the wives of the princes, but reports took a different turn when it was reported that the feud started between William and Harry.
A Royal Feud
Apparently, the problems between the brothers arose from Harry’s relationship with Meghan and how fast they took their relationship to the next level. It was reported that William had given Harry some advice, but the younger prince didn’t take it too well.
Harry And His Bachelor Life
Harry was famous for his track record when it comes to his relationships. He was often dubbed the ‘rebel Prince’ after reports of him doing activities he shouldn’t be doing circulated online. Of course, sooner or later Harry had to settle down and find himself a wife, but his decision to get married quickly seemed to be just another careless decision.
Harry And His Bachelor Life
At least, that’s how it seemed to William and other members of the Royal Family. Although no one knew how everything would turn out in the future, it was better to make careful moves.
Queen Elizabeth II Did Not Want Any More Divorces
Although the Royal Family has had to adapt to modern times, the Queen still has the final decision on what members of the Royal Family are allowed to do. Apparently, the head monarch is now unyielding when it comes to divorces.
Queen Elizabeth II Did Not Want Any More Divorces
Three of the Queen’s own children had gone through their own divorces, and even though different factors had contributed to it, it did not help improve the image of the Royal Family.
This Applied To William And Harry
Too many divorces in the Royal Family finally made the Queen reach her limit. The Queen reportedly told Prince William and Prince Harry that there would be “No more divorces.” Both Prince William and Prince Harry had to be wise and thorough in choosing who they marry.
This Applied To William And Harry
Otherwise, they could end up having problems in the future. Prince William worried that because of Harry and Meghan’s whirlwind romance, the younger Prince didn’t have enough time to get to know his wife. The comment did not sit well with Harry.
Meghan Makes Kate Cry
Meghan was being labeled ‘Duchess difficult’ even before her wedding. This led people to believe that the tension between Prince William and Prince Harry grew bigger because of Meghan. An insider reported that during a bridesmaid fitting, Kate cried after having an argument with Meghan.
Meghan Makes Kate Cry
Kate’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, was one of the bridesmaids for Meghan’s wedding. The fitting reportedly wasn’t going according to Meghan’s plans, which is why Kate had to quickly dart from the room in tears. It wasn’t a great start for the two Duchesses.
Two Different Households
The two pairs decided to work together for the Royal Foundation that the two princes started. However, the heightened tension between the two couples resulted in the split of the Sussex and Cambridge households. It was impossible to continue working jointly on the Royal Foundation.
Two Different Households
It was reported that the Queen and Prince Charles were against the separation. Meghan and Harry would need to employ their own team for their new foundation, and this would mean a separate fund for the new charity.
Dealing With It
With the arrival of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, Meghan and Harry’s first child, reports indicated that the two couples are getting along better than before. Kate and Meghan were spotted in attendance at several events. They were even laughing together.
Dealing With It
Meghan has been receiving help from Kate when it comes to dealing with the ‘Duchess’ business. However, we think it might take Meghan sometime before the Queen bestows the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order honor on her.