Kate Middleton and Prince William's Relationship Timeline: From Meeting to Marriage and Beyond

They are one of the most famous couples on the planet.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's relationship has been scrutinized from the moment they got together.

Amazingly, the Prince and Princess of Wales' love has stood the test of time, from their college days, even enduring a split, and then as the couple got engaged, married, and had a family — all with millions of eyeballs glued to their every move.

Here are the major milestones of the royals' relationship.

Prince William first met his future wife Kate Middleton while both were students at Scotland’s St. Andrews University. The year was 2001, and at first, the two coeds were reportedly just friends.

They even lived together, but as roommates, and nothing more — yet!

From 2002 until 2005, Kate and her prince reportedly dated, although they only went public with their relationship in 2004.

It was rare that the couple was photographed together during this time, although they were often at the same place.

Just when the world's fascination with Prince William and his beautiful girlfriend was at an all-time high, the couple took a break.

Thankfully, their breakup wasn't long lasting, and the eventual spouses rekindled their romance just months later.

After a decade of anticipation, at last, William proposed to Kate and they became engaged to be married.

Relatably, the future king of England joked about the milestone, "As every guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. So I was planning it, and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful."

It was the wedding we all rooted for. In April 2011, William and Kate got married in front of 24 million Brits, and the rest of the world.

The royal reportedly whispered to his bride at the altar at Westminster Abbey, "You look lovely. You look beautiful."

And it's not a stretch to say everyone on the planet agreed.

On July 22, 2013, the world met Prince George, the firstborn son of Kate and William.

In 2017, Kate said about motherhood, “Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge. Even for me, who has support at home that most mothers do not. Nothing can really prepare you for the sheer, overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother."

On May 2, 2015, Princess Charlotte made the most-watched royals in the world a family of four.

The princess was born at the same hospital as her big brother, and instantly earned the adoration of people across the globe.

Kate and William's third child, Prince Louis, was born on April 23, 2018, also at St. Mary's Hospital.

In 2016, the heir to the British throne said in part about having kids, "There's wonderful highs and there's wonderful lows. It's been quite a change for me personally."

He added, "I'm very lucky in the support I have from Catherine. She's an amazing mother and a fantastic wife. But, I've struggled at times," William confessed. "The alteration from being a single, independent man to going into marriage and then having children is life-changing. I adore my children very much and I've learned a lot about myself and family just from having my own children."

Kate and William have had their fair share of ups and downs as a couple over the years, including remaining a united front when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to leave their royal lives behind and move to the United States in 2020.

When Queen Elizabeth passed away in Sept. 2022, and King Charles stepped into his role at the top of the British royal hierarchy, Kate and William's relationship seemed as solid as ever.

And when Kate underwent a mystery surgery in Jan. 2024, and stepped away from her royal duties, William was there to support her.