Kate Middleton and Prince William first started dating in college—a time where drama is hard to avoid. Vanity Fair's royal correspondent Katie Nicholl got the details on one particularly emotional night in 2002, which she shared in her 2011 book The Making of a Royal Romance and resurfaced today via Express.
This was years before Kate and William split briefly in 2007. They were just 20 and at a dinner party where an ex of Prince William's, Carly Massy-Birch, was in attendance. The gang were all playing the classic drinking game Never Have I Ever. That's when Carly took a shot at William and Kate during her turn. 'When it was Carly’s turn to play she announced, "I’ve never dated two people in this room," knowing full well that William was the only one who had because Kate was sitting next to him,' another party guest told Nicholl.
Everyone was 'in shock' at the statement, the guest said. According to the source, William 'shot a thunderous look' at Carly and whispered under his breath: 'I can’t believe you just said that.' The move also directly confirmed his and Kate's relationship to their friends for the first time. 'We knew they were together but it was the first time William confirmed his and Kate’s relationship in public,' the source said.
Kate spoke very little to Carly after that night and generally took issue with Carly, who lived so close to William that she could wave at him from her sitting room. It was 'grating' to Kate that Carly would knit by her window, presumably to have the chance to catch William's eye, Nicholl reported in her book. Kate ultimately became his wife and the Duchess though, so it all did work out.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
