Prince William and Princess Kate‘s relationship is back in the spotlight thanks to Robert Jobson’s new biography, Catherine, Princess of Wales. The book, which is set for an August 6 release, unravels what happened between William, 42, and Kate, 42, when they briefly broke up in 2007 after dating for nearly five years.
After first meeting in college in 2001, the two friends eventually started dating by 2002. After having moved in together and developed a serious relationship, Kate was invited to attend her then-boyfriend’s military graduation in December 2006.
“Catherine knew William wasn’t in any hurry to propose, and the truth is she was prepared to wait until he was ready,” Robert wrote in the book, per The New York Post. “After all, they were in love — weren’t they?”
However, after the Prince of Wales abruptly canceled his 2006 New Year’s Eve plans with Kate, he decided to end their romance over the phone.
“In an emotionally charged 30-minute conversation, they both acknowledged they were on ‘different pages,’” the biography states in one excerpt, according to the outlet. “It was a devastating blow to Catherine, who felt doubly let down at being dumped over the phone.”
After the breakup, Kate traveled with her mom, Carole Middleton, and a friend around the world. According to the biography, Kate “resolved to hide her pain from the outside world” even though she was “distraught” over the split.
Eventually, William was having “second thoughts” about ending things with Kate, and they reunited at a costume party in 2007.
“She’d arrived dressed as a nurse, and William had made a beeline for her,” the book states. “They then spent the first part of the evening deep in conversation before hitting the dance floor, where they ended up kissing.”
After they rekindled their relationship in 2007, William and Kate married in 2010. They’ve since welcomed three children together: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Although neither of them has publicly commented on the new biography, they briefly discussed their breakup during a 2010 ITV interview. William noted that the split happened while they were “at university,” and they were both “sort of both finding ourselves as such and being different characters and stuff” at young ages.
“It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up,” William pointed out, adding, “And so it was just sort of a bit of space and a bit of things like that and it worked out for the better.”
As for Kate, she explained, “And I think I, at the time, wasn’t very happy about it, but actually, it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized, or I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger, and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time. Looking back on it.”
