It's long been believed the first spark in the Prince and Princess of Wales' love story was when Kate captured the royal's attention while strutting the runway for a charity gala in 2002. But that has now been called into question, according to new information revealed by a royal author.
Ingrid Seward, author of Catherine & Diana: The Inside Story of How the Princesses of Wales Shaped the Modern Monarchy, claims the couple, who met at St Andrews in 2001, "had already been on a date" during the Christmas holidays. Ingrid writes for the Daily Mail that William, who drove "more than an hour" to pick his classmate up from her parents' home in Bucklebury, took Kate for a drink at the Old Boot Inn nearby.
According to Ingrid, there had been a "crucial shift in their fledgling relationship" as Kate suggested William, who was "unhappy" studying art history, change courses. The author claims the couple "mapped the alternatives" together and described Kate as someone William "could consult on an equal footing".
© Photo: RexWilliam ended up switching to geography the next term, and when they returned from their school break and Kate walked in the fashion show, Ingrid claims Kate "already had more than a lovelorn William’s admiration; she also had his trust."
© Indigo/Getty ImagesKate's memorable fashion show look
© Richard HeathcoteBefore she acquired a designer wardrobe of elegant coat dresses and modern hats, Kate strutted the runway in a daring see-through knit dress. Kate wore a bandeau bikini beneath the dress and had her hair down in curls.
William was sitting front row for the show as he watched his future wife made her way down the catwalk. "It was clear to us that William was smitten with Kate," one of William's university friends told Vanity Fair.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Todd, the student who designed the dress, said in an interview with People: "If it is true that my design helped changed the Prince's interest in Kate from platonic to romantic as has been reported, then I am pleased to have played a part - however minor."
She added: "I never would have imagined as I sat knitting this piece that one day it would be so important." The dress went on to sell in a 2011 auction for £78,000.
