Did Kate Middleton's Modeling Past Kickstart Her Romance With William? Here's What We Know
The Prince and Princess of Wales first crossed paths during their time in college together back in 2001, but it wasn't quite love at first sight. According to a People report from 2004, Prince William and Kate Middleton first laid eyes on each other during an art history course they both attended at St. Andrews University in Scotland. The beloved royals recalled their initial meeting during their 2010 engagement interview with ITV News, with Kate telling William, "I think you said I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off." Despite her reserved nature, they hit it off as friends soon after, bonding over their mutual interests.
However, it is widely believed that one particular event kickstarted Kate's romance with William — a charity fashion show held at their university. In March 2002, Kate, now famously, strutted down the runway in a sheer strapless mini dress, wearing nothing but black underwear underneath. Vanity Fair reported that William ensured he had a front-row seat, shelling out £200 to secure it.
Rumor has it that he started seeing Kate as more than just a friend from that moment on. In fact, when she stepped out, the prince allegedly turned to his friend, Fergus Boyd, and remarked, "Wow, Fergus, Kate's hot!" Following the show, eyewitnesses claimed that William very publicly made a move on Kate, which, somewhat surprisingly given where they ended up, she wasn't thrilled about.
The see-through dress achieved legendary status over the years
Sources revealed to Vanity Fair that Catherine, Princess of Wales, pulled back when William, Prince of Wales, tried to kiss her at the fashion show's afterparty. "She didn't want to give off the wrong impression or make it too easy for Will," one of the couple's friends explained, adding, "She played it very cool." However, William and Kate never confirmed this particular narrative and shared a different version of their love story when speaking to ITV News in 2010. Apparently, in September 2002, they moved in together with two other friends from their university, but their relationship was still purely platonic at that point.
"We moved in together as friends," William emphasized, explaining that their connection "just sort of blossomed from there" because they "saw more of each other, hung out a bit more, and did stuff." So, while the Princess of Wales' appearance on the runway undoubtedly marked one of her most iconic fashion moments ever, it seems that it didn't officially kick off their royal romance.
While we may never know the true extent to which the fashion show affected Kate's relationship with William, the sheer dress she modeled that night left a lasting mark. Designed by Charlotte Todd for a course at the University of the West of England, the see-through dress cost £30 to make and was intended to be a skirt, per The Telegraph. In 2011, it sold for £78,000 at auction.
Were William and Kate into each other before the fashion show?
Whether the little sheer dress put things in motion for the Prince and Princess of Wales or not the story could easily be the plot of a rom-com. In an interview with People, designer Charlotte Todd shared that the university assignment for which she made the famous piece was aptly titled "The Art of Seduction." Notably, as Todd wasn't present at the charity fashion show and only shipped her creations to St. Andrews, she had no contact with the soon-to-be royal. "I didn't know who Kate Middleton was, and I didn't put her in [the dress]. It was just pure chance," she admitted.
Todd also acknowledged, "Everyone says that the fashion show was when the romance started, so a small part of me will always be part of royal history. It's madness!" Despite the Hollywood-esque portrayal of their beginnings, Prince William's love story with his future wife seems to have taken root more ordinarily. Ben Duncan, a college peer, told E! News that the royal couple gradually began spending more time together during early morning breakfasts at university.
"[They] always managed to find their way there if the other was rumored to be going," he asserted. It certainly seems like William and Kate were drawn to each other even before she took part in the now-legendary fashion show, but it's entirely possible that the event solidified William's intentions to pursue his future wife.