Why Princess Kate gave William an ultimatum after he 'humiliated' her

It is well-known among royal fans that Prince William and Princess Kate broke up briefly after a few years of dating. The couple, who met at university, had kept their romance largely under wraps - using codenames for one another, and outsmarting the lurking paparazzi - but going public with their relationship solidified their union, and Kate went on to become the first royal girlfriend to get an invitation to Sandringham for Christmas.

However, during their relationship, there was reportedly a time when Kate wasn't too pleased with some of Prince William's behaviour. In a story that has recently resurfaced, the Daily Mail reported rumours that William was flirting with women while out partying, and he was even pictured looking close with one woman in particular.

For the future Princess of Wales, that was one step too far for her boyfriend, whom she had been dating since roughly 2002, and one of her friends told the publication: "Kate told William that he was making her look bad. She has coped for years with girls flinging themselves at her boyfriend and for a while she found it humorous and even flattering. But after his recent behaviour she gave him an ultimatum and told him that every time he behaved like that in public he was cheapening her image as well as his own."

The source continued that she 'wasn't prepared to be treated like a doormat' and 'she gave him quite a pasting'. This article was published at roughly the same time that news of Kate and William's breakup came out, in 2007. The two separated for a short while, but reunited within the year following a make-or-break trip to the Seychelles where they are said to have made a 'marriage pact'.

All's well that ends well, and three years after their brief separation, in October 2010, Kate and William got engaged and gave a televised interview.

In full: William and Kate's 2010 engagement interview | ITV News - YouTube

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During their conversation, they addressed their 2007 break-up, with William stating: "We were both very young. We were finding ourselves. It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up."

Kate added: "I, at the time, wasn’t very happy about it. But actually it made me a stronger person."

Royal experts have since claimed that their decision to take a break ultimately cemented Kate's role as the future Queen, as the Palace saw that she remained 'stoic' and dignified in the face of the mounting press speculation. The pair then tied the knot in April 2011, and have gone from strength to strength ever since. They welcomed Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte in 2015, and Prince Louis in 2018.