How Kate Middleton dealt with her split from Prince William – from partying all night and gaining a naughty nickname with her sister Pippa to rowing at 6am

Catherine, who was known as Kate Middleton to her peers, first met William at the University of St Andrew’s in 2001. Ten years later, she was walking down the aisle at Westminster Abbey to marry her Prince.

Their love story is often held up as the epitome of fairytale romance – but the royal couple will be the first to admit that there were some bumps in the road.

For the Prince and Princess of Wales, now 42 and 43 respectively, broke up not once but twice during their decade-long courtship.

The first break-up came shortly after news of their relationship officially broke in 2004.

The couple were pictured together on a romantic ski getaway in Switzerland and William came under increasing pressure to disclose his plans for marriage to the world’s media. He was just 21 at the time.

With just a year to go until his graduation, the young prince felt ‘claustrophobic’ and shook off the shackles of his relationship to go on a ‘boys only’ sailing trip to Greece and, according to distinguished royal historian Robert Lacey, the yacht was staffed by an all-female crew.

Writing for the Daily Mail in 2020, Lacey described Kate as ‘not impressed’ and the pair broke up.

Realising he had made a terrible mistake, William and Kate got back together later the same year. After four years at the top-rated Scottish university, both achieved an upper second class degree, William in Geography and Kate in History of Art.

Prince William met Kate Middleton during their time as students at the University of St Andrews

After the pair were pictured on a romantic ski getaway, William came under pressure to disclose his plans to propose to Kate (pictured at Blenheim Palace in August 2004)

Kate stands with two friends as Prince William plays at a Rugby Sevens tournament in St Andrews in 2005

In a photo later released by the Middleton family, the couple posed in each other’s arms on their graduation day on June 23, 2005, but at the ceremony itself, they were not seen together.

After nearly five years of dating, Kate and William went long distance as William was posted to Dorset for a two-and-a-half-month tank commander’s course.

Although she could deal with the distance, Kate took offence to William visiting London to party rather than spending quality time with her.

In March 2007, the press reported that William had been flirting and dancing with another woman on a lad’s night out at Boujis, an exclusive nightclub in South Kensington.

The strain between Kate and William was apparent as they attended Cheltenham Festival dressed in matching tweed outfits. Kate hid behind dark glasses while William sped ahead of her.

Turning to his family for advice, Prince Phillip told William to ‘make up his mind about marriage’, while Charles, who had ‘endured the pain of a very public divorce’, suggested that he should not hurry into it, according to royal biographer Katie Nicholl.

But the final nail in the coffin came when tabloids ran pictures of William’s ‘drunken antics’ at the Elements nightclub in Poole with two local girls. Lisa Angar, a 19-year-old student, claimed the Prince was ‘touchy, feely and quite pissed’, wrote Nicholl.

In a last ditch attempt to save their relationship, Kate issued William with an ultimatum. If they were to stay together, she wanted his full commitment. Otherwise, the relationship was over.

In a photo later released by the Middleton family, the couple posed in each other’s arms on their graduation day on June 23, 2005

After four years at the top-rated Scottish university, both achieved an upper second class degree, Kate (left) in History of Art and William (right) in Geography

William speeds ahead of Kate at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2007

Prince William drunkenly parties at Elements in Poole with two girls

William, then 24, was reportedly spooked. He loved his army lifestyle and had already said he did not want to be married ‘until I’m 28, or maybe 30’.

When there was talk of courtiers looking for a suitable date for a wedding and china cups being made ahead of a royal engagement, William’s cold feet turned to ice.

So the couple decided to go their separate ways (again) in April 2007 – eighteen years ago this month.

Kate was heartbroken and given a week of compassionate leave from her job as a children’s accessories buyer for high-street brand Jigsaw. But instead of weeping at home, she kept herself busy.

Immediately after the split, Kate was whisked away to Ireland by her mother Carole Middleton to support a family friend showing a private exhibition.

The mother-daughter pair saw the paintings, attended the champagne reception and then completed a cultural day with a tour of the National Gallery of Ireland.

William decided to celebrate the end of his relationship rather differently – with a trip to his favourite nightclub Mahiki, a Polynesian themed bar in Mayfair.

There, he is said to have leapt up on a table, shouting: ‘I’m free!’ News of their split broke the following day.

During their time apart, William is pictured leaving the Mahiki nightclub in central London on April 14, 2007

Kate also saw numerous nights out to venues where she had previously been a regular with William.

Just five days after the prince was spotted dancing the night away at Mahiki, Kate was pictured enjoying herself at the same metropolitan party spot.

She was soon joined in London by her sister Pippa, who had just finished university and moved into Kate’s Chelsea flat. Spray-tanned and blow-dried, the two appeared together at a series of upmarket social events.

Without the weighty baggage of being a prince’s girlfriend, Kate accepted a slew of invitations. She was photographed at a reception at luxury jeweller Asprey for the launch of the book Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore and even attended a party to promote a film about women obsessed with a brand of sex toy called Rabbit Fever.

‘It seemed a case of what William could do, Kate could do better,’ Nicholl wrote in her book Kate: The Future Queen.

That season, the Middleton Sisters topped Tatler’s Most Invited List and quickly earned the nickname ‘the Wisteria Sisters’ because they were ‘highly decorative, terribly fragrant and have a ferocious ability to climb’, according to Nicholl.

As well as partying, Kate signed up for a charity challenge with an all-female dragon boat racing crew called the Sisterhood who billed themselves as ‘an elite group of female athletes, talented in many ways, toned to perfection with killer looks, on a mission to keep boldly going where no girl has gone before’.

The 21 girls taking part in the venture were aiming to row across the Channel to raise money for children’s hospices. It was an ambitious scheme: the team trained on the Thames from 6.30 in the morning and Kate, who had become involved through her old school friend Alicia Fox-Pitt, threw herself into the distraction.

Kate saw numerous nights out to venues where she had previously been a regular with William. Here, she is pictured leaving Mahiki nightclub on April 19, 2007

Pippa and Kate attend at a reception at luxury jeweller Asprey for the launch of the book Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore

Pippa and Kate attend That season, she topped Tatler’s Most Invited List with her sister Pippa. They became known as the ‘Wisteria Sisters’

‘I first spoke to her in April on the phone after she and William had broken up,’ fellow rower Emma Sayle told Nicholl.

‘She said she wanted to be involved with something and I told her about the race and she signed up in May.

‘It wasn’t a question of, ‘Oh, she’s Kate Middleton so she makes the team,’ continued Emma. ‘She has had to prove herself… Our coach said she could only join if she was up to it.’

Thanks to years of sport and a regime of tennis and swimming, Kate was more than up to the task.

Emma added: ‘Kate was very down and I think the training became her therapy. Kate had always put William first and she said this was a chance to do something for herself.

‘He was the most important person in her life and that was very obvious… she said it was the best relationship she ever had and that when it’s the two of them, it’s perfect. It’s when they are in the public eye that it gets complicated.’

As well as early mornings on the Thames, Kate returned to work at Jigsaw. Her colleagues noticed she was spending more time on her mobile phone and taking private phone calls in the parking lot.

During a trip to Ibiza, with her brother James Middleton and friends, including her Malborough classmate Emilia d’Erlanger, they also noticed Kate was spending a lot of time on the phone.

As well as partying, Kate signed up to row across the English Channel with an all-female dragon boat racing crew called the Sisterhood

Thanks to years of sport and a regime of tennis and swimming, Kate was more than up to the task

Little did they know that she had recently met up with William at Clarence House and at a pub in Highgrove where the Prince confessed he wanted to get back together. But Kate had told him that she needed more time as she had been badly hurt by the break up.

In June 2007, mutual friend Sam Waley-Cohen invited both Kate and William to a party at his family’s 17th century manor house and according to one guest, they spent hours in deep conversation.

‘There’s an idea that I was like Cupid with a bow and arrow,’ Sam told the Mail on Sunday. ‘People love the idea that somebody put them back together, but they put themselves together far more.’

William then invited Kate to a party at his barracks in Dorset where the theme was ‘Freakin’ Naughty’. The Prince wore hot pants and a policeman’s helmet which was seemingly enough for Kate to make up her mind.

That night, they stuck to the dancefloor, ‘couldn’t keep their hands off each other’ according to one guest, and Kate stayed over at his barracks.

Officially back together, Kate and William tried to keep their rekindled relationship under wraps.

In July 2007, she helped him finalise the running order and make last minute-tweaks for a speech he would deliver at a tribute concert at Wembley he and Harry had planned to mark the ten-year anniversary of their mother’s death on what would have been her 46th birthday.

Slipping into their seats in the Royal box, Harry sat next to his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, while William sat next to his best friend Thomas van Straubenzee. However, two rows back was Kate, accompanied by her brother James.

Prince Harry and Prince William attend the a tribute concert for their mother Diana at Wembley in July 2007. Seated two rows behind is Kate and her brother James

A relaxed William and Kate pictured dancing on his 26th birthday at club Boujis tent at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire in 2008

A few weeks later they were together again for Camilla’s 60th birthday party at Highgrove.

Kate had been smuggled in to avoid publicity but once inside, the pair enjoyed the glow of this new honeymoon period. Kate wore a long cream dress and sipped champagne as William mouthed the words of ‘It Had To Be You’ to her.

With media attention mounting, Kate was told that she could not ask for privacy from the paparazzi at the same time as competing in a very public boat race. According to her crewmate Emma via biographer Nicholl, Kate pulled out of the race on the Palace’s advice.

As her teammates rowed across the English Channel that August, Kate paddled with William in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

With a lot to discuss, and lost time to make up for, William and Kate had flown to the Seychelles, staying at the Desroches Island Resort, and checking in under the names Martin and Rosemary Middleton.

Unnoticed, they kayaked and snorkelled in the coral reef and, at night, they relaxed over candlelit beach suppers.

There, William and Kate made an agreement with with each other. For the next few years, they would work and enjoy their lives, knowing that at some point when the time was right, they would be husband and wife – and perhaps parents too.

Years later during their engagement interview, Catherine confirmed that this period apart was, mentally, very valuable.

Prince William and Kate Middleton give their first joint interview on the day they announced their engagement in November 2010

During their engagement interview, Catherine confirmed that their time apart in 2007 was, mentally, very valuable

‘At the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but it made me a stronger person,’ she said during their engagement interview of 2010.

‘You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realised. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me, although I didn’t think it at the time.’

William also acknowledged their on/off relationship, telling ITV’s Tom Bradby: ‘In that particular instance, we did split up for a bit. We were both very young… we were both finding ourselves as such.’