Prince William ‘Not Willing’ To Commit To Kate Middleton Prior To Marriage, Says Royal Expert

A new report by International Business Times alleges that Prince William was not willing to commit to Kate Middleton while they were dating, which is why the two endured a decade-long courtship before tying the knot.

The couple began dating in 2003 but lived through two splits during their time together, reportedly due to William’s inability to fully commit himself to the couple’s relationship. According to Andrew Morton’s book, William and Catherine, in spite of his great love for Middleton, William had difficulties bringing himself to seal the deal of their future together, knowing that he would someday become the king of England and her, his queen.

“[Kate] simply wanted more from him, in terms of emotional commitment and support, than he was prepared to give at that stage of his life,” said Morton as quoted from the book.

William and Kate met while both were students at St. Andrews University in Scotland, which ranks behind only Oxford and Cambridge on the U.K.’s three major universities, per Town & Country. St. Andrews was where the future king spotted the love of his life on the catwalk in a university fashion show — Middleton wore a see-through dress, black bra, and underwear.

The couple’s most infamous split came after several years of dating — the eyes of the world were on their relationship, wondering when William would propose to Kate and make her his wife. It was 2007 when the couple parted ways — William was seen out and about with pals, and Middleton, lying low and away from the prying eyes of the press.

After their reconciliation, William and Kate formally announced their intent to marry in 2010. The prince gave his future bride the iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring that his father, Prince Charles, gave his late mother, Princess Diana when the couple announced their engagement in February of 1981.

“We were both very young,” William said of their split during their official engagement interview. “It was at university, we were sort of both finding ourselves as such and being different characters and stuff, it was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up,” the Prince continued, as reported by Cosmopolitan U.K.

Middleton echoed William’s sentiments.

“At the time wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person,” Middleton explained. She also stated that she feels that when a couple is young, they can become consumed by a relationship, and the time the two spent apart was good for both of them, as they were able to reevaluate what they really wanted from one another moving forward in their union.

The couple formally tied the knot on April 29, 2011. The couple has three children; Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.