When Kate Middleton joined the Royal Family, she was a refreshing departure from the uptight aristocrats who have often married into The Firm. Middleton was an exciting addition because she was raised in a regular family and was a commoner, according to those from a blue-blood background. Even more unconventional was the fact that she had a romantic history with several ex-boyfriends.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, met William in Scotland when the two attended the University of St. Andrews. Apparently, Kate’s attendance was all due to her mother, Carol Middleton, who was building a strategy to get Kate to marry William and secure her spot as a future queen. Rumor has it that William fell head over heels for the British beauty when he saw her walking in a fashion show.
Although the couple dated for a while, they ultimately broke up. In an ITV News interview, William mentioned that they split because they were both “very young” and working on their own paths and identities. But the two ultimately got back together, and their reunion resulted in an extravagant royal wedding.
Ten years later, they’re still going strong. However, one point of controversy was that before the two reunited, Kate went out with William’s friend. Many people will recognize this as a sneaky ploy to make your ex jealous, so everyone is wondering: who was the friend? And who else did Kate romance before settling down with William, Prince of Wales?
Willem Marx, her first love
In the late 90s, Kate attended the public school Marlborough College, where she met Willem Marx. When she first started at the large school, she was quiet but quickly came into her own.
Due to her popularity and status as the hockey team captain, she was the object of attention for many male students. Willem and Kate dated for a year, which was her first experience of puppy love. They clearly didn’t last, but he was invited in April 2011 to Kate’s wedding.
Harry Blakelock’s heartbreak
Willem may have been her first love, but Harry was her first heartbreak. They met in high school, but after Blakelock admitted she wasn’t in a position to settle down, Kate was heartbroken all through her 2001 gap year in Italy before university.
A source spoke to the Daily Mail in 2020, saying she was “really hung up about Harry,” who had been hot and cold with her throughout their relationship. Harry ultimately ended up with Sarah Follett, Kate’s friend from school.
A deckhand called Ian Henry
One of Kate’s more mysterious relationships, Henry was a deckhand on a yacht in Southhampton. According to author Kate Nicholl in “Kate: The Future Queen,” the deckhand was more interested in Kate than she was in him.
Although she found him attractive and liked that he had a car, he was told to back off because she wasn’t interested in moving things forward beyond a summer romance.
A uni affair with Rupert Finch
Kate met Rupert during Freshers Week at the University of St Andrews. In the book “Kate,” Sean Smith described the son of an affluent landowner as “tall, dark and handsome.”At the time, Finch was finishing up his law degree. In “Kate: A Biography,” a friend of the two called them a “bit of a golden couple.”
Still, the relationship with Finch ended once Kate met William. In fact, the circumstances of the breakup are a little shady, with some saying it’s unclear when Kate and Rupert ended and when Kate and William began.
Henry Ropner, the rebound beau
Earlier, we mentioned that Kate dated a friend of William’s during their breakup period, and that person was Henry Ropner. After six years with William, Prince of Wales, Kate dated Ropner for three months. Apparently, Ropner was good friends with William as the two attended Eton school together, but he didn’t have any intention of malice with William.
However, things get even more suspicious when we learn that William dated Jecca Craig, who was Ropner’s ex. Although William may have the title of Prince, Ropner has his own claim to fame (and wealth) as he’s heir to a £33.7 million shipping business. Today, he’s married to Natasha Sinclair and living on the impressive Yorkshire Estate called Thorp Perrow.
