The happily married couple almost crossed paths months before they officially met for the first time at St. Andrews College – and the situation could have been a moment from a Hollywood film.
After both being educated at the top private schools in the country -William at Eton College and Kate at Marlborough College – the duo embarked on separate gap years which included a ten-week Raleigh International expedition to Patagonia in Chile.
Kate started her stint at the overseas destination in January 2001 while Prince William started his just months before in October 2000.Â
Expedition leader Malcolm Sutherland was in charge of leading both the Prince and Princess’ groups at the time and shared details of the almost chance encounter with the Evening Standard.
He said: “With the expedition that William was on, there was a clear understanding of who he was, while Kate was like you and me. She was like everyone else; she didn’t have a profile.
“She was by herself, like most people. She was definitely one of the fitter and stronger members of her group, which assisted her for sure. At times it was physically demanding. She was pretty easygoing.
“There are no hair dryers, and there are very few showers to be seen. Even if you are a princess, it’s very hard to operate as a princess.”
Both their trips consisted of hard graft. Kate’s itinerary for the 10-week stint included wilderness trekking, a three-week marine survey assisting scientists, and helping with the construction of a fire station. Meanwhile, William’s included renovating a fire station and repairing a wooden walkway used by villagers and either sleeping in tents outside or crammed in with 15 other people.
The royal duo then started at St. Andrews in September 2001. They both lived at St Salvator’s Hall residence, but it wasn’t until the following year in 2002 that things started to romantically progress with the couple.
The pair shared a flat in their second year, but it is believed that Kate first won the Prince’s affection after she took part in a charity fashion show in March 2002. The Prince paid £200 for a front-row ticket to watch his now-wife strut her stuff on the catwalk in a black bikini and sheer dress.
Unfortunately for William, the brunette beauty was dating another student at the time, meaning he had to wait until their relationship ended before they could make things official.
