Prince William and Princess Catherine's love story has captivated the world since the pair first met as students, and the couple is still going strong today.
From meeting as university students to becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales, and having three wonderful children along the way, the world has watched Wills and Kate's royal romance evolve.
Here's a look back at their relationship timeline so far.
2001 - They meet at university
Prince William first met Kate Middleton when the pair were students at St. Andrews University in Scotland, where he was studying geography and she was a scholar of art history.
The pair started out as friends before a romantic relationship eventually blossomed between them.
Recalling their first meeting, Prince Willian said in 2010: "I knew there was something very special about her, and then I knew there was possibly something I wanted to explore there, but we ended up being friends for a while. I do genuinely believe now that being friends with [each other] is a massive advantage."
According to royal historian Robert Lacey's 2020 book Battle of Brothers: William and Harry—The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, via Elle, Catherine had allegedly chosen to turn down a place at Edinburgh University in order to attend St. Andrews to be closer to meeting William.
He claimed: "Kate was very strategic. She gave up her place at one of Britain’s premier universities, Edinburgh, and opted for another one [St. Andrews] that probably didn’t have the same academic standard. She had already been to Edinburgh to get her flat accommodations sorted out, but switched universities and switched her courses to history of art because that was William’s."
Though the Prince later changed his major to geography, Kate wasn't the only lady who wanted to study at St. Andrews that year, as applications reportedly increased by 44% after the Prince revealed that was where he would be attending.
2002 - Wills and Kate start dating and move in together
William, Catherine, and their friends, Fergus Boyd and Olivia Bleasdale, moved into a four-bedroom townhouse off campus for their second year, and while the pair were still just friends at the time, things were soon to change.
According to reports, it was around this time that Prince William started getting feelings for Catherine after seeing her walk the runway at a charity fashion show in a see-through minidress and underwear.
The famous outfit that apparently sparked their fairytale romance was designed by Charlotte Todd and later sold at auction for $125,000.
April 1, 2004 - Their relationship is made public
After dating for around a year, the couple's relationship became public knowledge after photos were published in a UK newspaper showing them enjoying a skiing trip in the Swiss Alps.
The pictures enraged his father, the then-Prince Charles, who threatened to sever his relations with the tabloid that printed the images.
April 2007 - Wills and Kate split up
Two years after graduating from St. Andrews, William and Catherine decided to call time on their relationship and split up for a short while.
Prince William reflected on their split in 2010, saying at the time: "We were both very young, it was at university, and we were both sort of defining ourselves as such and being different characters. It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up."
Catherine added: "I at the time wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you’re younger, and I really valued that time for me, as well."
June 2007 - They get back together
After their short-lived split, the pair decided to get back together just a few months later, with William - wh0 had reportedly instigated the break-up - having to convince Kate to take him back, according to royal reporter Katie Nicholl's book, Kate: The Future Queen.
She wrote: "Kate didn't want to rush anything. She had been badly hurt and told William she needed some time."
The turning point reportedly came when the Prince invited her to a costume party where Kate showed up dressed as a "sexy nurse", which led to him "following her around like a lost puppy all night."
The reunion was confirmed in July when Kate attended the Concert for Diana, organized by William and Prince Harry in honor of the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
October 20, 2010 - Prince William and Princess Catherine get engaged
William proposed to Kate during a romantic trip to Kenya, where the pair stayed in a cabin hut on a wildlife reserve.
He said during an interview after getting down on one knee: "We had a little private time away together with some friends, and I just decided that it was the right time, really. We’d been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn’t a massively big surprise, but I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya, and I proposed."
Catherine said that it was a "very romantic" proposal, as William added: "It just felt really right to ask in Africa. And I had done a little bit of planning of sorts to share my romantic side."
William had proposed using his mother Princess Diana's iconic engagement ring, which is a 12-carat oval sapphire surrounded by a halo of 14 solitaire diamonds.
The couple announced the happy news to the public on November 16 with a joint photocall at St. James's Palace.
April 29, 2011 - Prince William and Princess Catherine get married
The pair tied the knot in a stunning Royal wedding at Westminster Abbey, meaning Kate became Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, while William was bestowed the title of Duke of Cambridge a few days earlier.
The highly-anticipated wedding saw a total of 72 million people across the globe tune in live to watch the happy couple get married, with the bride wearing a lace gown designed by Alexander McQueen's then-creative director Sarah Burton, as well as the Cartier Halo tiara borrowed from Queen Elizabeth II.
The groom wore his red military uniform as colonel of the Irish Guards.
December 3, 2012 - Princess Catherine announces she is pregnant with their first child
William and Catherine shared the happy news with the world that they were expecting their first child together.
St. James's Palace shared the news with the public after Kate was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, or severe morning sickness during pregnancy.
The statement said: "Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."
July 22, 2013 - Prince George is born
Princess Catherine gave birth to the future heir to the throne, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, at 4:24 PM on July 22, 2013 in the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in West London.
Following royal tradition, Kate and William posed for photos outside the hospital with their newborn son soon after he was born.
September 8, 2014 - The couple announce they are expecting their second child
News that the couple's family was growing was shared by Kensington Palace in a statement telling the public: "Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their second child. The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news."
May 2, 2015 - Princess Charlotte is born
Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge was born at 8:34 AM on May 2, 2015, also at the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's.
Princess Catherine and her newborn left the hospital that evening to reunite with their family at home.
September 4, 2017 - The couple announce their third child is on the way
The couple's third pregnancy was announced by Kensington Palace in a statement reading: "Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child. The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news."
April 23, 2018 - Prince Louis is born
Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge was born at 11:01 AM during what was described as a "relaxed" birth in a calm and peaceful environment.
His birth was also significant in that his sister, Princess Charlotte, became the first female member of the British royal family to retain her spot in the line of succession thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, before which, male relatives would outrank females in the line of succession, meaning Louis would have been closer to the throne than his older sister.
April 2020 - The couple reveal they are homeschooling their children amid the Covid-19 pandemic
Giving a rare joint interview, the couple opened up about how they were handling lockdown with the children, as Kate admitted they'd continued schooling them at home.
She said at the time: "We don’t tell the children we’ve actually kept going through the holidays. I feel very mean."
She added that they keep in touch with family through phone or video calls, explaining: "It gets a bit hectic, I’m not going to lie, with a two-year-old you have to take the phone away. It’s quite hectic for them all to say the right thing at the right time without pressing the wrong buttons. But it’s great and it’s nice to keep in touch with everybody."
April 29, 2021 - William and Kate celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary
The couple released two portraits of themselves posing together in the ground of their home at Kensington Palace taken by photographer Chris Floyd to mark the happy occasion.
September 9, 2022 - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge become the Prince and Princess of Wales upon Queen Elizabeth II's death
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, William and Kate were bestowed new titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales, which formerly belonged to his father, now King Charles III, and his mother Princess Diana.
September 15, 2022 - Wills and Kate make their first appearance as the Prince and Princess of Wales
The pair made their first public appearance with their new titles as they visited the floral tributes that had been laid in honor of the late Queen at Sandringham, interacting with well-wishers in the crowd.
William wore a dark suit while Catherine observed royal mourning tradition in a black dress, long black coat, and heels.
May 6, 2023 - The couple attend the coronation of King Charles III in formal robes and mantels
The couple attended the first royal coronation in 70 years as Prince William's father ascended to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
At the request of the now-King Charles III, William and Kate wore formal robes and mantels, with Kate wearing an ivory Alexander McQueen dress underneath, and while she did not wear a tiara, she had her hair in an updo with a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece with silver bullion, crystal, and a silver threaded three-dimensional leaf embroidery.
January 2024 - Princess Catherine is admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery
The Princess was admitted to hospital in January 2024 for what the Palace called a "planned procedure", and her engagements were canceled until after Easter.
While no further information was given on the circumstances of her surgery, the Palace did confirm it was not related to cancer.
March 10, 2024 - Princess Catherine shares a photo for Mother's Day but causes a storm due to its editing
After keeping a low profile for two months following her surgery, Princess Catherine shared a sweet photo of her with her three children to mark Mother's Day in the UK.
The image was later pulled by international photo agencies over concerns it had been "manipulated by the source", and they refused to circulate the picture.
Kate later shared a statement on Twitter apologizing for the confusion caused and claiming it was she who had edited the photograph.
