Kate Middleton's pal shares never-before-seen pic of royal at flat party - during uni where she met Prince William
A former university pal of the Kate Middleton has revealed an unseen snap of the 'down-to-earth' Royal during her time at St Andrews. The Royal mum-of-three, 42, met her future husband, Prince William, in 2001 during their first week as Psychology students at the Scottish university - before she later switched to an Art History degree.
Earlier this year, Laura Warshaur - who was placed in the same halls as the Royal - shared a photo from a flat party on Hope Street, where the Prince and Princess of Wales lived in their second year. For the party, Kate wore a cream turtleneck jumper and embraced her natural curls.
The Royal kept her makeup minimal and was pictured wearing a touch of brown eyeshadow and blush. Kate's accessories were equally understated - consisting of a pair of pearl stud earrings and a thin blue hair scrunchie on her wrist. In the undated image, the Princess and Laura - who was wearing a black V-neck jumper - were pictured holding brownie bites and smiling for the camera. Laura shared the image to show her support for the Princess of Wales when she was still undergoing cancer treatment - but caught the attention of Royal fan accounts this week.
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In the caption, the Princess' former university peer - who is now a singer-songwriter - wrote: "Sending love to Kate Middleton, the future Queen of England and my university dormmate! This was us at a Hope Street flat party. I have the loveliest college memories with Kate. She is the kindest, most caring, down-to-earth, genuine person, and it’s incredible to see her shining so brightly and inspiring the world with her compassion and courage."
One fan gushed: 'Neither of you have changed much, so gorgeous!" Another added: "No way, most unexpected duo EVER." Prince William, who is set to be the future King of England, had a unique way of maintaining some level of normalcy during his university days. While studying in St Andrews in Scotland, he adopted a pseudonym to dodge media attention and enjoy a somewhat regular student life.
According to Robert Jobson's book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales, William was known as 'Steve' among his close circle of friends. Although he enrolled in his course under the name 'William Wales', his pals simply referred to him as Steve. This clever move allowed the Prince to experience a sense of normality during his younger years.
A deal was also struck with the world's media, who agreed to respect his privacy during his time at St Andrews, following William's agreement to a few photos and a brief interaction with the press on his first day as a student back in September 2001.
"Among friends, he decided to use the pseudonym 'Steve' in a bizarre attempt to stay under the radar," wrote Robert. He further revealed that William was quick to spot those who tried to take advantage of his Royal status, stating: "People who try to take advantage of me and get a piece of me, I spot it quickly and soon go off them. I'm not stupid'." Steve and William Wales were not the only unusual names he adopted in those days, reports the Express. As Kate and William's romance blossomed, they enjoyed several getaways together in order to enjoy some alone time away from any prying eyes or the glare of photographers.
"For weekends and holidays, he'd often whisk Catherine off to Highgrove or Sandringham or to a cottage on the Balmoral Estate," Robert revealed." Occasionally they checked into hotels, using the names Mr and Mrs Smith - which doubtless fooled no one."
