Prince William's 'lonely' two months after splitting from Kate Middleton
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has bravely faced what's been dubbed her most challenging year following a devastating cancer diagnosis revealed last March. Yet, she's made a triumphant return to her Royal duties as 2024 draws to a close.
Channel 5 is set to air an intimate look at her journey from her humble beginnings as Kate Middleton from the quaint village of Bucklebury in Berkshire, through the fairytale nuptials with Prince William, to the reported rift with Meghan Markle, leaving them "no longer on speaking terms"
The documentary 'Kate' delves into her life story, featuring insights from Royal experts, PR gurus, and ex-royal insiders, charting how at 43, she's emerged as a global icon, while also coping with her health crisis that sent shockwaves through the monarchy. In March 2024, after much speculation about her absence, Kate shared her decision to undergo early-stage preventative chemotherapy for cancer, coming on the heels of King Charles revealing his own battle with the illness.
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"This had never happened before," comments journalist Richard Kay in the film. "These were very dangerous times for the monarchy."
The programme also revisits Kate's romance with Prince William, sparked 22 years ago at the University of St Andrews, and a school play prophecy where a young Kate was told by a fortune teller she'd marry "a handsome, rich gentleman" who would whisk her away to London.
Kate and Prince William began dating after meeting at university in 2001. However, the intense media scrutiny following their graduation led to a brief split in April 2007.
Despite this, Kate remained resilient, with Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, describing her as "as stoic as ever". "She wasn’t going to let that little blip interfere with her life, she was going to carry on and hang on to her anger," he says. "She went out on dates and she went to parties."
Meanwhile, Prince William was reportedly missing his ex-partner. "He was quite sad at that time and a bit lonely," says Grant Harrold, a former Royal butler to King Charles III.
"Everybody loved Kate being around. It was always fun and jokey. We used to sit with William and Kate in the kitchen and it was always really good fun hanging out with them – suddenly all that changed."
Just two months later, the couple were back together and after William’s proposal in October 2010 with his mother, Princess Diana’s £47,000 ring, they tied the knot the following year at Westminster Abbey. Despite the Royal family’s traditional ways, Kate hasn’t been afraid to put her own stamp on her and William’s life.
Catch the whole story on 'Kate' airing Saturday 11 January at 9:30pm on Channel 5.
