Even royal romances have their bumps in the road, and it seems Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton hit a snag back in 2007. Now, a former royal butler is pulling back the curtain on that brief separation, sharing some intriguing details about how the couple found their way back to each other.
Grant Harrold, who served as King Charles’s butler from 2004 to 2011, recently dished on the royal duo’s rekindled romance. He told People magazine in an interview on September 2 that he actually witnessed William and Kate, both 43 at the time, getting back together. This happened during a private Valentine’s dinner in February 2008, just months after their split. They originally met in 2001 as university students and started dating in 2003.
“It was just the two of them,” Harrold recalled, describing the special evening. He worked alongside the couple as they enjoyed their meal, noting, “It was really nice, quite special, in fact.”
Harrold observed a clear shift in their dynamic after that dinner. Before, he said, they were more like close friends, rarely showing public affection. “They didn’t really hold hands; it was more of a friendship for William,” he explained. But after their reunion, everything changed. “When they were back together, everything changed, and they fully became a couple,” Harrold added. “Something shifted, and you could tell they were a couple, and from then on, it was just a matter of waiting.”
A Future Foretold
Harrold shared that once William and Kate were back together, he was totally convinced they would marry. His prediction came true three years later when the couple tied the knot on April 29, 2011.
The former staff member also reflected on the strong bond he saw between William and Kate, who are now parents to three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. “When you saw them together and you saw them get on so well as friends, even though they were in love, they are also absolutely best friends,” Harrold noted. He even compared their relationship to William’s grandparents, the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. (Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022 at 96, and Prince Philip in 2021 at 99.) “Their relationship was similar,” Harrold explained. “They were best friends who worked together as a team.”
Kate’s New Priorities
Moving to more recent news, Us Weekly reported on August 27 that Princess Kate is taking her time returning to the public eye following her cancer battle. A source shared with Us that Kate, who announced in January she was in remission after a 2024 cancer diagnosis, is now putting her husband and children above all else.
“Kate’s perspective has changed, and her priorities have shifted,” the source revealed. “She’s prioritizing her family and her well-being over intense responsibilities.”
Another source told Us last week that the couple has set clear boundaries in their life to protect their family and mental health. “While they take their responsibilities very seriously, they are not afraid to say no when necessary,” the source affirmed.