Kate Middleton and Prince William met at university, and were an item for eight years before they married.
The close couple now have three children, Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, three, and Prince Louis, just a few months old.
It appears that Prince William has a romantic streak and a gift for giving presents.
He also seems to have inherited a penchant for Cartier watches from his mother.
When Princess Diana passed away in August 1997, William and his brother Prince Harry had the option to take a piece of jewellery from her collection to remember her by.
While Prince Harry chose his mother’s beautiful sapphire and diamond engagement ring, Prince William opted for a watch.
Diana wore a gold Cartier Tank Francaise watch, which retail at around £6,250.
The classic watch has a square face and gold bracelet style strap.
According to reports the watch was a gift from her father John Spencer.
Princess Diana went on to give Prince William his own engraved watch from the classic French brand.
Harry and William agreed that the brother who got engaged first would give his wife-to-be Diana’s Garrad ring.
Prince William used the stunning ring with the blue stone to propose to Kate in Kenya, Africa, in October 2010.
The Prince told CNN at the time: “I regularly daydream. Africa is definitely one of the places I go to. It does completely settle me down. [Kate] understands what it means to me being in Africa, and my love of conservation,’ he said.
“I didn’t really plan it that far in advance. I just knew I wanted it to feel comfortable where I did it.”
Prince William commemorated Diana in another sweet way on his and Kate’s third anniversary.
The doting husband bought his wife a Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch, which retail in the region of £6,000.
In another lovely touch, he added a sapphire to the watch, to match Kate’s engagement ring.
Kate Middleton changed the Royal Family when she married William, according to a family friend.
A family friend reportedly told Vanity Fair the year after the royal wedding that Kate and William’s marriage had help to bring harmony to the Queen’s family.
How did Kate Middleton become a royal?
Early life
Kate Middleton, or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was born on 9 January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, England.
She was born to Michael and Carole Middleton, a former flight dispatcher and air hostess. The couple founded a party supplies company, Party Pieces, in 1987 – now estimated to be worth £30 million.
Kate has a younger sister Pippa Matthews, 34, and a younger brother James Middleton, 31.
Education
Kate and her family moved to Amman, Jordan, in 1984, where the future Duchess was educated at an English-speaking nursery school.
After moving back to Berkshire the family sent Kate to private school, St Andrews School. She went on to briefly study at Downe House before moving onto Marlborough College where she boarded.
For university the young Kate attended the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Here she was awarded an undergraduate MA (2:1 Hons) in history of art.
Relationship with Prince William
Kate met Prince William when they were both studying at St Andrews, and both living in St Salvator’s Hall. Famously, William reportedly took a fancy to Kate after she wore a see-through dress during a fashion show.
In 2003 the couple began dating and lived together during their second year of university.
The couple split in April 2007, however, in October they were back together.
Wedding
Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring in October 2010. The couple were holidaying in Kenya at the time.
On 29 April 2011 they married at Westminster Abbey with a whopping 26 million watching the event live.
Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress worth a reported £250,000 on the big day.
Kate assumed the title “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge” and also become the Duchess of Cambridge on the day.
