New book claims the couple were already dating before 2002 fashion show
The story of Prince William and Catherine’s early romance may not be quite as it has long been told.
For years, many believed their relationship began after Catherine, then a student at St Andrews, walked the runway in a sheer Charlotte Todd dress at the 2002 DONT WALK charity fashion show — a moment often described as the night William fell for her.
But according to royal author Sean Smith, their romance was already underway by then. In his new book Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, Smith claims the pair had quietly started dating over the Christmas holidays before the fashion show took place.
“They started dating in the Christmas holidays and were already a discreet item by the time William publicly commented on how fit she was at the now-famous charity fashion show,” he wrote.
The couple first met in 2001 while living at St Salvator’s halls of residence and grew close during their shared History of Art course, bonding over conversations about rugby.
Though past reports suggested both were dating others at the time, Smith’s account offers a new perspective on when their love story truly began. William and Catherine went on to marry in 2011, cementing one of the most celebrated royal romances of modern times.
