Prince William once explained to royal photographer Arthur Edwards the real reason he briefly broke up with Princess Catherine in 2007, saying he wanted to be certain their marriage would endure.
Speaking on Hello's "Right Royal" podcast, Edwards recalled asking William about the split during an engagement meeting. William replied: "Because I wanted to be sure. Because I want this marriage to last forever. I think it will."
A Relationship Under Public Scrutiny
William and Catherine's relationship developed naturally after they became friends at St Andrew's University in Scotland, but constant media attention made it difficult. Catherine was frequently photographed and lost almost all her privacy.
In 2007, the couple unexpectedly broke up, though they reunited within months.
Explaining the Breakup
During their 2010 engagement interview, William described the split: "We were both very young, it was at university, and we were both sort of defining ourselves as such and being different characters. It was very much trying to find our own way, and we were growing up."
Catherine added: "I at the time wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realised. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you're younger, and I really valued that time for me, as well."
A Lasting Marriage
After reconciling, the couple dated for several more years before William proposed in 2010 with his late mother Princess Diana's sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring. Catherine accepted, and they married in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been married for 15 years and have three children: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight.
