Princess Kate, formerly known as Kate Middleton, met Prince William in 2001 at St Andrews University in Scotland while they were both students there. The couple started dating and graduated together in 2005.

Kate then got a job at Jigsaw as an accessories buyer while William joined the military. While everyone anticipated that their courtship would end in a royal wedding, the couple separated.

A Brief Pause

In 2007, William, then-24, and Kate, then-25, split. Reports revealed that the former couple had paused their relationship during a phone call that the royal made to Kate while she was at work.

In April 2007, one of Kate’s former colleagues told The Mirror that they saw the future royal taking a call in the London office car park. The source said it was clear she was speaking to her boyfriend and wasn’t receiving good news.

Robert Lacey, royal author of the book “Battle of Brothers,” also covered the incident and claimed the couple broke up during that call. However, according to the book, the pair only separated for ten weeks.

It was alleged that William struggled with having romantic relationships after that and was turned down by several women. The Prince of Wales reportedly missed his ex-girlfriend and her family, and they finally reconciled.

Why the Name “Waity Katie”

The press wasn’t so gentle with Kate and described her as a “commoner” because she was from a middle-class background. Things got so bad while she dated William that she got the media nickname “Waity Katie” because her boyfriend failed to propose for years.

It seemed the royal was taking his time to ensure that his girlfriend would be ready to become royalty. However, a source noted how hurtful and stressful it probably was for Kate to see the negative headlines about her.

Katie Nicholl, a royal correspondent and author of “The Making of a Royal Romance,” also noted that the media wasn’t the only ones concerned about the couple not getting engaged. Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, allegedly started worrying about her daughter’s future during Christmas time in 2009.

It worried her that Kate was close to turning 30 but still didn’t have a ring on her finger. Carole reportedly confronted William about it, and the royal promised to do right by his long-term girlfriend.

Although Kate was probably hurt by the nickname given to her by the media, she wasn’t too concerned about it. Instead, she allegedly worried about stepping out of line in public or during royal events, according to royal experts.