Kate Middleton Can't Escape Relationship Rumours

It seems as though the public can't get enough of Kate Middleton. Ever since she started dating Prince William, she has been followed for her relationships, fashion, and lifestyle. Middleton and Prince William met in 2001 at St. Andrews University. The two became friends for about a year until they realized they shared common interests. In 2004, they went public with their relationship after moving in together the year before. They split briefly, but they got back together. Then, on April 29, 2011, the couple married at Westminster Abbey in London.

Middleton and Prince William's relationship has been under scrutiny since it started, and there are some strange things about their relationship we can't ignore. There have been rumors of cheating and the ultimatum that Middleton supposedly gave Prince William during their infamous split. Middleton's past relationships, too, have been the subject of many swirling rumors. She has not addressed any of the rumors about her exes, but it seems as though she does make subtle efforts to shut down rumors about her marriage breaking down.

There were several incidents that sparked divorce rumors between Middleton and Prince William. One major incident was William's supposed affair with Middleton's friend, Rose Hanbury. The rumors began in 2019 when In Touch first reported that William might be romantically involved with Hanbury, and Middleton reportedly confronted William about the affair. According to Harper's Bazaar, these reports were never confirmed. However, it is worth noting that Middleton and Hanbury have not been seen publicly together since the story made headlines. 

Another incident that sparked divorce rumors was Middleton's battle with cancer, which she announced during a video in March 2024. William did not appear by her side, and rumors began to swirl online that the stress of her illness was taking a toll on their marriage. Kate eventually recovered when her cancer went into remission in 2025. Former royal photographer Ian Pelham Turner even shut down the rumors when he told Fox News that their relationship "appears to be stronger than ever," as it served as a reminder to William just how important Middleton is to their family. 

There have been some subtle signs of trouble in paradise. Just this past January, Nicki Swift reported that Middleton was spotted at a public event without her engagement ring. While Middleton and Prince William visited London's Charing Cross Hospital on January 8, it was noticeable that she was without her 12-carat sapphire engagement ring. She was, however, wearing her gold wedding band. In September 2025, the royal couple was photographed walking with a considerable distance between them while greeting the Trumps in Windsor.

Middleton and Prince William briefly broke up in 2007. Royal author Russell Myers has revealed that Middleton delivered an ultimatum to William shortly before their split. She made it clear to the Prince what she wanted for the future, without "but she did not explicitly demand an engagement," Myers claimed (via Woman & Home). According to Myers, a long-standing friend of Middleton told him that Middleton was "not desperate," but wanted commitment, and if William could not provide that, she was willing to part ways. 

The ultimatum clearly worked, as the couple reunited just a few months after they split. Myers believes that Queen Elizabeth may have also played a role in the pair's reunion by giving her grandson some advice when she could see that he was struggling. Now, Prince William and Middleton are at the point where they will be celebrating 15 years of marriage as of this year. Perhaps we can all take a page out of Middleton's book and be more assertive in our relationships.

Before she dated (and eventually married) Prince William, Middleton dated Harry Blakelock. The two met while studying at Marlborough College, and he is said to be her first boyfriend and first love. They say the first cut is the deepest, and we all remember our first love, don't we? Blakelock was the school's rugby captain at the time, and it took Middleton a while to get over him. Rumors have it that Middleton was deeply attracted to Blakelock, and he left her "heartbroken."

When she took a gap year and headed to Florence after he broke up with her, Middleton was rumored to be pining over Blakelock. A friend told The Daily Mail: "'When Kate arrived in Florence, she was really hung up about Harry. She spoke about him all the time and he seemed to have messed her around quite a bit ... she was always talking about how she could get him back." According to The Mirror, Blakelock ended up marrying one of Middleton's school friends and becoming a partner at one of the world's largest insurance brokers. At least the two seem to have gotten their happily ever afters (even though it was with other people).

Remember that infamous split between Prince William and Middleton in 2007? Well, even though it only lasted a brief few months, Middleton seems to have made the most of it. The rumor is that she dated someone else during her time apart from Prince William. According to The Mirror, she was reportedly seeing Henry Ropner, a handsome lad whose family owns a multi-million-dollar shipping management firm. He was also a classmate of Prince William's. Their relationship was obviously short-lived, and Ropner is now married to Natasha Sinclair.

No sources have confirmed whether Prince William also dated other people during his split from Middleton. However, in 2010, Prince William did address the brief split, stating: "We were both very young. It was at university, we were sort of both finding ourselves as such and being different characters and stuff, it was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up. It was just sort of a bit of space and a bit of things like that, and it worked out for the better." Indeed, it did work out for the better, and we wish the happy couple a lifetime together.