Although Kate Middleton and Prince William have been together for over two decades (and married for about half of that), their relationship wasn’t always smooth sailing. According to an upcoming biography about the Princess of Wales, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography by royal correspondent Robert Jobson—which will hit shelves in August 2024—the college sweethearts supposedly took a short break in their union shortly after graduating from St. Andrews in 2005.

During the first year of their postgraduate lives, William was completing his military training in Sandhurst, but he made his relationship with Kate a priority, visiting her every Friday. Once he graduated from military school in December 2006, he invited Kate to attend the service. Based on these events and the serious nature of their partnership, the media suspected that an engagement was pending for the couple, but Kate knew William wasn’t in any rush to get down on one knee, according to an excerpt from Jobson’s novel published in The Daily Mail on July 28, 2024. “The truth is she was prepared to wait until he was ready,” the author writes. “After all, they were in love—weren’t they?”

A month later, however, William cancelled his New Year’s plans with Kate, so she had an inkling something must be wrong. The Prince of Wales proceeded to call his girlfriend, and during that phone call, he ended things with her. The reason for the unexpected breakup? According to Jobson, William told Kate he wasn’t ready to propose and that the two of them needed “a bit of space” to “find our own way” during this time. “In an emotionally charged 30-minute conversation, they both acknowledged they were on ‘different pages,’” Jobson says in his book. “It was a devastating blow to Catherine, who felt double let down at being dumped over the phone.” 

After their split, Kate took a trip to Dublin with her mother, Carole Middleton, before vacationing in Ibiza with family “to hide her pain from the outside world,” Jobson notes. Once she returned from her travels, Kate was frequently photographed attending clubs with her sister, Pippa Middleton, while William was in barracks as an army officer, apparently having “second thoughts,” the biography indicates.

Finally, the two were reunited at a costume party with a “Freakin Naughty” theme. At the soirée, when William saw Kate dressed as a nurse, he allegedly “made a beeline for her,” Jobson says. Seeing Kate in person after their time apart seemed to have provided clarity for William. “They then spent the first part of the evening deep in conversation before hitting the dance floor, where they ended up kissing,” the author continues. From there, they resumed their relationship, which became serious very quickly: After moving in together in 2010, they got engaged that same year and tied the knot the following year.