A rare photograph of Kate Middleton, snapped all the way back in 2005 during a friend’s trip to Sandringham, was recently shared by a royal photographer who says it is the first-ever picture he took of the future queen-consort.
The rare picture, taken by The Sun’s royal photographer Arther Edwards, shows the future queen consort dressed in casual jeans and a green jacket with a scarf and her hair up in a ponytail. The group of friends were invited to the royal grounds by Prince William.
Edwards says he recently stumbled upon the picture just days ahead of the Duchess’ 40th birthday on Sunday, and even admitted that back then, he “didn’t know who on Earth she was.”
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“Back then you would never have credited that the young woman who walked through those gates would turn out to be our future queen,” said Edwards.
Edwards also recalled a conversation with Prince William ahead of his 2010 engagement to Middleton in which the future kind told him, “Well, Arthur, I had to be sure this was the right woman for me because I want this marriage to last forever.”
Kate and William first met during college at St. Andrews University in 2001, and announced their engagement in 2010. They have now been married for more than 10 years and are parents to three children.