Shocking details about William's 'pretend engagement' with first girlfriend revealed

Before Kate Middleton entered Prince William's life, he reportedly had another girlfriend and was even rumoured to have had a "pretend engagement" with her.

Prince William met Kate Middleton in 2001 while they were both students at St Salvator's Hall, University of St Andrews. Their relationship began as a close friendship, evolving into a romantic on-off relationship that led to their engagement in October 2010 and their marriage in April 2011, reported Mirror.

However, prior to this, William had another notable romantic involvement. He dated Jecca Craig, a childhood friend, during their teenage years. The two grew close enough that William spent part of his gap year on Jecca’s family estate in Kenya.

Despite courtier claims that they were merely friends, rumours about their relationship persisted. On William's 21st birthday, Jecca attended the celebration in the UK, where Kate Middleton was also present. 

Although William was privately seeing Kate at the time, he publicly claimed to be single and focused his attention on Jecca during the party. 

Kate, who was invited as a friend, was positioned away from the main festivities. Despite this, there was no animosity between the two women; Jecca later attended Kate and William's wedding, while she herself married zoologist Professor Jonathan Baillie.

It is well-known that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance flourished during their university years. 

Their connection was notably sparked when William saw Kate in a charity fashion show, where she famously wore a see-through dress. This relationship has been portrayed in various media, including the Netflix drama The Crown. 

However, according to Robert Jobson’s new book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, the pair actually met years earlier during their school years—William at Eton College and Kate at Marlborough College.