William’s heartfelt reason for giving Kate Middleton time to 'Back Out' of royal life

The Prince and Princess of Wales may have enjoyed a strong and lasting marriage for over 12 years, but their journey to the altar was not without its ups and downs.

Their story began at St. Andrews University in Scotland, where they met and began dating while still students. The young couple navigated the highs and lows of early adulthood together, but not without a few twists and turns.

In a move that shocked the public, the two split up for a time after university. However, the breakup didn’t last long, and they soon rekindled their romance. Despite their reunion, it would be several years before Prince William proposed. In their 2010 engagement interview, he shared the heartfelt reason behind the delay.

When asked by interviewer Tom Bradby if he had waited to give Kate a chance to adjust to royal life and “back out” if she needed to, William’s response was a resounding, “Massively so.”

He continued: "Her and her family, I really want to make sure that they have the best, sort of, guidance and chance to see what life has been like - or what life is like - in the family. That's kind of why I have been waiting this long as I wanted to give her a chance to see and to back out if she needed to," which was met by a laugh from Kate.

In the interview, they also addressed their split and William said: "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."

While Kate added: "I think at the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realised, or I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time. Looking back on it."