Inside Prince William ‘take it slow’ mode before marrying Kate Middleton

Prince William reportedly took ample time ahead of marrying then girlfriend, Kate Middleton.

The Prince of Wales, who tied the knot with Kate in 2011, put the latter through various tests ahead of their wedding.

Writing in his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers revealed: “The prince had invited his girlfriend to stay at Highgrove on several occasions, and they had also enjoyed a weekend together at The Queen's Sandringham estate."

Myers continued: "The stays were organized by William for when his father and grandmother were not in residence, allowing the couple the freedom to enjoy themselves without Catherine worrying about meeting his family."

He added: “He was very concerned she would be completely overawed by the whole thing." The courtier continued: “Kate had wealthy friends who had nice piles in the country, but it's a different story when you're dating a prince whose granny is The Queen."

"He was still very much in the mode of 'Let's take it slow and see what happens,' while being pretty nervous that the press was going to find out what was going on and ruin it for them,” she said.