This week has been full of smooth-brained reimagined royal gossip, courtesy of Russell Myers’ new book, William & Catherine. Myers has absolutely no tea, but bless his heart, he’s trying to put a positive, royalist spin on everything. The problem? Even the kindest, most generous retelling of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s actions and behaviors makes them look like absolute monsters. Or worse. What’s also really funny is how many royal biographers have tried to spin Will & Kate’s courtship as a grand love story when it’s anything but. Speaking of, Myers devotes a lot of energy to William dumping Kate in 2007 when she and the Middletons were trying to pressure him to propose. We already saw an excerpt from this section and Myers is 100% full of sh-t. But he gave more excerpts from this section to People Magazine for their cover story. Please enjoy!
QEII changed the course of royal history: Fond of Kate from the start, the late Queen “could see [Kate] had all the qualities of a future Queen,” Myers tells PEOPLE, and the monarch’s private conversations with her grandson proved a “catalyst for William changing course” and recognizing that “if he had faith in the relationship and his love for her, then that would be enough to carry them through.”
The rumors that William would propose on Kate’s 25th birthday: On the day of her 25th birthday, on Jan. 9, 2007, with speculation over an engagement announcement at fever pitch, Catherine emerged from her London flat to a scrum of more than 20 press photographers and five television crews . . . Amid the dizzying flashes of photographers’ cameras, some sprinting across the road to get in front of her, some almost stumbling over each other, Catherine struggled to get to her navy Volkswagen Polo, before the media continued to take pictures through the windows of her car as it sped away. Shaken and deeply distressed by the incident, Catherine called William in floods of tears. A source close to the couple said the situation and resulting conversation was “incredibly distressing for both of them,” adding, “She [Catherine] said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ The situation was intolerable and William felt entirely helpless.”
William & Kate were on the outs for months before he dumped her: In March 2007, William and Catherine, who had barely seen each other since Christmas, appeared frosty with each other at the Cheltenham horse racing festival. Sources claimed the relationship had “soured beyond repair.” In the days after the Cheltenham Festival, deeply unhappy and at a loss to describe how their relationship had faltered in such a short space of time, Catherine delivered an ultimatum to William. A long-standing friend who she confided in at the time said, “Catherine was distressed. She was miserable, but she certainly wasn’t desperate. She felt as though she had nothing to lose and for the first time she probably relayed her true feelings to William. She wasn’t demanding an engagement, but she wanted a commitment, and if he couldn’t deliver that, well, then she left him in no doubt that it was best they go their separate ways.”
He dumped her the second she wanted commitment: Blinded by his own insecurities, William did not react in the way Catherine expected. In a subsequent 30-minute phone call he laid out his reasons for believing they were on “different pages” and said he could not offer her a guarantee of marriage. Catherine was understandably devastated. The couple agreed to give each other the space they needed. Secretly, Catherine wondered whether she would ever see William again . . . It’s telling that William confided to one senior courtier that, “at least she is free.”
Queen Elizabeth stepped in: Sensing William was struggling, the Queen invited him to Sunday lunch to judge his mood. William was more than just crestfallen and worried about whether he was throwing away the one constant in his life. He was, according to one well-placed source, “completely broken.” “In that moment the Queen advised her grandson that the only certain path is the one supported by faith. It was all she had to say,” the source said.
Will & Kate’s reunion: William decided to make his move. At first, he texted and asked to speak, wondering if Catherine would even reply. With Catherine unsure of William’s motives and unwilling to let her guard down just yet, the initial exchanges were tentative, if a little frosty. William explained that he was missing her and floated the idea of them still attending a party that had been in their [calendar] for months.
Waity rides again: Reluctant to commit over the phone, Catherine said she would consider the proposal, although she did agree they should talk, if only to clear the air. Fellow guests said as soon as William and Catherine set eyes on one another it was clear their love had not extinguished. The couple peeled off from the rest of the party and spent hours locked in deep conversation. Catherine listened intently as William attempted to break the deadlock, laying out his reasons for doubting what they had. He talked of his fear of letting someone truly experience the world in which he lived, and also his fear of rejection if he did let himself get too close. Catherine, of course, knew that she still loved William deeply. That was why she had been so explicit in her demands. She was willing to agree to a future, if only he would stop allowing outside factors to affect his judgement. After speaking for what seemed like hours, William’s charm, it seemed, had worked. The couple returned to the party. As the cocktails flowed and the dance floor filled, they only had eyes for each other.
I actually believe a few pieces of gossip here, which is that Kate laid her cards on the table and exerted some pressure on William to make up his mind about where they were headed. And I also believe that William’s immediate reaction was “ew, no” and he dumped her soon afterwards. Was this because of his “insecurities?” No. It was because at that time, William still believed that he could find a more suitable girlfriend or wife. Someone aristocratic, someone with family money, someone who hadn’t been stalking him since her teen years. I absolutely believe that he only went back to Kate because none of those other girls wanted him. It’s also funny that they’re positioning Kate as reluctant to reconcile with William – she spent the entire breakup hanging out with his friends and going to all of William’s favorite clubs and making sure that photographers documented her movements the entire time. Oh, and for the last time, QEII was not a fan of Kate in this era! Liz hadn’t even met Kate!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images. Covers courtesy of Amazon and People.
