How Kate Middleton Really Got Along With William's First Love, Carly Massy-Birch

It isn't easy to get along with an ex — let alone the ex of your current partner. William, Prince of Wales dated Carly Massy-Birch during their university days. But how did Catherine, Princess of Wales, get along with her now-husband's former flame? 

William and Massy-Birch met and dated during his first year at St. Andrews university, when he auditioned for a school play. She was a year ahead of William, and since her major was in English and creative writing, discussing plays was something they liked to do together. She also told him stories about growing up in Devon and would bring William to visit her family home. William was raised in the countryside too, in Gloucestershire, and Massy-Birch thinks she and William got along for that reason. "I'm a real country bumpkin," Massy-Birch told Vanity Fair. "I think that was why we had a connection." She said they saw each other around campus often and felt they would have gotten along even without their romantic relationship. Massy-Birch added, "It was very much a university thing, just a regular university romance."

The truth about William's ex-girlfriends is that there was reportedly overlap between some of them. It's believed Massy-Birch and William were broken up when William set his sights on Kate. However, there was allegedly tension between the prince's new and old girlfriends.

According to 2011's "The Making of a Royal Romance" by Katie Nicholl, an insider from William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales', friend group said Carly Massy-Birch was friends and neighbors with William following their break-up. It "grated on Kate" that Massy-Birch would knit near the window and wave at William. However, the real tension rose during a game of "Never Have I Ever" at a 2002 dinner party, when Massy-Birch asked an awkward question.

To participate, players list things they haven't done before. Other players who have done that thing drink before the next player says what they haven't done. The insider who attended that party said, "When it was Carly's turn to play she announced, 'I've never dated two people in this room,' knowing full well that William was the only one who had because Kate was sitting next to him," the source said. William apparently glared at Massy-Birch and muttered, "I can't believe you just said that." Kate didn't talk to her much after that. 

The insider said Massy-Birch's statement was surprising and added, "We knew they were together but it was the first time William confirmed his and Kate's relationship in public." But, this story of tension between Kate and Massy-Birch has been challenged by an account from none other than Massy-Birch's mother.

After rumors flew about her potential relationship with a royal, Carly Massy-Birch's parents, Mimi Massy-Birch and Hugh Massy-Birch, did confirm that she dated William, Prince of Wales. While other reports floated around that there was tension between the women, Mimi told the Daily Mail in 2008 that Kate, Carly, and William were all good friends.

"Carly will be really upset that this has come out," Mimi said. "She went out with William for six or seven weeks when they first arrived at St. Andrews. But there's absolutely no fall-out between her and Kate. In fact, all three of them are best friends." Mimi said Carly was in a relationship with someone that she loved a lot and that the speculation relating to Prince William was nonsense.

"She has tried so hard to keep her friendship with him quiet — we all have — and so she will be upset by this," Mimi said, adding that Carly was focusing on her acting career. According to the Daily Mail in 2023, not much is known about Carly or her personal life. She was one of the exes invited to the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and William, implying things were fine between them all. However, Carly is not the favorite of William's exes, according to The List voters. In fact, she came in last place, with Rose Farquhar winning.