All Of Kate Middleton's Romances Before Prince William

William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales had to start preparing in earnest to take the throne as king and queen after King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer. It's hard to think of a time when Kate Middleton wasn't the Princess of Wales, but remember her and William's partying days back in college? Kate had a wild side — and she also had a romantic history before becoming a royal.

William and Kate began dating while studying at the University of St. Andrews in 2002. Kate reportedly knew exactly what she wanted, and she would stop at nothing to make sure that the prince was hers. Speaking to Daily Mail in January 2025, a close friend from college recalled how William was enduring unwanted attention from another woman at a party when Kate walked up and threw her arms around him, prompting him to tell the other partygoer that he was taken — even though he and Kate weren't yet dating. 

Insight into the royals' life in college often comes from secondhand sources and photos from their 20s, such as those in a viral TikTok that show the couple inebriated in the back of cars and Kate stepping out in aggressive Y2K apparel — you know, college. The time capsule is also a reminder of what Kate's life was like before she met her prince. From her first love in high school to a brief fling with one of William's friends, let's examine all of Kate's romances before William entered the picture.

Kate Middleton met Willem Marx during her time at Marlborough College, a boarding school in England. Not much information about the relationship has come to light, but he is often referred to as Kate's "first love." The relationship was short-lived, and Kate and Marx were able to remain amicable, as he was in attendance at her and Prince William's 2011 wedding. (It's actually not uncommon for the royals to remain on good terms with their exes.)

These days, Marx serves as a London-based correspondent for CNBC, specializing in business and politics. He found his match in Johanna Botta, a Peruvian freelance TV presenter known for her time on MTV's "Real World." The two tied the knot in 2014 and had their son, Diego, in 2015. While Marx keeps his personal life fairly quiet, Botta often posts updates on their family to social media, sharing on Instagram in August 2024 that Diego was beginning 3rd grade. That same year, she captioned another post about her son, "So proud of this little soul who feels great empathy for anyone he sees on the street who is less fortunate than him." While Marx may not have struck big with Kate, it's clear the two were destined to strike gold elsewhere.

You know how you secretly never stop thinking about the guy you dated when you were 17 that had you so head-over-heels in love that it altered your brain chemistry and possibly changed the trajectory of your life? For Kate Middleton, that was apparently Harry Blakelock, but don't worry; they've both moved on. They also met while attending Marlborough College.

According to the Daily Mail, Blakelock was a year older than Kate, and they dated on-and-off for around a year before Blakelock dumped her so he could travel during his gap year. Typical. He reportedly messed her up so bad that she decided to also take a gap year in Italy in hopes that the two could rekindle their old flame, but it had gone out. A friend of the princess remembered, "When Kate arrived in Florence, she was really hung up about Harry. She spoke about him all the time and he seemed to have messed her around quite a bit. ... He was also in Florence at the same time but from what I can remember, nothing happened." Kind of makes us wonder if she shudders everytime she hears Prince Harry's name; we know we would.

The last romantic interest for Kate Middleton before she and Prince William formed an intimate relationship was Rupert Finch. They met during her freshman year, when he was a senior. Though a glimpse into their relationship was depicted on screen during Season 6 of "The Crown," the former couple doesn't harp too much on the past. According to Daily Mail, Finch remarked in 2006, "It's not something I'll ever talk about. It's between Kate and me and was a long time ago."

They dated for less than a year before parting ways but were able to stay friendly, as Finch also attended the royal wedding. He has made a career for himself as a lawyer and went on to marry Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs in 2013, and they have had three children together. Lady Natasha is a fashion mogul, the founder of Beulah London, of which Kate has shown great support. Lady Natasha commended her to Hello! in July 2020, saying, "It's always lovely to see the Duchess in Beulah. She's a wonderful ambassador for British brands and that is more important than ever at the moment." Now that's what you call a clean breakup.

Kate Middleton and Prince William officially began dating in 2002, but she found herself back on the market briefly in April 2007, and what do you do when your boyfriend breaks up with you over the phone and you're a little pissed? Date his friend, of course. At the time, William was serving in the military and wasn't quite ready to get on bended knee, according to the biography "Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen."

That's when Sir Henry Ropner, one of William's former classmates and an heir to a multi-million pound shipping company, came along and helped Kate unleash her shady side. However, their fling was short-lived — Kate and William rekindled their flame in June 2007 by sharing a passionate kiss at a party. 

Though distraught at the time, looking back, Kate is grateful for their time apart. After getting engaged to William in 2010, she told Sky News, "I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you're younger," adding of the breakup, "I really valued that time for me." As for Sir Henry, he settled down with Natasha Sinclair in 2011, having two children along the way.