Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship in pictures: 33 of their milestone moments as an iconic royal couple

Here's a breakdown of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship with some of the best photographs and moments in their relationship that's progressed in the spotlight for the last two decades. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been married since 2011 and were dating for many years before their iconic wedding day which was watched by a remarkable 72 million people across the world.

We look back at some of their most memorable relationship moments over the years, from their nuptials to the birth of their three children - and everything in between.

The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl: £8.88| Amazon

Published in 2011, this provides a fascinating insight into the lives of Prince William and Kate. It reflects back on her childhood, her close family and her romance with the future King. The book goes up to the preparations for the couple's fairytale wedding and also focuses on their life in Wales together.View Deal

The couple celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

In 2012, the Prince and Princess celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a tour of the Far East. At one point in the tour, iconic images of the couple were taken as they danced with local women at a Vaiku Falekaupule Ceremony in Funafuti, Tuvalu. The couple looked delighted to wear traditional garments and pay their respects to the their host's cultural celebrations.

The couple get back together after brief split

Although Kate had previously attended ski-ing holidays with William and his family, their 2008 trip to Klosters in Switzerland marked the first time the royal couple had been snapped together on a romantic getaway post break up. In this paparazzi shot, the Prince can be seen helping Kate with a drag lift. This image confirmed to the public that after a brief break up, the couple were back together and continuing their relationship in the public eye.

Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement

In November 2010 the Prince and Kate attended an interview at the State Apartments of St James Palace to announce their engagement. The couple revealed that they became engaged during their holiday to Kenya when the Prince proposed with his late mother's famous engagement ring. At the time of their engagement they had been together for eight years - with a brief break up four years before their engagement.

Prince William and Kate Middleton visit St Andrews

While the couple were engaged, William and Catherine headed back to their old university stomping ground and visited St Andrews for the 600th Anniversary Appeal. At the time this was one of the couple's first royal engagements, and a sweet activity for the royal couple as they returned back to the place they met.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's first child Prince George is born

On July 22nd 2013, Princess Catherine gave birth to her first child, Prince George. The Prince was born weighing eight pounds six ounces and became (at the time) the third person in the royal line of succession. The Prince was the couple's first child and will one day be the King.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's daughter Princess Charlotte is born

Princess Charlotte was born on May 2nd 2015 at the Lindo Wing in St Mary's Hospital in London's Paddington, the same place as Prince George. Her parents presented their newborn to the paparazzi as they left the hospital soon after her birth. Following the announcement that the Princess had given birth there was a gun salute and London landmarks were illuminated in pink.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's third child Prince Louis is born

On April 23rd 2018, the Princess of Wales gave birth again to her third child, a son named Prince Louis Arthur Charles. When leaving the iconic Lindo Wing to introduce Prince Louis to the world, the Princess wore a dress much like the one worn by Princess Diana when she gave birth to her youngest son, Prince Harry.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's PDA at the 2012 London Olympics

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the 2012 London Olympics in August 2012. The couple attended Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Velodrome and packed on the PDA as they celebrated Team GB. The couple hugged, whooped and cheered and showed a rare display of affection in such a public setting.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's Wedding Day

On April 29th 2011, the royal couple officially tied the knot and became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The celebration took place at Westminster Abbey and was THE event of the year as people from across the globe tuned in to see this fairytale love story begin.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's first kiss as a married couple

Following their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the Prince and Princess were accompanied by their bridal party and key senior royals to the balcony at Buckingham Palace. The couple then shared their first public kiss as a married couple. There was an intimate five-word comment Prince William made to Kate during their famous balcony kiss, which has been uncovered by lipreaders and made the moment even more lovely.

King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6th 2023. The royal couple wore their regal attire and the Princess wore an ornate tiara as they celebrated the new monarch. The celebration was poignant for the Prince and Princess who would one day be taking part in the same celebrations for their accension to the throne.

The couple sparkle at Bond premiere

In 2011, the Prince and Princess dressed to the nines as they attended the No Time To Die James Bond World Premiere at Royal Albert Hall. The Princess of Wales wore an iconic golden sparkling dress and the Prince of Wales wore a surprisingly dapper velvet tuxedo jacket.

Prince George's christening

In October 2013, the couple celebrated their first child, Prince George's christening. Prince George was christened at Chapel Royal in St James's Palace at three months old by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The event was attended by members of the Royal Family and the youngster made one of his first official debuts to the public.

Getting competitive at engagements

Princess Catherine and the Prince of Wales took part in a race during a training day for the Heads Together team for the London Marathon at Olympic Park on February 5, 2017. The couple showed off their competitive streaks as they raced each other but struggled to beat Prince Harry who was miles ahead of the couple in the race.

The couple reveal first joint portrait

In June 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton's first official joint portrait was revealed. In the painting, the Princess Catherine was seen wearing a green Vampire's Wife dress. This look was seen on the Duchess in March 2020, when the Duchess of Cambridge’s stunning Dublin look delighted fans as she visited the Guinness Storehouse in this sparkling emerald gown.

Prince William and Catherine take their children to Lambrook

After relocating their family to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, the couple's three children began studying at Lambrook School near Ascot. On September 7th 2022, the parents were photographed taking their three children to school in a moment that showed pure joy and excitement for the children. The next day, the Queen sadly passed away, making this one of the last photos of the couple as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

First solo appearance as Prince and Princess of Wales

When Queen Elizabeth II died, William and Kate became the new Prince and Princess of Wales and dropped their former Duke and Duchess of Cambridge titles. The couple were photographed on September 15th on their first solo engagement with their new titles as they viewed floral tributes that were left for the Queen outside Sandringham House.

Prince William, Princess Catherine and the children clap for NHS carers

In April 2020, William and Kate were joined by their children for the clap for NHS carers as part of the BBC Children In Need and Comic Relief's Big Night In. The couple made frequent digital appearances throughout the lockdowns in the UK, and this became one of the most popular images of the Royal Family during the lockdown.

Prince William and Kate pose for the official tour portrait for their trip

In June 2011, an official portrait of the Prince and Princess of Wales was released ahead of their official tour of Canada and California. The photo was taken in the Gardens of Clarence House on June 3 and was released on October 26th. This image of the couple ahead of their first official tour has become one of the most widely used images of them.

Kate and William take Princess Charlotte on her first day of school

On September 5th 2019, the Prince and Princess of Wales took their daughter Princess Charlotte to her first day of school. The youngster was accompanied by her parents and her brother Prince George as they arrived at Thomas's Battersea in London. The family looked like an adorable little unit as they held hands and sent the Princess off on her first day.

Kate watches as Prince William receives his RAF Wings at Graduation Ceremony

In April 2008, Prince William received his RAF Wings at a Graduation Ceremony in Lincolnshire. At the time, Princess Catherine was his girlfriend and watched him graduate at the Central Flying School at RAF Cranwell. This was a big moment for the royal couple and one of the few occasions the Princess attended an event and publically displayed their relationship.

The couple attend a wedding together

Back in October 2010, the Prince and Kate attended Harry Meade And Rosie Bradford's wedding in Gloucestershire. This was one of the last public outings made by the royal couple before they announced their engagement the next month in November. In this photo, it's thought that the couple was already engaged and were keeping the news to themselves before the public announcement.

The couple attends the BAFTAs

In February 2023, the Prince and Princess attended the BAFTA Film Awards. Prince William, who is the President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and Princess Catherine looked incredible at this event and even took part in a cheeky bit of PDA. Kate Middleton patted Prince William on the bottom in an adorably cheeky moment as the couple walked the red carpet with various other famous faces.

The Prince and Princess visit the Taj Mahal

In April 2016, the couple visited the Taj Mahal during day seven of the royal tour of India and Bhutan. This was a poignant moment for the couple who sat in the place where Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, famously sat on her own. This was the final engagement for the royal couple while on their tour, and this image was a symbol of a new chapter in the Royal Family.

Kate and William's first engagement together

In February 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Trearddur Bay RNLI Lifeboat Station for their first joint engagement. The Princess was just the Prince's fiancee at the time and the couple were very newly engaged after only announcing their engagement a few months before. The soon-to-be newlyweds looked delighted as they named the new lifeboat at the station the Hereford Endeavour.

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

In September 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales looked solemn as they attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. This was a poignant moment for the royal couple who supported one another through this difficult time and all eyes turned to the rest of the Royal Family to continue Her Majesty's legacy.

Kate's first Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham

In December 2011, Catherine joined the Royal Family for the Christmas Day Church Service at Sandringham. The Prince and Princess looked excited to mark this key milestone and joined other royals such as King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Prince Harry as they walked into St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk.

William and Catherine's first overseas tour

In July 2011, a few months after their wedding, the couple took on their first overseas tour. The couple visited North America for 12 days and visited areas of Canada such as Prince Edward Island, Yellowknife and Calgary. The couple also took part in Canada Day and a Rodeo demonstration at the Government Reception in Calgary - leading to some pretty great photos of the couple in full cowboy attire.

The couple's first Trooping of the Colour together

In June 2011, the Prince and Princess made their first appearance at the Trooping of the Colour since tying the knot. The couple appeared on the balcony with various other members of the Royal Family as they celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday.

The couple's first state banquet under King Charles's reign

In November 2022, just over a month after Queen Elizabeth II's death, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the first state banquet under King Charles III's reign. The Prince and Princess met with the President Of The Republic Of South Africa and attended the banquet that marked a pivotal historical moment for the new monarchy.

First engagement as newlyweds and the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

On May 24th 2011, less than a month after their wedding, the Prince and Princess attended their first overseas engagement as they met with the President and First Lady at the time - Barack and Michelle Obama. This was the first time the couple represented the Royal Family overseas.

First appearance after announcing Kate's first pregnancy

On December 3rd 2012, Prince William and Catherine announced that they were pregnant with their first child. On December 6th the couple were photographed leaving the King Edward VII Hospital after Catherine was treated for acute morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum.

The couple celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

In June 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. The couple were joined by their three children, the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, and Queen Camilla on the balcony as they unintentionally marked one of the last times the Queen would wave from the balcony to the crowd below.