Why William wasn’t at Kate Middleton’s side during first meeting with the Queen

Queen Elizabeth II alongside Kate Middleton -Credit:WPA Pool/Getty Images

During her first encounter with the late Queen Elizabeth, Princess Kate didn’t have Prince William by her side, an unusual scenario considering their typical closeness. Despite Princess Kate’s popularity, according to recent polls, her introduction to the nation’s cherished monarch, who would become her future grandmother-in-law, occurred without William present.

The famous couple was speculated to be exceedingly close to the late Queen and they have shed light on Kate’s and Elizabeth’s initial encounter during a significant family event. Their love story began in 2002 when they met at St Andrews University in Scotland, sparking their relationship.

However, it wasn’t until 2008 that Kate got the chance to meet William’s grandmother for the first time, amidst the grandeur of Peter Phillips’ wedding to Autumn Kelly. In a 2010 interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby following the announcement of their engagement, Kate opened up about this special meeting which happened on a momentous day for the Royal Family, reports the Express US.

Recounting the memorable event, she shared that she “first met her at Peter and Autumn’s wedding”, adding that even among the large number of other guests, the Queen was cordial, easing any tension.

Prince William added: “She’s very welcoming. She knew it was a big day and everything was going on with Peter and Autumn were there and things and she’d wanted to meet Kate for a while so it was very nice of her to come over and say hello.”

The princess, who is understood to have gone solo to the occasion as William had an invitation to another wedding out of the country, spoke about Queen Elizabeth’s “gentle guidance” during a Royal documentary about her 90th birthday in 2016.

She said: “The most memorable engagement for me I suppose was an away day to Leicester and I went without William so I was rather apprehensive about that. I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting so I think I’ve still got to learn a little bit more and pick up a few more tips I suppose.

“She was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really.”