Kate Middleton and Prince William's fairytale love story began during their college days. The two met at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and later moved in at St Salvator's Halls of Residence with their friends, Fergus Boyd and Olivia Bleasdale, but this almost didn't happen, as something nearly stopped them from living together.
Prince William and Kate almost didn't have the chance to live together after their landlord, Charlotte Smith, refused to let them live in one of his flats due to a bad experience. However, the revelation that a real British royal would stay in the place made the landowner reconsider.
When the Princess of Wales went to view the property on Hope Street, she learned the problem the landlord encountered that almost made him decide not to accept them. Smith told ivillage.co.uk his unfortunate experience with some boys who previously rented the place, making them determined not to allow young men to live there again.
Seeing broken furniture and windows and several other damages put them off. Hence, she told the young Kate back then that they would rather have no young boys rent the place again.
However, she said something that they couldn't resist. "What if I were to tell you that it was Prince William?" the Duchess of Cornwall asked.
After a thorough deliberation, she and her husband decided to let Prince William and Fergus move in. She even described the young Prince of Wales as a very friendly, charming, and thoroughly nice man.
However, the Wales later moved in again to Balgove House at Strathtyrum in their third year and stayed there until their fourth year at the university. The place was described as a sprawling private estate just outside St. Andrews.
It was owned by the wealthy landowner Henry Cheape, Prince William's distant cousin and the royal family's close friend. It was a rural home made safe for young people to live in as unmarked police cars usually patrolled the property.
The house was also set behind a huge wall with bomb-proof doors and windows. But despite the various security precautions, the royals reportedly loved to entertain their friends at their flat that they even installed a champagne fridge.
Eventually, Prince William and Kate tied the knot in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. After two years, they welcomed their first child, Prince George, who's now the second in line to the throne at nine years old, followed by Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.
