Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship has continued to receive praise and adoration from the public, especially these past few years. But, a royal expert recently claimed that no one expected them to last.

Express UK reported that the claims were from author Andrew Morton. He spoke with OK! magazine and shared some details regarding the matter.

The royal biographer stated that “nobody in the Royal Household expected” the pair would continue their relationship, especially after graduating from college. He noted most university romances “disintegrate under the intense scrutiny of jobs and geography.”

Morton recalled that Prince William was doing a lot of things after leaving his university years. He was working on “all kinds of jobs,” allowing him “to get a sense of the Britain he will take over” in the future.

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton was reportedly “left to go her own way.” Despite this, “she survived” throughout the years.

The royal expert, later on, claimed that while others did not give much thought to the young couple’s relationship during its early years, Queen Elizabeth II had a different treatment toward it.

He explained that the British Monarch took a “very different way” in terms of how she treated the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. He noted that it was dissimilar to the link between Princess Diana and Prince Charles, adding that she did so after realizing her grandson’s bond with her now-granddaughter-in-law “would last.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton first met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2001. They were students taking different degrees, and became friends for reportedly about a year.

The relationship did not begin until 2002, according to Insider. The pair continued their romance for years even after graduating in 2005.

The publication said that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge briefly separated in 2007. But, they rekindled their romance a few months after.

In 2010, the royal-born Prince proposed to his then-long-time girlfriend and got engaged after she accepted the proposal.

Kate Middleton and Prince William officially became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011. It was after they tied the knot in Westminster Abbey.

In April 2022, the future King and Queen Consort celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary. Before the public, the royal pair continued their duties and responsibilities as working royals.

Behind closed doors, though, it remains unclear how they marked the relationship milestone. But, it is believed that they celebrated alongside their three children.