Prince William Left The Princess of Wales “in Floods of Tears” on New Year’s Eve 19 Years Ago.
That's one way to ring in the New Year.
For all the love birds out there, there is nothing pretty like the feeling of sharing the very first second of the yr with that distinct someone: The ball has dropped, the bubbly has popped, and (if you are lucky) you get to lock lips with your crush. Such is the magic of New Year's Eve, which normally affords a high-energy, memorable evening. However, for some, the night time can once in a while be lackluster or even dreadful—which unfortunately was once the case for Kate Middleton nearly 20 years ago.
As the story goes, all the way again in 2006, Kate was once left "in floods of tears" after Prince William modified their New Year's plans, in accordance to The Mirror. The pair, who had been courting for greater than 4 years at that point, had spent Christmas aside the week prior. Kate had been invited to the excursion through Queen Elizabeth II, however she civilly declined to adhere to the royal family's "no ring, no bring" rule.
However, no longer to fret, due to the fact the couple would be spending New Year's collectively at the Middletons—or so Kate thought. William cancelled their plans suddenly and at the final minute, main Kate to sob, "fearing for the future of their relationship," in accordance to Katie Nicholl’s e book The Making of a Royal Romance.
“William had promised Kate he would be a part of her family, however determined to remain with his household instead—and knowledgeable her on the smartphone on Boxing Day [December 26]," Nicholl wrote. “William had been having 2nd ideas and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank dialogue about his future with Kate. Both recommended him now not to hurry into anything.”
Fans will bear in mind this second sooner or later led to William and Kate's short break up in 2007. However, after a few weeks, each events got here round and acquired returned together. “It wasn’t lengthy earlier than their romance was once established to be lower back on, and Kate moved into William’s Clarence House flat, the place he would return from army obligations on Friday nights for relaxed weekends together—and the rest, they say, is history," Nicholl penned.
The relaxation simply is history: William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, bought engaged in 2010 and married the following April. They welcomed Prince George in July 2013, Princess Charlotte in May 2015, and Prince Louis in April 2018.
The headline refers to a widely reported incident from late 2006, detailed in royal biographer Katie Nicholl’s 2011 book The Making of a Royal Romance and echoed in numerous outlets.
In December 2006, Prince William and Kate Middleton (then dating for several years) spent Christmas apart due to royal tradition—William at Sandringham with the royal family, Kate with her parents in Bucklebury. They had planned to ring in New Year’s Eve together with the Middleton family as a consolation.
However, after discussions with his father (then-Prince Charles) and grandmother (Queen Elizabeth II), who advised him not to rush into commitment, William reportedly had second thoughts. On Boxing Day (December 26), he called Kate to cancel the New Year’s plans, deciding to stay with the royals instead. This left her devastated and “in floods of tears,” prompting doubts about their future.
The incident contributed to growing tensions, culminating in their brief breakup in early 2007 (around April, reportedly over a phone call). They reconciled shortly after, reuniting publicly by summer 2007, getting engaged in 2010, and marrying in 2011.
As of January 1, 2026, this New Year’s Eve incident occurred exactly 19 years ago (2006–2007 transition), aligning with recent articles resurfacing the story for the milestone. It’s a well-documented rocky moment in their otherwise enduring relationship.
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet
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