Queen Elizabeth II reportedly helped the couple repair their relationship following Kate’s ultimatum and their brief split.
Kate reportedly urged Prince William to commit to their future before their separation in 2007, with Queen Elizabeth II later playing a pivotal role in their reconciliation.
In his biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Russell Myers examines the difficult period when the couple’s relationship nearly ended after four years together.
According to Myers, Kate made it clear that she was prepared to walk away, although she did not explicitly demand an engagement or a promise of marriage.
“Catherine delivered an ultimatum to William. While she did not explicitly demand an engagement or even a promise of marriage, she did break free from the gentle and arguably submissive persona that had typified her relationship with the future king,” he writes.
The biography claims William’s grandmother helped persuade him to rekindle the relationship. She also reportedly offered Kate advice about joining the Royal Family.
The Queen invited William to Sunday lunch to assess his mood, according to the account. Myers describes him as deeply distressed and questioning whether he was throwing away the one constant in his life. One well-placed source described the prince as “completely broken”.
The author writes that the Queen advised her grandson that “the only certain path is the one supported by faith”. According to the source, it was all she needed to say.
The late monarch reportedly hoped the couple would resolve their differences, having witnessed the damage caused by the breakdown of the marriage between Charles and Diana, then the Prince and Princess of Wales.
William and Kate reunited in the summer of 2007, just months after their split, and married at Westminster Abbey in 2011. They have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
