For most people, the period of study and training is a formative phase in their lives. It’s not uncommon to have moved to a new city, perhaps for the first time no longer living at home with your parents, but in a shared apartment. And quite a few also get to know their partner for life.
It was exactly the same with Prince William. In 2001 he began studying in Scotland at the University of St Andrews and Princess Kate was his roommate at the time. At that time he was considered the most sought after bachelor in the country. Because everyone knew that anyone who was in a relationship with him had a good chance of becoming a member of the royal family one day.
Surprisingly, there were few gossip stories to be read about him during William’s time as a student. William’s then-rector Dr. Brian Lang revealed in an interview with Hello Magazine.
So a “deal with the British press” was negotiated, “according to which they were allowed to leave William alone and in return they were allowed to take a photo once a semester,” reports Dr. Long. “And overall it worked.”
As soon as it became clear that Prince William would be studying at university, an announcement was made to his fellow students: Anyone who passed on information would be punished “very, very severely.”
And that actually seems to have worked. After William’s graduation, Dr. Long chat with a newspaper editor. He was “amazed” at how “disciplined” everyone was.
“Rumor has it that students – not from British newspapers but from overseas newspapers – were offered £3,000 for a story about William. That’s a lot of money for a student.”
The fact that no one resisted this is evidence of the students’ “excellent behavior” and strength of character. It remains to be seen whether William’s three children George, Charlotte and Louis will have such a good time during their studies. After all, social media now plays a completely different role than it did back then.
Those: “Hello Magazine”
