Before Kate Middleton became a significant figure in Prince William’s life, the future King reportedly had another romantic interest, Jecca Craig, with whom he shared a close bond. Their connection was so strong that it even sparked rumors of a “pretend engagement.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s well-documented love story began in 2001 when they met as students at the University of St Andrews. Their relationship, which started as a close friendship, eventually blossomed into a romantic on-off relationship. This ultimately led to their engagement in October 2010 and their marriage in April 2011, as reported by the Mirror.
However, before Kate entered the picture, William was involved with another woman who played a significant role in his life—Jecca Craig. Jecca, a childhood friend, was reportedly William’s romantic interest during their teenage years. The two were so close that William spent part of his gap year on Jecca’s family estate in Kenya, further fueling speculation about their relationship.
Despite denials from royal insiders that the pair were nothing more than friends, rumors of a deeper connection persisted. When William celebrated his 21st birthday, Jecca was a prominent guest at the event in the UK, where Kate Middleton was also present. At the time, William publicly claimed to be single, despite privately dating Kate, and spent much of the party’s focus on Jecca.
Kate, who attended the celebration as a friend, was notably positioned away from the main festivities. However, there was no apparent animosity between Kate and Jecca. In fact, Jecca later attended William and Kate’s wedding, and she herself went on to marry zoologist Professor Jonathan Baillie.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s romance, which blossomed during their university years, was notably ignited when William saw Kate in a charity fashion show, where she famously wore a see-through dress. This moment has been depicted in various media, including the Netflix drama The Crown.
Interestingly, according to Robert Jobson’s new book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, William and Kate may have actually crossed paths years earlier during their school days—William at Eton College and Kate at Marlborough College.
