Meet Kate Middleton’s 3 Boyfriends before Prince William, One of Whom Has the Same Hair as Her Husband

• This article delves into Kate Middleton's romantic history before she met Prince William.
• One former boyfriend of hers shared a similar hairstyle to the Prince of Wales.
• Middleton's past relationships have made headlines and they have made an impact on her life.

Long before Kate Middleton became a household name through her marriage to Prince William, she had her share of romantic adventures. Notably, she dated three men during her younger years, one of whom bore a striking resemblance to her future husband, both in charm and hairstyle.

Middleton first crossed paths with Prince William at St. Andrews University. Their friendship blossomed over a year before turning romantic. In a joint interview several years ago, the couple reflected on their love story.

The lovebirds spent more time together, making each other laugh and having fun. This made them realize they had a lot in common. Prince William shared, "She's got a really nice sense of humor, which kind of helps me because I've got a very dense sense of humor."

Meanwhile, Middleton recalled how she felt after meeting the royal for the first time, saying: "I actually went bright red when I met you and scuttled off, feeling very shy."

Their relationship deepened as they shared numerous university experiences, living in the same dorm and often cooking together. Prince William tried impressing Middleton with his culinary skills, with her frequently assisting.

As their connection grew, introductions to their families followed. Middleton described her nervousness upon meeting Prince William's father, who was welcoming, just as the late Queen Elizabeth II had been.

Family is important for both parties. Prince William mentioned Middleton is very close with her loved ones, and that he, too, gets along well with them. He admires their supportive nature.

The heir to the British throne also talked about his future in-laws, Michael and Carole Middleton. He said they welcomed him with open arms and made him feel part of the family.

Despite their strong connection, not all was smooth in their relationship. The pressures of public life led to a temporary breakup, capturing public attention. At the time, they both did some self-introspection.

"We were both finding ourselves and such," Prince William explained. This period of self-discovery was crucial, fortifying their relationship for future challenges. Middleton, although unhappy about it at the time, reflected on the growth she experienced during this time: "It made me a stronger person," she said.

She realized that one could be consumed by a relationship when young and this is what she soon noticed about herself amid the split. This has made her value the break they had because it brought things into perspective.

Although they had a stumbling block, Middleton and Prince William managed to carry on and things became better from there on. Friendship laid the foundation for their eventual engagement. During the interview, the two were asked whether the marriage had always been on the cards.

Prince William answered, "When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her, and then I knew there was possibly something I wanted to explore there, but we ended up being friends for a while."

In 2010, during a holiday in Kenya, Prince William proposed with a sapphire and diamond ring that had belonged to his mother, Princess Diana. The proposal, a blend of personal significance and royal tradition, was a complete surprise to Middleton.

"It was a total shock when it came, and very exciting," she expressed. They married in April 2011, beginning their life together as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Before these royal chapters, Middleton's life was marked by three significant relationships. Here are her three boyfriends prior to becoming a princess. Her first known boyfriend was blonde-haired, Willem Marx, whom she met at Marlborough College in 2000. Their relationship, though brief, ended amicably.

Marx, now a London-based journalist and married, remains a part of her past. His wife is Johanna Botta, a television personality, whom he has been married to for nine years after dating for ten years.

Apart from having his own successful love story, Marx also had the honor of seeing his former beau Middleton walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey over a decade ago.

The former ABC News correspondent reportedly was the only male friend from the princess’s school days to have been invited to the royal wedding.

“Willem means a lot to Kate,” Middleton’s pal said at the time. Aside the fact that his romance with the royal has captured some attention, Marx’s appearance has also been a topic of discussion.

Social media users have raved about the former CNBC reporter’s looks on X (formerly known as Twitter) throughout the years. “Kate Middleton’s very handsome former love journalist Willem Marx is getting plenty of face time on Bloomberg as the Euro conflict expert,” penned one person once.

Another online user compared Marx with Middleton's lovers writing, “Willem Marx is a hottie. Just saw another photo of him. All the guys Kate dated are now better looking than PW.”

Middleton's next relationship was with Harry Blakelock, encountered during a gap year. Their relationship had its ups and downs, particularly during their overlapping stays in Florence in 2001.

The future princess had gone to Florence for three months at the time. A friend of hers revealed: “When Kate arrived in Florence, she was really hung up about Harry."

"She spoke about him all the time and he seemed to have messed her around quite a bit. He seemed to have blown hot and cold with her when they were at school, and she was always talking about how she could get him back," the pal added. However, nothing significant rekindled during this time.

While Middleton failed to find love in Florence, the opportunity arose again someplace else. The last of her relationships before meeting Prince William was with Rupert Finch at St. Andrews University.

According to Robert Jobson in his book, Finch was a "good-looking law student," who captured Middleton's heart back then. Finch has remained as discreet and loyal to her as she has to her royal partner.

"It's not something I'll ever talk about. It's between Kate and me and was a long time ago," Finch stated, reflecting the private nature of their relationship.

Finch, a sporty and popular figure at the university, was also part of the University Cricket Squad and shared many interests with Middleton, who is known for her love of sports and the outdoors.

Their backgrounds were similar as well, both coming from well-to-do upper-middle-class families. Finch's time at St. Andrews overlapped with Middleton's early years there, but their relationship ended as Finch graduated and went on to pursue a traineeship with the law firm Mills & Reeve.

This relationship, like her others, ended amicably, and Finch remains a figure from her past who respects the privacy and significance of their time together.

Finch is now a lawyer who proposed to his wife, Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, a year after Middleton’s wedding with the future King of England. The couple even attended the royals’ nuptials and Finch reportedly remains friends with the Prince and Princess of Wales to date.

Middleton and Prince William have been married for 12 years and will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary on April 29, 2024. They have welcomed three kids together: their eldest son is Prince George, followed by their only daughter Princess Charlotte, and their youngest son, Prince Louis.

Middleton and her husband Prince William continue to be prominent figures in public and royal life. Together, they embody stability and commitment that once seemed a distant dream during their early dating days.