Long Before They Dated, Kate Middleton Got Prince William Out of an Awkward Romantic Situation in College

Kate Middleton and Prince William have been married for almost 11 years and share three children together, but long before the pair began their whirlwind romance, they started off as friends and classmates at St. Andrews University of Scotland. Even though they weren't yet the iconic couple we know and love today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge still shared a special bond early on. According to a report by The Mirror, Kate even had a special trick for helping William out of uncomfortable situations at college gatherings.

Being heir to the royal throne—and a bachelor at the time—William, unsurprisingly, garnered a lot of attention at university. "Will was getting really hit on by this girl at a party and it was getting quite uncomfortable because he couldn't shake her off," says Laura Warshauer who spoke about the couple to Katie Nicholl, royal expert and author of Kate: The Future Queen. "He was being really polite, but this girl just didn't get the hint," she added. Suddenly, Kate appeared from behind and put her arms around William. He said that he had a girlfriend (referring to his future girlfriend and wife, Kate!) before the duo went off "giggling."

After Kate came to his rescue, William was apparently very grateful for her help: He even mouthed the words "thanks so much" to her, Warshauer told Nicholl. "Kate was the only girl in the room who could have done that. And that was just a month after we started university," she added. The anecdote clearly indicates just how special their relationship was, even at the friendship stage. Not too long after, the now-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge formally began dating—and eventually, William popped the question in 2010.