Prince William and Kate are one of the nation’s favourite couples, married for 13 years with three beautiful children.

But it all could have been so different if it wasn’t for the help of his father King Charles III. The monarch played an unwitting, pivotal role in making sure the young students’ romance was able to blossom.

We take a look back at the couple’s adorable romance, which began when they both headed to the University of St Andrews after a gap year., and how it was Charles’ intervention that helped them take things to the next level…

Both William and Kate gained excellent A-level grades and both were easily accepted into studying at the university. William left Eton College with an A in geography, a B in art and a C in biology and gained a place on a history of art course.

Kate did even better at her school, Marlborough College, earning As in maths and art, and a B in English – and she too opted to study the history of art. But it appears that it was a last-minute decision that saw her and Wills thrown together.

In the book Kate: The Future Queen by royal expert Katie Nicholl, it is revealed that Kate had actually lined up a place at Edinburgh University. Jasper Selwyn, a careers adviser at Kate’s former school, Marlborough College, and Joan Gall her house tutor, confirmed to Ms Nichol that her first choice of university had been Edinburgh.

However, a change of heart saw Kate decide to reject the place and instead take a gap year before applying to go to St Andrews the following year. It was a risky move as she wasn’t guaranteed a place at St Andrews – especially as it was then revealed as the university that William would be attending, attracting more applications than usual. However, she later claimed a place to study the history of art and it paved the way for her meeting with her future husband.

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