They may be our future King and Queen, with 15 years of marriage and three children under their belts, but they were once just two university students embarking on an exciting new relationship. On their wedding day back in 2011, the Princess of Wales' dad revealed a grand gesture Prince William had pulled out to help woo his future wife.
After the globally televised wedding service at Westminster Abbey had concluded, the couple's close family and friends gathered to celebrate privately. During his father-of-the-bride speech, Kate's dad, Michael Middleton, reflected on the early days of couple's relationship. According to The Times, Prince William - then a newly qualified RAF pilot - decided to dazzle Kate and her family by making an unplanned visit to their home - in a helicopter.
'I knew things were getting serious when I found a helicopter in my garden,' Mr Middleton told the guests during his speech. He also admitted this was the moment when he realised just how strongly Prince William felt about the now Princess: 'I thought gosh, he must like my daughter.'
Of course, landing a helicopter in your girlfriend's garden simply because you want to see her, is a rather impressive move by most people's standards. 'I did wonder then how he was going to top this,' Michael joked. And, while Prince William might no longer needs to fly to Kate's parents' house to see her, he revealed in a recent Heart breakfast radio interview that he does still fly a helicopter. He said he sometimes flies over to the Isles of Scilly, where he spent time with his parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, growing up.
In the same interview, Prince William gushed about Kate, showing he's just as enamoured with her today as he was in their early days together. 'She’s an amazing mum and an amazing wife and literally our family couldn’t cope without her,' Prince William said. Referencing the Princess of Wales' health battles, Prince William said he was 'so proud, very very proud. She’s been amazing. She’s been through so much in the last few years.’
On 29 April this year the Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. The pair share three children together; Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and live at Forest Lodge, in Great Windsor Park, Berkshire. They also spend time at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, although their official offices are still based at Kensington Palace.
