EXCLUSIVE: Secrets of Prince William's Break-Up Call — After It Left Kate Middleton 'Absolutely Devastated'
Kate Middleton was left absolutely devastated by a blunt break-up phone call from Prince William in 2007,
Jan. 4 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Kate Middleton was left absolutely devastated by a blunt break-up phone call from Prince William in 2007, a moment that nearly ended one of the most enduring modern royal relationships, according to new revelations from a royal biographer.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both now 43, are widely regarded as a model of stability within the Royal Family, but RadarOnline.com can reveal their path to marriage was far from straightforward.
Cracks Appear Before Engagement
Kate Middleton felt devastated after a breakup phone call in 2007.
William and Catherine, now both aged 43, first met as teenagers while studying at Marlborough College, before crossing paths again at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Living in the same halls of residence, they became close friends, then a couple, quickly attracting attention across campus.
Their romance endured beyond graduation in 2005, when William entered the military and Catherine began work in London as an accessories buyer for Jigsaw.
By late 2006 and early 2007, however, cracks were appearing. As Catherine prepared to turn 25, William pulled out of New Year plans with the Middleton family in Dundee, fueling speculation something was wrong.
Despite widespread rumors of an impending engagement, Catherine sensed uncertainty. Those doubts were confirmed during a 30-minute phone call that would change everything.
Blunt Phone Call Ends Romance
Prince William ended the relationship during a 30-minute call.
In his book Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, author Robert Jobson writes William suggested they should separate, telling Catherine they needed some "breathing room" and to "find our own path."
The royal expert reports William admitted he could not promise marriage.
During the conversation, the couple acknowledged they were on "different paths," a realization said to have proved crushing for Catherine, who felt doubly hurt by being dumped over the phone.
Kate Left Distraught As William Partied
The couple reunited at a costume party and rekindled their romance.
According to Jobson, the call left Catherine "distraught," prompting her to retreat from public view.
Her mother, Carole Middleton, took her to Dublin to recover, while William embraced bachelor life with friends.
Robert alleged William became so drunk at London nightclub Mahiki he shouted about being "free," reveling in his single status.
A source close to the couple said the episode cut deeply.
They added: "Kate believed the relationship was heading toward marriage, so the phone call felt brutal and final. It knocked her confidence and left her questioning whether she had been strung along."
Another insider added: "It was one of the most painful moments of her life, and for a while it seemed impossible they would ever find their way back to each other. It left her absolutely devastated."
Chance Reunion Reignites Love
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The couple announced their engagement three years later.
As Catherine slowly re-emerged in public, friends rallied around her. She was photographed enjoying nights out in London with her sister Pippa Middleton, and was briefly linked to shipping heir Sir Henry Ropner.
William, by contrast, spent much of his single summer confined to military barracks as an army officer, a period that reportedly led to second thoughts.
Robert wrote it took barely two months for William to begin missing Catherine intensely, though he feared she might not take him back.
Their reunion came by chance at a costume party at a mutual friend's country estate. Robert notes the "chemistry between William and Catherine did the rest" after she arrived dressed as a nurse.
The pair talked all night before sharing a kiss on the dance floor. They initially kept the reconciliation private but were soon spotted kissing at a military event at Bovington Barracks in Dorset.
Catherine later appeared at the Concert for Diana at Wembley in July 2007, seated just rows behind William and his brother Prince Harry, 40.
Within months, she had quietly moved into William's Clarence House apartment for weekends together.
Three years later, in 2010, the couple announced their engagement, with Catherine receiving the sapphire ring once worn by William's mother, Princess Diana, sealing a love story that had survived its most devastating test.
