The Sheer Dress Did Not Start It, New Claims Say About William and Kate
Royal author Ingrid Seward claims Prince William took Princess Kate for a pub drink before her famous 2002 catwalk appearance.
The claim, reported by Hello Magazine, questions the long-told version that a student charity show was the first spark. Seward is the author of 'Catherine & Diana: The Inside Story of How the Princesses of Wales Shaped the Modern Monarchy'.
Seward alleges the pair had already been on a date during the Christmas holidays. She claims William drove for more than an hour to collect Kate from her parents' home in Bucklebury. He then took her for a drink at the nearby Old Boot Inn.
Seward also claims Kate stepped in when William was unhappy studying art history. She suggested he change courses, and they worked through the alternatives together. William switched to geography the next term.
That backstory reframes the student show in March 2002 at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Kate walked the runway in a see-through knit dress worn over a strapless bandeau bikini top, her hair down in curls. The piece was designed by fellow student Charlotte Todd. It had started life as a sheer skirt and was worn as a dress.
It later sold at auction in 2011 for £78,000. The St Andrews show was called the "Don't Walk" fashion show. It entered royal lore as the night William noticed Kate on the catwalk.
One later account described the runway moment as when William realised Kate was 'the one'. Reuters has also circulated a first-hand recollection from a former student who watched from the crowd. An earlier report in Marie Claire had suggested the two were already a discreet, under-the-radar item for months before the show.
What makes this stand out is how little the legend changes. A pub drink. A course choice. Then a sheer dress under bright lights. The order shifts, but the cast stays the same.
