Before their 2011 wedding, Prince William and Princess Catherine were already navigating public scrutiny, private milestones, and moments of uncertainty. Following a brief split in 2007, the couple decided to take a private holiday together that would mark a turning point in their relationship. Later that year, William, now 43, took Catherine, also 43, on a discreet holiday to Desroches, an island in the Seychelles. The couple reportedly checked into their resort under the names Martin and Rosemary Middleton to avoid attention and protect their privacy.
A quiet but significant promise
According to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, the trip marked an important moment for William and Catherine.
Writing in her book The Making of a Royal Romance, Katie revealed that the couple used the holiday to rebuild and solidify their future.
She wrote: “William, who had inherited something of his father’s fear of commitment, knew he would lose Catherine if he could not give her some form of guarantee.”
Not yet marriage, but a commitment
Rather than proposing there and then, William made a private pact to Catherine that reassured her of his intentions.
Quoting a member of the couple’s inner circle, Katie continued: “They didn’t agree to get married there and then; what they made was a pact.”
She added: “William told Catherine she was the one, but he was not ready to get married. He promised her his commitment and said he would not let her down, and in turn she agreed to wait for him.”
Life after the pact
The couple continued their relationship with renewed trust, and three years later, William proposed to Catherine during a trip to Kenya.
The couple shared the news publicly in November 2010. They were married the following year at Westminster Abbey.
Despite the couple having spoken about marriage, Catherine admitted in their 2010 engagement interview that she was still surprised by the proposal.
She said: “It was a total shock when it came. There’s a true romantic in there.”
William’s version
William confirmed in the same interview with ITV that the proposal wasn’t entirely unexpected but still special.
He said: “We’d been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn’t a massively big surprise, but I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya, and I proposed.”
The couple first met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. They became friends before dating in the early 2000s.
Their relationship was tested several times under media attention, with the 2007 break-up seen as a key turning point.
Still strong 14 years on
William and Catherine have now been married for over 14 years and share three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
They continue to work together publicly as senior members of the royal family.
Though the holiday and secret pact happened years ago, fans continue to reflect on the strength of William and Catherine’s bond.
The private promise shared on a remote island became the foundation for one of the most high-profile marriages in the world.