Prince William reportedly extended a Christmas invitation to Kate Middleton in 2006 to spend Christmas with him and the royal family. However, she declined the invitation, according to a royal expert.
Prince William's 2006 Christmas Invitation Reportedly Rejected By Kate Middleton
The Prince and Princes of Wales dated for nearly a decade before they tied the knot in 2011. However, in 2006, Prince Harry's brother wished to spend the holidays with his now-wife. Unfortunately, she reportedly rejected him.
Tina Brown, the author of the bestselling biography The Palace Papers, previously claimed that William sent a Christmas invitation to his then-girlfriend to a Christmas party at Sandringham in 2006. However, he didn't get the response he was hoping to hear.
"Before graduation [from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst], William had issued his girlfriend the coveted invitation to join him at the Queen's annual Christmas house party at Sandringham," she wrote in the book, Express reported. "Kate, reflecting the confident mood of her Philip Treacy hat, maintained her resolve that she would not go to such a significant Royal Family gathering unless she had a ring on her finger."
At the time, Prince William had no plans to tie the knot with Middleton yet. So, he didn't argue with her.
"She declined. William met her decision with silence," Brown added.
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Historian Robert Lacey wrote in his book Battle of Brothers about the same incident. According to him, Queen Elizabeth extended the invitation to Middleton to join them in their traditional Christmas lunch. However, he echoed Brown's sentiment.
Middleton reportedly declined because she wanted to ensure her future with Prince William before rubbing elbows with them. She reportedly gave her now-husband an ultimatum.
She "would go to Sandringham on Christmas Day only when she was engaged and had a ring to prove it," the historian stated in his book.
Prince William and Middleton got engaged in 2010 and tied the knot in 2011. They celebrated Christmas in Sandringham this year with King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and the other members of the royal family.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the Christmas morning service Sunday with all three of their children — Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4. It was Prince Louis' Christmas walk debut, and he stole the heart of royal fans.
Prince Louis was caught on camera running behind his family during the Christmas walk after the service. According to spectators, he got left behind as he was busy collecting presents from the crowd.
"Oops, Prince Louis stayed with the public too long and has to run to catch up with his parents and his siblings! This is adorable and funny at the same time," one netizen wrote.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about Prince William and Kate Middleton.
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