Insider Reveals Kate Middleton's Clever Trick to Stop Women From Hitting on William: ‘The Only Girl...'

Kate Middleton had to wait a long time before Prince William proposed to her. She was famously nicknamed 'Waitey Katie' by the press.

Kate Middleton had to wait a long time before Prince William proposed to her. She was famously nicknamed 'Waitey Katie' by the press as the Prince took up military tours, delaying an engagement. William and Middleton first met during their time at St. Andrews in Scotland. Middleton's mother is known to have made her take a drop year so she could start college the same year as William. When they met, the two did in fact get along well, and their royal love story began. However, as William was a prince, he was understandably quite popular among the ladies. This had Middleton come up with a rather 'clever trick' to stop other women from flirting with him.

Although popular, William was reportedly too shy and polite, and didn’t know how to turn women down. This allegedly had Middleton stepping in, as reported by The Mirror. Royal author Katie Nicholl, in her book Kate: The Future Queen, quotes the couple's mutual friend, Laura Warshauer. As reported by the Daily Express, she said, "Will was getting really hit on by this girl at a party, and it was getting quite uncomfortable because he couldn't shake her off.”

Warshauer continued, "He was being really polite, but this girl just didn't get the hint. All of a sudden, Kate came up behind him and put her arms around him. He said, 'Oh, sorry, but I've got a girlfriend,' and he and Kate went off giggling." William allegedly thanked Middleton after she helped him. Warshauer argued, "Kate was the only girl in the room who could have done that. And that was just a month after we started university." After their first year, the duo moved to a shared home at 13A Hope Street with two other friends, Fergus Boyd and Olivia Bleasdale.

At St. Andrews University, Middleton pursued art history, and William studied geography. As for their love story, it has been reported that William was drawn towards Middleton during a charity fashion show where she walked down the runway. Later, in 2006, Middleton also attended the wedding ceremony of Queen Camilla’s daughter. A year later, in 2007, the couple, however, took time apart, with William allegedly breaking up over the phone.

During their engagement interview, Middleton revealed that she wasn’t happy during their time apart. As reported by the Town and Country magazine, she said, “At the time, I wasn't very happy about it, but it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger, and I really valued that time for me, although I didn't think it at the time." In 2010, while on a trip to Kenya, William proposed to Middleton with his mother, Princess Diana’s iconic ring. The following year, the couple exchanged wedding vows.