Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Aaron Chown – WPA Pool (L); Max Mumby (R)

The bond between Prince William and his family, especially his relationship with his father, has been making headlines everywhere, especially with King Charles’ recent cancer diagnosis. William has also long sought counsel from his family, drawing upon the wisdom of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and his father in handling both professional and personal challenges. However, it is one conversation from the past that has caught everyone’s attention this time.

In a revelation by Royal biographer and historian Robert Lacey, it turned out that William and Charles had a deep talk that eventually impacted his future with Kate Middleton. Lacey suggested that without a profound heart-to-heart conversation between William and Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales might never have embarked on their romantic journey together because the royal was contemplating quitting his university, as per Mirror.

In his book called Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, Lacey talked about William’s first year at St. Andrews in Scotland and how the young royal found it more ‘boring’ than expected. William, who’s 41, talks to his dad, Charles, about both work and personal stuff and it seems like things were no different during that time of the Prince’s life. William opened up to Charles during Christmas in 2001 about wanting to quit university.

As per Lacey, university life wasn’t what William expected. He didn’t like living in a small Scottish town and found his university highlights were just ‘shopping in the local Tesco’ and feeling ‘clouded’ on nights out. William was also not happy with his choice of what subject to study, which at the time was the history of art.

When William spoke to the now-king about his dilemma, Charles apparently offered to help William transfer to a different university, with Edinburgh being at the top of the list. Eventually, however, Charles convinced his son to continue on the course after talking to some PR aides, who said quitting would be bad for William’s image; Lacey claimed that one of the PR experts said, “It would have been a personal disaster for William, he would have been seen as a quitter.”

There were also allegedly some worries it could damage the diplomatic relationship with Scotland as there had been a lot of excitement about the heir choosing to study there. William’s late grandfather, Prince Philip, allegedly had a more direct response, reportedly saying: “William needs to knuckle down and not wimp out,” as per The Daily Express.

Yes, she was always this poised! Kate Middleton turned heads at her 2005 graduation from St Andrews University – where she first met Prince William 🎓💗
📽️: Getty pic.twitter.com/b2cf2ECRMR

— HELLO! Canada (@HelloCanada) October 8, 2023

Consequently, Charles had a serious talk with William, who then agreed to give the university another try. This choice also led the Prince of Wales to meet his future wife. Charles’s spin doctor, Mark Bolland, also told Lacey, “It was no different from what many first-year students go through. We approached the whole thing as a wobble, which was entirely normal. St Andrews had a flexible course structure, and when they heard that William might be happier majoring in geography, they made sure there were no roadblocks.”

Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Samir Hussein
Having previously spoken about this phase of his life, William was open about feeling a bit unsure: “I don’t think I was homesick, I was more daunted… My father was very understanding about it and realised I had the same problem he probably had. We chatted a lot, and in the end we both realised – I definitely realised – that I had to come back.”

Thus, as is evident, the conversations between William and Charles have shaped their personal bond and influenced significant life decisions, such as William’s perseverance through university challenges and ultimately meeting Middleton. Now, as the family faces various challenges, including King Charles’ cancer diagnosis and Kate’s chemotherapy, Prince William shoulders increasing responsibilities, balancing royal duties with familial support during this trying time.