William and Kate apparently made a 'marriage pact' while dating

Cute

Cute

Did you know that Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly made a 'marriage pact' years before they tied the knot? The pact essentially promised the pair to each other, and detailed that they would end up together and get married eventually, whatever happened.

In her royal biography Kate: The Future Queen, royal expert Katie Nicholl explains that Kate and William's 'pact' took place in 2007, around the time when they briefly split. The future Duke and Duchess travelled together to the island of Desroches in the Seychelles to get away, and it was there they made their agreement.

'There on the paradise island, William promised Kate that he was in the relationship for the long term,' Nicholls wrote.

'For the very first time, they talked seriously about marriage, and with the ocean before them and beneath the night sky, they made a pact to marry.'

How sweet!

William and Kate met in university at St. Andrews in Scotland, while they were both studying. The pair dated privately for a while, and it was only in 2004 when the pair were photographed together skiing that their relationship was made public.

The couple then hit a bump in the road in 2007, when they split for several months.

Later speaking about the break up during the pair's engagement interview in 2010, Kate explained: “I think I at the time wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person...You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realised. Or I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you're younger. I really valued that time for me as well although I didn't think it at the time, looking back on it."

Luckily, things worked out for the pair, and they were engaged in 2010, and married the following year. The rest is history!

Rebecca Fearn

Rebecca is a freelance beauty journalist and contributor to Marie Claire. She has written for titles including Refinery29, The Independent, Grazia, Coveteur, Dazed, Stylist, and Glamour. She is also a brand consultant and has worked with the likes of The Inkey List on campaign messaging and branded copy. She’s obsessed with skincare, nail art and fragrance, and outside of beauty, Rebecca likes to travel, watch true crime docs, pet sausage dogs and drink coffee. Rebecca is also passionate about American politics and mental health awareness.