Prince William and Kate Middleton used a surprising codename to keep their relationship out of the headlines at university

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are one of the most talked-about couples in the world, with their family of five - especially during lockdown - now embracing the spotlight to be stable figures for the nation.

There was a time however when Kate and William were desperate for the opposite, with the now Duchess being a paparazzi favourite ever since joining the royal fold. In fact, Kate has actually been fighting for her privacy long before Prince William popped the question.

But with journalists and paparazzi reportedly posing as fellow students to get the scoop, how did the couple manage to get some privacy while dating at university?

Last month, news resurfaced from 2007 when Prince William was forced to step in on Kate Middleton’s behalf to protect his girlfriend’s privacy, asking for paparazzi to stop waiting outside her house. And this month, another detail resurfaced, involving a specific codename the couple used during their St Andrews days.

Prince William opted for a secret code name at university, going by 'Steve' to close friends.

This reportedly allowed Kate to talk to her friends on campus about her relationship with 'Steve' and for their mutual friends to refer to 'Steve and Kate's relationship' without arousing any suspicion.

Prince Harry reportedly followed in his brother's footsteps and took up a codename too, going by 'Spike Wells' on social media.

Thankfully the two princes don't need codenames any longer.

These two!