Kate Middleton had an unexpected reminder of her pre-royal life over the weekend.
The Princess of Wales attended the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling in the Cotswolds with Prince William, but one guest list detail quickly drew attention. Kate’s former boyfriend, Rupert Finch, was also at the ceremony.
For most people, running into an ex at a wedding is awkward enough. For Kate, it happened at a royal family event with cameras, headlines, and years of public interest attached.
Kate And William Attended Peter Phillips’ Wedding
Kate, 44, joined William at the wedding of Peter Phillips, who is Princess Anne’s son and William’s cousin. The ceremony took place at All Saints Church in the village of Kemble.
It marked Peter’s second marriage following his split from Autumn Kelly in 2021 after 12 years of marriage.
Kate wore a beige boucle-knit Roland Mouret dress with a matching hat and heels. William chose a traditional morning suit. Other royals in attendance included Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Princess Anne.
Rupert arrived with his wife, Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, who wore a blue floral dress. He also wore a traditional suit for the occasion.
Kate’s Ex Was Part Of Her St. Andrews Story
Kate and Rupert reportedly dated in 2001 while both were students at St. Andrews.
That timing matters because it places Rupert in Kate’s life before her romance with William became one of the most-watched royal relationships in the world. At the time of Kate’s famous 2002 university fashion show appearance, she was reportedly involved with Rupert.
Rupert has mostly avoided speaking publicly about the old relationship. “It’s not something I’ll ever talk about,” he once said. “It’s between Kate and me and was a long time ago.”
The relationship was later portrayed in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s ‘The Crown,’ with Oli Green playing Rupert and Meg Bellamy playing the future Princess of Wales.
Both Moved On Years Ago
Kate and William dated for nearly a decade before getting engaged in October 2010. They married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, with Rupert among the guests. The couple now share three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight.
Earlier this year, William and Kate marked 15 years of marriage with a sweet family post. They shared a photo of the family lying on the grass and wrote, “Celebrating 15 years of marriage.”
Rupert married Lady Natasha in 2013, and they share three daughters: Georgia, Cienna, and India.
Still, the royal wedding sighting gave fans another reason to revisit Kate’s St. Andrews years. Before the titles, the palace duties, and the global spotlight, there was a university romance that quietly became part of royal history.
