They have been happily married for nine years, but that doesn’t mean that Kate Middleton and Prince William haven’t had their fair share of struggles in their relationship.

During a recent episode of the ROYALS podcast, Angela Mollard discussed a battle the future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had while they were still dating that led to the couple being forced to wonder if they really had what it took to have a successful future together.

According to Mollard, while the pair were long distance after university, they wound up in a fight when William said no to spending New Year’s Eve with his girlfriend and her family. The fight was so bad, that it is believed it helped lead to a later split for the pair, one which helped them mature as a couple.

“It felt like a wedding that came not in a hurry. They had all those years together. They had split up during that time,” she said. “So they had been able to really question if this was a relationship they wanted going forward.”

The couple famously split for a brief time in 2007 before reuniting and eventually becoming engaged in 2010. They went on to marry in 2011 and have since welcomed three children together—Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Sure enough, Mollard says the split definitely did the couple good, as nine years after their wedding they seem to be better off than ever.

“And when you look at those pictures they certainly appear more solid than ever,” she said of recent photos of the pair.

The couple has been making more headlines lately as they’ve stepped up their duties during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip isolating out of precaution due to their ages and Prince Charles also isolating after contracting the illness, the pair have been taking on more duties.

However, as their roles continue to grow within the family, the couple will have to face some hard decisions—like spending less time at their country home, Amner Hall.

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