Prince William ‘Knew Life Wouldn’t Be The Same’ After This Moment

He’s set to be the King of England one day in the future, following his father’s own reign, and has known about what his future will hold since he was a young boy. However, the reality about his future allegedly didn’t sink in for Prince William entirely until one specific event in his life.

According to the resurfaced documentary, “Prince William at Thirty,” the Duke of Cambridge was given a reprieve from the British press during his time as a student at the University of St Andrew’s, and was allowed to live a normal life without media intrusion as a result for the four years he attended. However, upon his graduation in 2003, that all changed—and it became a pivotal part of his life.

“I remember walking out of the graduation hall and there being an unbelievably large bank of photographers, and suddenly it brought home to everybody that the time of Will being protected in this sort of bubble was over and all the speculation would probably begin,” hid friend, Jules Knight, revealed in the film.

One of the big things that aided in the bubble being burst and the reality of his responsibilities coming to the surface was his relationship with his future wife, Kate Middleton. While at school, the relationship was able to go on in relative secrecy due to the lack of press presence at the time. However, that changed as their relationship eventually came to light when he was no longer protected by his school.

As a result, more intense media scrutiny followed for both, and it contributed to the couple’s problems that later led to their 2007 split.

“There was intense media scrutiny on Catherine down in London and I think that was very difficult for them because their relationship had to change and adapt to that. I think it was very hard for both of them,” royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah said.

The couple, of course, learned to eventually overcome the attention, with the aid of some help from new rules that Queen Elizabeth had established, and despite the split, wound up back together again. They went on to marry in 2011.