The story of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s breakup has been back in the headlines thanks to a new biography by author Robert Jobson, and the Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly distraught. In a year already fraught with health issues, press scandals, and royal family drama, the heirs are not happy to see stories from their past back in circulation. A source close to them told New Idea that they are trying their best to ignore the story.
“William is doing what he can to shelter Kate from the headlines,” the insider said. “They’re trying to put a wall up, but it’s stressing them both out and dragging up old wounds that haven’t fully healed. The timing couldn’t be worse… The last thing William and Kate want to relive right now is that awful time when they broke up.”
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Prince William and Middleton met while they were students at St. Andrew’s University, and Jobson’s book, Catherine The Princess of Wales, describes an incident when Prince William broke off the relationship in April of 2007, while they were still pursuing their studies. It includes some new details, such as the fact that they broke up in an “emotionally charged 30-minute conversation” over the phone, and that Prince William “celebrated their breakup with an alcohol-fueled night” at a London night club. Witnesses said that the Prince drunkenly shouted: “I’m free!” at one point in the night.
“It was years ago but it’s still a sore point – especially for Kate, who was the one that got dumped,” New Idea‘s source said. “She puts a brave spin on it because she’s very proud and would never like anyone to see her looking weak, but the truth is, it was very painful, and she still has a lot of bitterness towards William for putting her through that.”
As for Prince William, the insider said: “Looking back, William feels like a jerk, so to have it rehashed again, especially when Kate’s battling cancer, is brutal.” They said that the family is also concerned with the persistent but uncertain rumor that Prince William had an extramarital affair, and that Middleton has been speaking at length with royal advisers about how to prevent a fiasco like this from happening again.
While all this is going on, the status of Middleton’s cancer treatment is notclear. The Princess of Wales went through chemotherapy earlier this year, but it’s not clear if that phase of the treatment is over or not. She was cleared for some public events earlier in the summer, including her beloved Wimbledon tournament, but she has not stepped out much since then. The royal family has not commented publicly on this new report.
