Prince William broke up with Kate Middleton in 2007, author reveals

Before they became the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William walked away from Kate Middleton — only to come “crawling back.”

The claim was made by Christopher Andersen, author of “Kate!,” which explores how the once commoner became the universally adored face of the British monarchy.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital it does not comment on books.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales walk in the orchards as they visit to Long Meadow Cider on October 14, 2025, in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. Their love story is being revisited in a new book by Christopher Andersen. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“Kate Middleton certainly was strategic in winning Prince William back,” Andersen told Fox News Digital. “And she had (her mother) Carole Middleton as her general or field marshal or strategist — we’re going to call it. But Kate was crushed in the beginning. (It) was completely out of the blue. I was in London when they broke up in 2007, and it was shocking. Everyone thought they were on the verge of announcing their engagement.”

William and Kate met in 2001 when they were students at the University of St. Andrews. The pair were friends at first but eventually started dating. After several years, William reportedly broke up with Kate over the phone.

Kate Middleton and Prince William attend day 1 of the Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival on March 13, 2007 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Indigo/Getty Images)

According to Andersen’s book, Kate was “clutching her cell phone close to her ear” behind a closed door at Jigsaw, where she worked as a children’s accessories buyer. In a conference room, Kate “listened to the man she had loved for five years tell her they were through.” Coworkers were straining to hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

WATCH: HOW KATE MIDDLETON WON PRINCE WILLIAM BACK AFTER THEIR SPLIT

William “stammered” that he was unwilling to commit, arguing he was “only 25” and “too young.” He stressed that the press would make her life “unbearable” as long as they remained a couple. He feared that her life was in danger, and she wasn’t entitled to royal protection when he wasn’t around.

“Kate!: The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen” by Christopher Andersen is available now. (Gallery Books)

Kate “pleaded” with William to reconsider. She offered to ask her parents to hire private bodyguards if that’s what he wanted. William didn’t budge. Instead, he said he was under so much pressure now that he was taking on the duties of a second lieutenant in the Blues and Royals Regiment of the Household Cavalry. He had made up his mind.

“What had happened was Camilla and (the former Prince) Charles had actually convinced William to either ask for her hand in marriage or cut it off and not let the poor girl suffer anymore,” Andersen told Fox News Digital.

From left: The former Prince Charles, Kate Middleton and Prince William share a joke during a visit to Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, on March 5, 2013. (Danny Lawson/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

“Charles was always incredibly fond of Kate. He never doubted that she would make an excellent wife for his eldest son, and she had all the qualities necessary to become a future queen. But it wasn’t fair, in Charles’ view, to keep the poor girl hanging. And so, (William) chose to cut it.”

“Her coworkers could hear Kate on the phone begging to know what was wrong, begging to know why this was happening, and crying,” Andersen claimed. “Understandably, Kate was devastated. Her coworkers overheard Kate pleading with William, asking, “Why?” It all came as a total shock.”

Kate Middleton was said to be heartbroken after Prince William broke up with her. They reconnected soon after. (Mel Bouzad/FilmMagic)

The book describes how Kate “had been gently pressing William for a commitment but was careful not to overplay her hand.” Still, it was over.

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Kate Middleton (pictured here) and Prince William called it quits in April 2007. (Jules Annan/Avalon/Getty Images)

That evening, Andersen said Kate returned home to her mother, who encouraged her daughter to get out and embrace her independence.

“Carole Middleton, a very smart woman, told her, ‘Just go out there and (show him) what he’s missing,’” said Andersen. “And so, she went back into society.”

Kate Middleton and her mother, Carole Middleton, attend the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park in Stroud, England. (Indigo/Getty Images)

Kate refused to stay heartbroken. The book claimed that she embarked on a new diet and exercise regimen and began slipping “into a series of micro-miniskirts” and “painted-on designer jeans.”

Kate Middleton’s breakup glow-up caught the attention of her ex-boyfriend, Prince William. (Fiona Hanson – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

She returned to London’s nightclub scene with her sister Pippa Middleton “riding shotgun.” In between having fun “with a succession of young men,” as reported by local newspapers, she also signed up with Sisterhood, an all-female rowing crew. She was far from moping around.

“Carole Middleton came to her daughter’s rescue,” said Andersen. “She convinced Kate not to let the hurt show, to go out and date other young men in their circle and join a women’s rowing crew to make it look like she was having the time of her life. Kate and her sister Pippa were out on the town practically every night, making sure they were photographed in the company of handsome young aristocrats.”

Christopher Andersen, author of “Kate!,” told Fox News Digital Prince William quickly realized he made a huge mistake in breaking up with Kate Middleton. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

The headlines reportedly stung William. The book claimed that when it was reported that Kate and Sir Henry Ropner, a “dashing heir to a shipping fortune,” were “in each other’s arms on the dance floor,” William realized he’d made a huge mistake.

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Kate Middleton and Guy Pelly dance at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s pre-Wimbledon party hosted by Sir Richard Branson of Virgin at The Roof Gardens in London. (Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)

“William went on a couple of drunken sprees,” said Andersen. “In fact, at one point, he was in a London nightclub, shouting ‘I’m free!’ But six weeks after the split, he came back to Kate with his tail between his legs.”

Kate Middleton is seen here training on the River Thames for the Cross Channel Challenge. (Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)

“The breakup was a total wake-up call for William,” Andersen continued. “After all the years he and Kate had been together, he somehow felt it was his obligation to sow some additional wild oats. After all, that’s what most male members of the royal family did. But fairly quickly, he realized that Kate was the love of his life and someone you could build a future with.”

And there was one party that changed everything.

Kate Middleton, her sister Pippa Middleton and friends arrive at the Renaissance Rooms in South London for the Day-Glo Midnight Roller Disco. (Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images)

In the book “William and Catherine” by Russell Myers, the royal editor of the Daily Mirror, he wrote that one of their mutual friends, Sam Waley-Cohen, was throwing a party at his family home, a 17th-century manor in Oxfordshire. The theme of the night was “Freakin’ Naughty.”

WATCH: INSIDE THE PARTY THAT CHANGED PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON’S FUTURE

William, who was “missing” Kate, reached out to her, asking if she would be attending the party that had been in their diary for months. Kate, reluctant to commit over the phone, said she would consider it.

Kate Middleton looks on from the crowd during a Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships match at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

“Keen to make an impression, and perhaps to help break the ice when he saw Catherine for the first time in months, William dressed in tight black hotpants and a plastic policeman’s helmet,” Myers wrote. “Catherine also turned heads when she arrived in a showstopping ‘naughty nurse’ outfit, complete with fishnet tights and a short dress.”

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Kate Middleton (right) is seen enjoying a fabulous night out with her sister Pippa Middleton. (Niki Nikolova/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

“Fellow guests said as soon as William and Catherine set eyes on one another, it was clear their love had not extinguished,” he wrote. “The couple peeled off from the rest of the party and spent hours locked in deep conversation. Catherine listened intently as William attempted to break the deadlock, laying out his reasons for doubting what they had.”

During the couple’s 2010 engagement interview with ITV News, Prince William said that he “knew there was something very special” about Kate Middleton from the moment they met. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

“He talked of his fear of letting someone truly experience the world in which he lived, and also his fear of rejection if he did let himself get too close,” Myers continued. “Catherine, of course, knew that she still loved William deeply.”

“As the cocktails flowed, and the dance floor filled, they only had eyes for each other,” Myers wrote.

Kate Middleton is seen here in London, circa 2007. (Mark Milan/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

In the summer of 2007, William and Kate rekindled their romance.

“Kate graciously made it clear that she understood the pressures he was under,” said Andersen.

Christopher Andersen told Fox News Digital Prince William was also deeply worried about Kate Middleton’s safety, which contributed to the breakup. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

“At long last, William was no longer confused about the part she was destined to play in his life. Kate was in love with William and vice versa. It had been that way for five years by the time of their breakup.

Kate Middleton leaves her Chelsea flat in London on her 25th birthday, circa 2007. The British tabloids became fixated on the future Princess of Wales when she began dating Prince William. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

“She never doubted William’s love for her, and he never doubted her commitment to him. But you have to understand that a future king has so many expectations heaped upon him that, at some point, he is going to crack. And that’s what happened when he initiated the breakup.”

“Fortunately, William soon came to his senses,” Andersen added.

Prince William and Catherine smile after their marriage at Westminster Abbey in London. Thousands of well-wishers also flocked to the city to witness the royal wedding. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Three years later, in 2010, William and Kate announced their engagement. They married the following year at London’s Westminster Abbey. Today, they are now proud parents to three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.