Timeline of a Royal Romance

Here is the timeline of Prince William's relationship with Kate Middleton.

:: September 2001: Prince William and Kate Middleton meet at St Andrews University, where they are studying art history.

The pair have rooms close to each other in the St Salvators Hall of Residence.

Kate persuades William to stay at university after he admits finding it difficult to settle. He later switches to a geography course.

:: March 2002: William pays £200 to watch Kate modelling a sheer black lace dress over a black bra and bikini bottoms in a charity catwalk show.

:: April 2002: William and Kate go flat-hunting to find a house for their second year.

:: September 2002: They move into a student house with two other friends, including former Etonian Fergus Boyd. Kate is dating another student Rupert Finch.

:: May 2003: William and Kate are pictured deep in conversation at a rugby match.

:: June 2003: Clarence House denies that William is romantically involved with close friend Jecca Craig, the daughter of wealthy conservationists based in Kenya.

:: June 2003: Kate attends William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle.

The Prince insists in an interview to mark his birthday that he does not have a steady girlfriend.

:: September 2003: William, Kate and their two flatmates move into a cottage in their third year of university.

:: It is not known exactly when William and Kate became an item but rumoured to be around Christmas 2003.

:: March 2004: William and Kate's romance is exposed after they are pictured on the ski slopes of Klosters together. Clarence House does not deny they are dating.

On the same holiday, William says: "I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30."

:: April 9, 2005: Kate is not invited to the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles in Windsor.

:: June 2005: Kate joins William at the wedding of his close friend Hugh van Cutsem.

:: June 2005: William and Kate graduate in the same ceremony at St Andrews and attend a celebratory lunch together joined by their families.

:: July 2005: The pair enjoy a romantic holiday at the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya, owned by the parents of Jecca Craig.

:: October 2005: Kate's lawyers - the same used by the Prince of Wales - ask newspaper editors to leave her alone, claiming she is being hounded by photographers.

:: Autumn 2005: There are reports that the relationship has cooled off.

:: November 2005: William tells an All Blacks rugby player at a Palace reception that the relationship is going well.

:: January 2006: William is photographed kissing Kate in public for the first time during a skiing break in Klosters.

Days later, William begins his Army training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

:: March 2006: Kate, without William, is invited into the Royal Box at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also there is the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

:: April 2006: Kate's lawyers make further complaints to newspapers and picture agencies after she is photographed on a shopping trip.

:: April 2006: The pair holiday on the Caribbean hideaway island of Mustique. They are snapped on a yacht together.

:: May 2006: William and Kate attend the wedding of the Prince's stepsister, Laura Parker Bowles.

:: August 2006: They holiday in Ibiza ahead of William's final term at Sandhurst.

:: November 2006: Kate gets a job as an accessories buyer with Jigsaw, the fashion chain owned by friends of her family.

:: December 2006: Kate makes her most significant appearance to date as she turns up to watch William graduate as an Army officer at Sandhurst.

:: January 2007: Kate's lawyers try to persuade newspaper editors to stop using paparazzi pictures of her after she is confronted by a media scrum outside her home on her 25th birthday. There are reports that legal action is being considered.

:: March 2007: William starts Army training at Camp Bovington, Dorset. The pair are pictured at the Cheltenham Gold Cup together.

:: Kate makes her first official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over alleged harassment in connection with a photo used in the Daily Mirror. She later settles the matter after an apology from the paper.

:: April 14, 2007: William and Kate are confirmed to have split.

:: June 2007: Speculation mounts that the couple are back together after they are seen kissing and dancing together at an Army party.

:: July 1, 2007: Kate joins William at the Wembley Stadium Concert for Diana, fuelling rumours that the couple are back together.

:: July 11 2007: The Media and Sport Select Committee accuses the Press Complaints Commission of failing to help protect Kate from "clear and persistent harassment" by the paparazzi.

:: October 2007: William and Middleton are photographed out on the town together for the first time since their split. Kate joins William at Balmoral for a private weekend with Charles and Camilla.

At the same time, the Prince voices concern after he and Kate are "aggressively" pursued in their car by the paparazzi.

:: August 2007: Security concerns force Kate to pull out of a Dover to Calais Chinese dragon boat race.

:: April 11, 2008: Kate appears at William's side at his graduation ceremony from the RAF, suggesting the couple's relationship is now permanent and has the approval of senior royals.

:: May 17, 2008: Kate attends the wedding of William's cousin, Peter Phillips, to Autumn Kelly. William attends another wedding in Africa.

:: June 16, 2008: Kate attends the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle to watch William taking part. It is the first time she has appeared at a formal and official Royal public occasion.

:: June 22, 2008: William marks his 26th birthday by playing side by side with his brother Harry in a charity polo match, with Kate watching from the sidelines. The celebrations continued with a private party at Prince Charles's home at Highgrove.

:: July 19, 2008: Kate attends her second royal wedding of the year without William. She is present at the marriage between Lady Rose Windsor.

:: September 2008: Kate dons hot pants and legwarmers at a charity roller disco she co-organised. She is pictured lying on her back after falling on the rink.

:: Christmas and New Year 2008: The couple holiday at the royal retreat of Birkhall, the Prince of Wales's home on the Queen's private Balmoral estate in Scotland.

:: May 2009: The couple are pictured together for the first time in five months after being spotted at a polo match.

:: July 2009: They are snapped kissing outside a pub.

:: December 2009: The Queen's lawyers warn newspapers against publishing paparazzi photos of the Royal family, fuelling speculation William and Kate are to wed.

:: January 2010: The pair take a New Year break at Birkhall.

:: January 15, 2010: Kate watches as William graduates on an advanced helicopter training course and receives his flying badge from the Prince of Wales.

:: February 2010: William remarks "You'll have to wait a while yet" when asked by a member of the public about the prospect of a royal wedding.

:: March 2010: The couple holiday with Kate's family on the slopes of Courchevel, France.

:: March 2010: Kate gives an insight into her childhood in an online question and answer session on her parents' firm's website. The link is later removed after the details are reported.

:: October 2010: Kate and William are photographed attending the Gloucestershire wedding of a friend.

:: November 16: The couple's engagement announced in a brief statement released by Clarence House.