Royal Expert Says Prince William "Inherited" King Charles's "Fear of Commitment," So Kate Middleton "Agreed to Wait for Him"

Kate allegedly "made a pact" after learning about William's "inherent fear of tomorrow."

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Prince William is wearing a dark suit with a red tie, while Kate Middleton wears a red coat dress and matching hat, and King Charles walks ahead of them in a striped blue suit
(Image credit: PHIL HARRIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Kate Middleton and Prince William tied the knot on April 29, 2011, in a fairytale wedding at Westminster Abbey. However, the path to marriage wasn't totally smooth for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who weathered a high-profile split in 2007. And according to one royal expert, William inherited some serious trepidation about committing to marriage from his father, King Charles.

In her book, The Making of a Royal Romance: William, Kate, and Harry—A Look Behind the Palace Walls, royal expert Katie Nicholl shared that the Prince and Princess of Wales took a trip to the island of Desroches in the Seychelles in August 2007, soon after getting back together. "With a population of just 50 and 3 miles long, the paradise island was the perfect escape," Nicholl wrote (via the Daily Mail). "[B]oth of them knew that at some point they had to discuss the future."

Nicholl continued, "For a young man who has an inherent fear of tomorrow, this was not easy for William, but the tranquil backdrop of the island was as good place as any to discuss it."

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King Charles wears a brown overcoat and laughs alongside Kate Middleton, who wears a red coat with a tartan scarf, and Prince William

"William...had inherited something of his father's fear of commitment."

(Image credit:  Danny Lawson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

According to Nicholl, Prince William "assured Kate she was the one," as he wanted to make sure she realized just how serious he was about their renewed relationship. "William, who had inherited something of his father's fear of commitment, knew he would lose Kate if he could not give her some form of guarantee," Nicholl revealed.

polo - kate and william

William "knew he would lose Kate if he could not give her some form of guarantee."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Although Prince William didn't propose to Princess Kate until 2010, the pair reportedly made a "pact" during their 2007 vacation. "They didn't agree to get married there and then; what they made was a pact," a close friend told the royal expert. "William told Kate...he was not ready to get married," the source explained to Nicholl. "He promised her his commitment and said he would not let her down, and in turn she agreed to wait for him."

After marrying in 2011, Kate and William welcomed 3 children together—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—and quickly proved they're a strong asset within the Royal Family.

Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.