William and Kate: a royal love story

In 2001, William and Kate met at the University of St. Andrews. Could they have predicted at the time that they would one day become the most popular couple of the UK? Probably not. Although they both studied art history and had common interests, they were just good friends at the beginning. They even shared a flat in a student house, with two other flatmates.

The first son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, William was born on June 21, 1982. The Duke of Cambridge is second in the line of succession to the British throne, after his father, which made him one of the most sought-after bachelors of nobility when he was growing up.

Kate Middleton was born nearly half a year before William. Kate's parents, a flight dispatcher and a flight attendant, started their own party supplies business, from which they made a fortune. That's how they could afford to send their daughter to the best schools.

A key moment in William's and Kate's love story was a charity fashion show at St. Andrews in 2002. Kate strode down the catwalk in a see-through lace slip that caught William's eye. They became a couple in 2003. Nine years later, the iconic dress was auctioned for 78,000 pounds (nearly 90,000 euros, $101,000).

It happened in 2010: William proposed to Kate during a holiday in Kenya - presenting an 18-carat sapphire white gold ring encrusted with 14 diamonds. Beyond its material value, the ring has a strong sentimental value: It previously belonged to William's mother, Diana, who tragically died in 1997. The prince said that through the ring, his mother wouldn't miss out on his wedding day.

According to star photographer Mario Testino, this well-known engagement photo of the couple was taken by coincidence. After a two-hour shoot, Testino still didn't feel he had the perfect picture. As the fiancés were about to leave, they hugged in front of a radiator. Testino's snapshot of their spontaneous and genuine embrace went around the world.

On April 29, 2011, William and Kate finally exchanged their vows. Her elegant 1950s-style dress was a real eye-catcher. Her veil was 2.7 meters (8.8 feet) long - five meters shorter than the one worn by Princess Diana. Kate Middleton then officially became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Two families were turned into one: After the wedding, the Windsors and the Middletons gathered for an official portrait in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.

He looks just like his father: Little Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, at St. Mary's Hospital. It was the first time in a century that three successors to the throne were alive at the same time: Charles, his son William and his grandson George, who's pictured here at Pippa Middleton's wedding in May.

On May 2, 2015, nearly two years after Prince George was born, London's Tower Bridge was lit up in pink to announce the birth of William and Kate's daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The Royal Artillery Band played Stevie Wonder's song "Isn't She Lovely," and just like for her brother's birth, celebratory cannons were fired. The princess is already over a year old on this photo.

Former US President Obama didn't miss the opportunity to shake hands with the blue-blooded offspring. Appearing somewhat shy, George welcomed him in his bathrobe. Barack Obama and his wife Michelle offered him a special present for his birthday: a toy dog, a replica of the Obamas' pet Bo.

During their seven-day tour of India in 2016, William and Kate were given a traditional welcome at the Banganga Water Tank in Mumbai, where they let flower petals float. During their stay, they also participated in a game of cricket and went to visit a slum in Mumbai.

The young royal family is definitely charming. That's why Foreign Minister Boris Johnson incited the couple to travel to Europe to symbolically extend a "hand of friendship" as Brexit negotiations begin. During their first joint state visit to Germany on July 19, even their cute children will be contributing to the charm offensive.