A brand new biography of the Prince and Princess of Wales by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers reveals how William was desperate to protect Kate in the early days of their relationship
Prince William vowed there would be “absolutely nothing” he wouldn’t do to protect his family in an extraordinary move. The Prince of Wales left photographers astonished when he joined them for a drink in a hotel bar just weeks after Kate was revealed as his girlfriend in the early days of their relationship.
But after engaging in small talk, he gave them a frank “dressing down”, telling them: “There is absolutely nothing I would not do to protect my family or those close to me from those times, so we are not going back.” The revelation has been uncovered in a new tell-all biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, by The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers.
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It charts how in 2004, Kate was revealed to be in a relationship with the future King, after they were photographed skiing together in the Swiss resort of Klosters, with the future Princess of Wales ‘spooked’ by the attention it generated. Weeks later, the royal press pack descended on Gloucestershire, where William was due to take part in a prearranged press call with his father at Duchy Home Farm.
Myers reveals how, as the photographers enjoyed a drink at the nearby Hare and Hounds Hotel, William turned up, bought in a round of drinks before addressing the newsmen in a frank manner.
One of them, former Daily Mirror chief photographer Kent Gavin, tells William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story that the prince lowered his voice and said: “That business on the slopes, totally uncalled for, don’t you think?” Gavin added: “We knew he wasn’t asking the question, it was more of a dressing down, which was pretty extraordinary.
“He then said he was making himself very clear, that there was absolutely no way we are going back to the old days. I remember him saying, ‘There is absolutely nothing I would not do to protect my family or those close to me from those times, so we are not going back.’ We were all pretty dumbfounded, but understood where he was coming from.”
After delivering his warning, the biography explains how William finished his pint of cider and said goodbye, leaving the photographers astonished.
The biography, available to pre-order now, also reveals how Prince William wanted his disgraced uncle Andrew banished from royal life immediately after his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in 2019. It also unearths the true story on how William and Kate felt about the Sussexes’ departure from royal life and provides never-before-told context on how the Princess of Wales dealt with her shock cancer diagnosis.
The book also highlights the Prince and Princess of Wales’s life from their earliest meeting at St Andrews University to the current day and how they have shaped their vision for a modern monarchy and its safe continuation at a time of extreme change and turmoil.
Myers said: “I’ve spent almost a decade following The Prince and Princess of Wales as part of the Royal pack and have always believed there’s so much more to the couple than the spectacle reveals. The result of this biography is a truly intimate portrait of William and Catherine; providing not just unparalleled insight into who they are as individuals, but seismic revelations about them as a couple and the world they inhabit.
“This biography moves beyond the headlines as it explores love, resilience, and their journey together as they navigate their public duties amid this unprecedented era.”
William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, published on 26 February by Ebury, Penguin Random House, is available to pre-order now.
