PRINCE William and Kate Middleton’s fairytale love story is adored by millions around the globe – and will be depicted on the new series of The Crown.

From William’s crush on fellow uni student Kate, dubbed the “prettiest girl” in their halls, to that famous see-through dress, their relationship excited fans from the get-go.

Photos from the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown show a budding William and Kate (played by Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy) meeting for the first time at St Andrews.

One shot shows William staring lovingly at his future bride, who he would go on to wed in 2011, and another shows Kate relaxing with fellow uni pals.

But what really happened at university to change the course of their destiny from student pals to the future King and Queen with three adorable children?

Prince William’s crush on Kate

William first laid eyes on his future wife as they moved into the same halls of residence, St Salvator’s – known to students as Sally’s.

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The pair were both studying History of Art, but William would later swap to Geography.

It wasn't long before the Prince would start to notice "attractive brunette" student Kate, who was dubbed by fellow students to be the "the prettiest girl in Sally’s’ during Fresher’s Week.”

Kate was even given the nickname “Beautiful Kate” by fellow students, which certainly helped to get William’s attention.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl said: “She was initially more reserved than many of the other young women, but her natural beauty was apparent.”

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Despite her allure, Kate admitted she was initially shy around her future husband during their first encounter, saying in her engagement interview: “I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you.”

Breakfast dates

Weeks after meeting, William was inviting Kate to join him and his pals for breakfast in the dining room.

According to Vanity Fair, the “health-conscious” pair would opt for the same dish: muesli and fruit.

Katie wrote: “They quickly discovered they had plenty in common. Kate was a country girl who loved playing sports and was a keen swimmer, like William. She was also a good skier and, just like William, had enjoyed a gap year travelling around the world before going to St. Andrews.”

Kate slotted in immediately with William’s pals Fergus Boyd, who William went to Eton with, and Olli Chadwick-Healey.

They were part of a larger group of guys called the “Sally’s boys”, which included Ali Coutts-Wood, Graham Booth, Charlie Nelson, and Oli Baker.

Katie added: “If William had a scheduling conflict, Kate would take notes for him, and at the end of the day they would catch up over a drink in the common room, where the floor-to-ceiling Georgian windows looked onto the tidy gardens.”

Kate’s see-through dress

Fate pulled the pair together at a fashion show in the St Andrew’s Hotel during their second term of studying.

On March 27, 2002, William forked out £200 for a front row ticket to the show, fully aware that his crush Kate was set to take part.

William famously gasped "wow, Kate's hot", when she strutted the catwalk in a see-through black and gold dress which visibly showed off her underwear.

Clearly the underwear impressed the royal as William was spotted kissing and sipping cocktails with Kate after the show.

Kate’s naughty sense of humour

The pair spent increasing time together, and it was Kate’s cheeky sense of humour that captured William’s attention.

William opened up about their initial bond in 2011, saying: “We just spent more time with each other, had a good giggle, had lots of fun and realised we shared the same interests and just had a really good time.

“She's got a really naughty sense of humour, which kind of helps me because I've got a really dry sense of humour, so it was good fun, we had a really good laugh and then things happened.”

He added that he “knew there was something very special” about Kate, and “there was possibly something I wanted to explore there.”

Roommates… and more

By the second year at St Andrew’s, William and Kate moved in together and their friendship did develop into something more. 

The bond blossomed largely in private, due to a media blackout which had been agreed after the death of Princess Diana. 

This meant William was "off limits" during his time in full-time education – and he also opted to go by the nickname of Steve to enable him to have a relatively normal experience among his peers.

Kate, Wills and two pals, Fergus and Olivia, signed up to live off campus together in a quaint two-storey, four-bedroom Edwardian townhouse in the city.

13A Hope Street – which was fitted with bulletproof windows and a bombproof front door for the prince’s safety – cost just £100 per week, and William and Kate’s rooms were one floor apart. 

It was in this home’s small kitchen where William tried to impress his pretty housemate with his culinary skills.

He even attempted to whip up dishes like “Bolognese”, according to the Princess of Wales.

She once joked: “I would have to wander in and save something that was going [wrong].”

The couple were said to "avoid big parties" and instead had "home cooked meals and romantic evenings watching TV together."

And a former student revealed: “Wills and Kate would tell people they were simply housemates and would always avoid any public shows of affection. 

“There were of course rumours but they were careful to avoid being the subject of student gossip.”

Fish and chips and pub visits

William and Kate’s love blossomed over long walks and the occasional cider at their favourite pub Ma Bells, which was far more discreet than the Student Union bar favoured by the other under graduates.

They also liked to travel a few miles away from St Andrews to share haddock and chips wrapped in paper as they walked to Anstruther’s pier. 

On occasion,they were also known to visit West Sands Beach, where Kate would watch William surf – or they'd go red squirrel spotting in Tentsuir Forest, far from the prying eyes of fellow students.

Secret’s out

For their last two years at St Andrew’s, William and Kate lived at Balgrove House on the private Strathtyrum Estate owned by a distant cousin of the royals. 

Here they enjoyed hosting dinner parties for friends and made the most of the privacy they could enjoy together as a couple.

But their romance was soon to become public.

In 2004, the couple were pictured skiing together in Switzerland and it was apparent they were a little more than just friends. 

“Finally… Wills gets a girl”, read one headline.

By the time of their graduation in 2005, their romance had strengthened over "homemade spaghetti and evenings in front of the fire", but was to become "the focus of global attention."

Vast numbers of TV crew descended on St Andrews for their graduation – and the rest is history.

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The final series of The Crown arrives on Netflix in two chapters: Part 1 on 16 November and Part 2 on 14 December.

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