Kate and William have been happily married since 2011 and are busy parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. They met in 2001 at St Andrews University but their path to royal romance did not always run smoothly. In her 2010 book “William and Harry”, royal author Katie Nicholl reveals how another woman took “pride of place” next to Prince William at his 21st birthday celebrations.
Both William and Kate turned 21 in 2003 and separately held parties to celebrate that summer.
Ms Nicholl writes: “When William attended Kate’s belated 21st birthday party in June 2003 at her family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, the glance she threw him across the room when he walked into the 1920s-themed party was beyond platonic.
However, things did not look so romantic at William’s big bash.
Ms Nicholl writes: “Then at William’s party at Windsor Castle later that month it seemed as though Kate was barely registering on William’s radar.
“He seemed very preoccupied with a pretty girl called Jecca Craig.”
Jecca is daughter of British conservationist Ian Craig and his wife Jane.
She first met the Duke of Cambridge in 1998 while on holiday in Kenya.
Ms Nicholl adds: “William had apparently had a secret crush on Jecca since the first time he met her.
“She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, deep-blue eyes and legs like a gazelle.
“As Kate raised her champagne flute to toast the birthday prince at the aptly themed Out of Africa celebration at Windsor Castle, it was Jecca who had pride of place next to William at the head table.”
The lavish celebration saw Windsor Castle transformed into a jungle, decorated with elephant and giraffe models and tribal masks.
Royal author Marcia Moody wrote how the Queen joined in the party’s theme, coming “dressed as the Queen of Swaziland in a glittering white gown and African headdress".
