As Prince William and Kate Middleton prepare to walk down the aisle, TIME looks back at the highs and lows of their 10-year romanceBy William Lee Adams
College Sweethearts
Their university days were over, but William and Kate knew their relationship wasn't. Taken on June 23, 2005, the day of their graduation ceremony at St. Andrew's University, this Middleton family snapshot captures the prince in a tender moment, caressing Kate, whom he met four years earlier. During their time at St. Andrew's the couple enjoyed relative privacy from photographers under an agreement brokered between Clarence House (Prince Charles' official residence), Britain's Press Complaints Commission and newspaper editors.Middleton Family / Clarence House / Getty Images
On Track
Up to 5,000 well-wishers greeted Kate and Wills in a soggy Lancashire park during their final public appearance (on April 11, 2011) before their April 29 wedding. Officially Kate came to start a girl's track race. Unofficially she was testing the spotlight one final time before becoming a Windsor. "It's raining today, but it'll be nothing but sunshine in their marriage," Marion Riley, 57, told TIME at the event. Under those expectations, Kate must have found balancing in her three-inch heels a cinch.Darren Staples / Reuters
The Royal Wedding
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smile following their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England. The marriage led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by many guests, including foreign Royal family members, heads of state, and celebrities.Chris Jackson / Getty Images
Full Contact Sport
But after they graduated that protection vanished. The paparazzi began snapping them in public, and even trips to rugby matches (like this one in February 2007) transformed into international media events. More worrying for William was the fact photographers stalked Kate while he was away. Around that time her legal team secured video footage of paparazzi pursuing her, and they issued a stark warning to the U.K. press: stop photographing her or face possible legal action. "This letter is a final warning," an official with the Press Complaints Commission said at the time. "It's an indication to all the editors that Miss Middleton's lawyers have evidence of harassment."Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
Eve of a Breakup
Only Kate and William know how much strain the photographers put on their relationship. But by March 13, 2007 when the couple attended the Cheltenham Festival horse race, William looked uneasy. One month later, on April 14, news broke that Britain's most talked-about couple were over, and that they had decided to part ways while skiing in Switzerland. Clarence House made only one statement: "We don't comment on Prince William's private life." A nation mourned.David Hartley / Rex USA
Back in the Sun
By June 2007, however, the media were already reporting on a potential reconciliation. Joint appearances in public, including at the July 2007 memorial concert for Princess Diana, confirmed it. When the two hit the slopes in Klosters, Switzerland in March 2008, the press had moved on from the breakup and wondered aloud when "Waity Katie" would finally get her proposal.Indigo / Getty Images
The Doting Girlfriend
In April 2008, the prince invited Kate to attend his graduation from the Royal Air Force flying school. Prince Charles and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, William's aunt, also attended, suggesting that Kate had solidified her position within the royal family. William, 25 at the time, described his experience of flying alone as an "amazing" feeling. "Going solo is one of those things—if you had a list of the top 50 things to do before you die, it would be in there," he said. Judging from this photo, though, "solo" is only for the skies.Anwar Hussein Collection / WireImage
It’s Official
After an eight-year courtship that endured constant speculation, relentless pursuit by paparazzi and a high-profile breakup, the royal family finally made public what Kate already knew: the future King really had found his princess. On Nov. 16, 2010, immediately after an engagement photo call staged at St. James's Palace, the couple gave their first-and only-television interview. William brushed off those who criticized their long courtship. "I didn't realize it was a race, otherwise I probably would have been a lot quicker," he said. "The time is right now. We're both very, very happy and I'm very glad that I have done it."Chris Jackson / Getty Images
The Rock
In the days after Princess Diana's death in 1997, the young princes each took items from her estate that had meaning for them. Prince William selected a watch that Diana had used to teach him the time; Prince Harry chose her sapphire engagement ring. But when it was time for big brother Wills to pop the question, Harry insisted that he use the stunning family heirloom (seen here at the official announcement on November 16, 2010). William carried the ring in a backpack for three weeks before proposing during a holiday in Kenya. "It was very romantic, and it was very personal," Kate said.Chris Jackson / Getty Images
Mad for Memorabilia
Their engagement sparked a souvenir bonanza. Manufacturers from England to China rushed to churn out commemorative kitsch including tea towels, shot glasses, ashtrays and imitation engagement rings. Collectible plates, such as these made at the Aynsley china factory in Stoke-on-Trent, photographed in November 2010, have proven especially popular with tourists in London. It's still considered rude to dump spaghetti on the future King's face, so most come with a complimentary plate stand.Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Princess Ahoy!
In her first official engagement on February 24, 2011, held at Trearddur Bay in North Wales, the princess-in-waiting smashed a bottle of champagne against a lifeboat—and the crowd went wild. After the christening ceremony ended, Kate marched alongside the crowds, shaking hands, sharing jokes and making small talk with the public. At one point she even stopped to pet a dog. It goes without saying that she would have undergone training from royal aides beforehand. But by handling herself with such confidence and ease, she proved she's up for the royal challenge. She might just enjoy it, too.Phil Noble / WPA Pool / Getty Images
