At the tender age of 18, HRH Prince William, fresh from passing his A-Levels at the prestigious Eton College, decided to take a one year sabbatical before beginning his tertiary education. The pressure of being constantly in the public eye, especially so ever since the tragic death of his mother three years earlier, possibly contributed to his decision in joining the 25 Flight Army Air Corps stationed at the British Army Training and Support Unit (BATSUB) in Belize, Central America. After being stationed there for over half a year, he traveled deep inside Chile, volunteering to help the underprivileged and needy villagers there. The world saw the young Prince rolling up his sleeves and getting down to do the dirty work alongside his fellow volunteers. Many were left speechless at the humility and compassion shown by the future king of the United Kingdom and the sixteen independent states of the Commonwealth realm.

He returned to England a year later in 2001, and promptly enrolled himself in one of the 'ancient universities of country, the St. Andrews University in the blustery coastal town of Fife, Scotland. The remoteness of the place, which made the tasks of guarding HRH Prince William the relatively easier, has been speculated as one of the major reasons why the august University was chosen.

The shy, unassuming young Prince, despite being one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, kept a low profile and concentrated on his studies. He made some friends early on, and among them, was one regal looking brunette; a bright, articulate and confident young woman by the name of Kate Middleton, the daughter of a former pilot and flight attendant, who was also taking the same course that the young Prince was taking, history of art. There was an instant spark between them, as many would later attest, and they became good friends almost immediately.

The group of friends decided to move out of the University grounds and rented a flat just outside the campus. This presented an even better opportunity for the two of them to spend more time together. They would attend classes and do their revisions together, and the Prince would occasionally attempt to cook for Ms. Middleton, more often than not with disastrous results, and with a literary fiery ending on more than one occasion. Their friendship slowly began to intensify, and it changed, at least for the Prince, one night at campus during a charity event. Ms. Middleton was modeling lingerie, and such was her ease and confidence being the center of attraction, and as recounted by aides later, it convinced HRH Prince William to take the relationship to the next level. The friendship that begun almost a year and a half before finally turned into a romantic one around Christmas of 2003.

Their relationship became public in April 2004, when photographs of them kissing on a mountain slope during a ski trip to Klosters, Switzerland became public. Ms. Middleton became an overnight celebrity, but the press had no way of reaching either one of them at the time. However, as soon as both of them graduated in 2005 (with HRH Prince William obtaining Master of Arts in Geography (Hons) while Ms. Middleton finished with an Honors Degree in History of Art), all bets were off, as the press went into overdrive in an attempt to fulfill the insatiable hunger of the public for news of their potential future Queen.

Their relationship continued after they left the University of St. Andrew. However, the constant time spent apart, HRH Prince William official engagements and work in the army, coupled with the frenzied reporting by the press placed a huge strain on their relationship.

Ms. Middleton was trailed by a horde of reporters and photographers everywhere she turned to. Photographs of her home resulted in members of the press camping outside her apartment, along with 'groupies'. The situation became grew worse, prompting her attorney to issue a statement, highlighting the media harassment that Ms. Middleton was subjected to. The Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department began a 24 hour round the clock protection of Ms. Middleton following unspecified threats made to her person not too long after.

The relationship continued to stutter along despite the increasingly frenetic tempo of their lives. Ms. Middleton attended, alongside members of the Royal family, HRH Prince William's graduation ceremony at Sandhurst. However, the situation deteriorated in the ensuing months leading to a shocking statement from the Prince on 15 April 2007, announcing his breakup with Ms. Middleton. However the bond of friendship and love that had been forged for the last six years proved too strong, and unannounced, the couple got back together again a few months later.

Soon after, an informal meeting was arranged by HRH Prince William to introduce Ms. Middleton to his father, HRH Prince Charles, and Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II, his grandmother. The meeting took place during the marriage of the eldest grandson of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II, Peter Phillips, to Canadian citizen Ms. Autumn Kelly at the St. George Chapel in Windsor. In a twist of luck, HRH Prince Phillip had to attend another wedding in Kenya involving a close personal friend, leaving Ms. Middleton the unenviable tasks of meeting the both of them by herself. However, the encounter turned out very well, with Ms. Middleton effusive over the warmth shown by HRH Prince Charles and the gracious welcome offered by Her Majesty The Queen.

After knowing one another for almost ten years, and being lovers for eight of them, HRH Prince William finally proposed to his beloved Ms. Middleton while on vacation in Kenya in November 2010. The Prince presented Ms. Middleton his late mother's 18-carat sapphire-diamond engagement ring. Ms. Middleton accepted the proposal immediately, and their betrothal sent the media and public into yet another round of frenzy when it was revealed a few weeks later.

Ms. Middleton was later quoted saying, "He's (HRH Prince William) a true romantic and we had a wonderful holiday in Africa and it was out there in a very quiet lodge and it was very romantic and it was very personal time for both of us,."

Congratulatory wishes have been pouring in since then for the couple, including those from Her Majesty The Queen, HRH Prince Charles and Ms. Middleton's parents, Michael and Carole.

The wedding has been scheduled in late April this year and it will bring an end to one of the most romantic and gripping love story since….. the story of the Prince's own parents thirty years ago.