Prince William and Kate Middleton: 9 Photos of the Royal Couple While They Were Dating

These days, Prince William and Kate Middleton — also known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — are known for traipsing around the grounds of Kensington Palace with their three children. But once upon a time, they were just dating. In fact, they dated for almost a decade before William popped the question.

William and Kate met in 2001 when they were both art history students at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Their relationship first went public when they were photographed on a ski trip in Switzerland in 2004. The couple did break up a few times, most notably in 2007 — and that was rumored to be because of tension related to the paparazzi.

William eventually proposed to Kate in late 2010 while the two were on safari in Kenya and gave Kate his late mother, Princess Diana’s, 18-carat sapphire and diamond ring. Here’s a look back at some of their sweetest dating moments:

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