Prince William's fling with the posh girl from the 'Glosse Posse': Charles had given the relationship with Arabella Musgrave his blessing but HER father had a different view...
In the summer of 2001, before he began his four-year course in Scotland, a childhood friend caught the prince's eye at a mutual acquaintance's party.
Arabella Musgrave was the 18-year-old daughter of polo club manager Major Nicholas Musgrave.
'Although not titled aristocracy, Arabella was a close friend of Guy Pelly and Hugh Van Cutsem and part of the Glosse Posse,' royal correspondent Katie Nicholl wrote in her book, The Making of a Royal Romance.
This was the name given to William and Harry's inner circle and meant Arabella secured an invite to parties the princes used to throw in the basement of Highgrove and those Van Custem would run from his family residence.
'As she walked through the house party at the Van Cutsems' family home, William did a double take,' Nicholl continued.
It was a textbook romance.
'Arabella had blossomed into a gorgeous looking girl, and as she sashayed past him, her perfume lingering in the air, he wondered why he hadn't noticed her properly until now.'
The two danced and drank until the early hours and, as noted by Nicholl, 'William knew he would make a move on her by the end of the night'.
The royal author added: 'When Arabella said her goodnights, the prince quietly slipped out of the room to follow her upstairs.
'It was the beginning of a passionate romance and the two spent as much time together that summer as possible.'
The romance was approved by Prince Charles who 'suspected the relationship would soon fizzle out and instructed William's protection officers to give the couple plenty of leeway'.
But Major Nicholas was much harder to please.
When he caught his daughter sitting on William's lap while the prince kissed her neck he had a quiet word, according to Nicholl.
'Although he was fond of William, such displays of affection, he insisted, were not for public consumption.'
The prince's decision to attend St Andrews boosted applications and interest in the university
But it wasn't all kisses on necks and sneaking from parties.
The relationship ended by the time William went to St Andrews in what Nicholl described as a 'mutual decision'.
'William would be meeting new people at university and Arabella could not expect him to to wait for her,' she wrote.
The prince's decision to attend St Andrews significantly boosted applications and interest in the university.
This 'Prince William effect' resulted in a 44 per cent increase in applications compared to the previous year.
The rise was particularly noticeable among young women, especially from the US.
William was very aware of his impact and was keen to make genuine friends.
The young prince said in an interview around the time: 'People who try to take advantage of me and a get a piece of me, I spot it quickly and soon go off them.'
He added: 'I just hope I can meet people I get on with. I don't care about their background.'
The future King reportedly requested a room without an en-suite so he could get the full student experience of queuing for the communal showers.
During his first term, William started dating Carly Massy-Birch, an English language and creative writing student. He was often invited to supper at Carly's home, where the prince would step over her muddy Hunter Wellington boots in the hallway.
Their affair was to be short-lived, however, and ended somewhat stickily when Carly told William he had to make a decision between her and Arabella.
Despite having swarms of attractive women to choose between, William was bored in Scotland.
Nicholl wrote: 'He missed his friends in Gloucestershire and going to his favourite nightclubs in London.
'He also missed Arabella, and on Friday nights when he began his journey home to Highgrove he was comforted by the fact that she would be waiting for him.'
According to royal expert Robert Lacey in his 2020 book Battle of Brothers, William expressed doubts to his father during the holidays over his choice of course and institution and told him how he wanted to move.
He found life in the small Scottish town to be quiet, with the highlight of his week shopping at Tesco and playing sport on a Wednesday
William later said he felt he was 'daunted' by life at university rather than homesick
His grandfather, Prince Philip, is said to have responded: 'William needs to knuckle down and not wimp out.'
He found life in the small Scottish town to be quiet, with the highlight of his week being shopping at Tesco and playing sport on a Wednesday.
Kensington Palace and St Andrews managed to resolve the issue by liaising with one another and agreed for William to switch courses to Geography.
Charles spent the Christmas holiday having a heartfelt discussion with William, who eventually decided against moving away.
William later said he felt he was 'daunted' rather than homesick.
He said at the time: 'My father was very understanding about it and realised I had the same problem he had probably had.
'We chatted a lot, and in the end we both realised - I definitely realised - that I had to come back.
'I think it was the new surroundings. When I was with Raleigh International in Chile during my gap year, it was the same sort of thing. You're thrown into completely new territory.
'I don't think I was homesick. I was more daunted.'
The decision paid off, as it was at St Andrews that William met and fell in love with Kate.
By the end of freshers' week, the future Princess of Wales had been crowned the prettiest girl at Sally's, the nickname for St Salvator's Hall, her hall of residence.
And she had already caught the eye of William. He had noticed her as soon as he arrived – it was hard not to.
It was March 27, 2002, the night of the annual Don't Walk charity fashion show at the five-star St Andrews Bay Hotel, and William had paid £200 for a front-row ticket.
As Kate shimmied down the catwalk wearing black underwear and a daring, see-through dress, William turned to his close friend Fergus Boyd and whispered: 'Wow, Kate's hot!'
Another of the models that night recalled: 'Kate was great on the catwalk. She and everyone, including William, knew it.'
They began living together in a shared flat with two other friends in 2002, and their romance is said to have blossomed by Christmas 2003.
Their relationship became public in 2004 after photos of them together during a ski trip were published.
Arabella, who now works in communications for Gucci, and William have remained friends into their adult years and she even attended his wedding to Kate in 2011.
Arabella arrives at William and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey
Arabella is the director of entertainment industry relations at Gucci, who poached her from Prada
In 2014 she married George Galliers-Pratt of the Cayzer banking dynasty in Knightsbridge.
While Kate and William didn't go to the ceremony, the princess' sister Pippa was in attendance.
Her lavish wedding featured in US Vogue and in 2020 she became head of communications in north Europe for Gucci. The couple also have a daughter.
Kate and William heard a speech at their graduation ceremony in 2005 by their principal, who described St Andrews in Fife as the country's top matchmaking university.
He added: 'You may have met your husband or wife.'
If William had not returned to St Andrews after his break, his life could have looked very different.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
I tried the viral £3.49 Lidl tan as a pale girlie – it doesn't smell, looks 10/10 & I was amazed by how long it lasted
IT'S the tan that's taken the internet by storm - but is the viral Lidl tanning mousse really worth the hype? According to one beauty buff, the answer is yes. 2 2 The discount supermarket sent shoppers into a frenzy after launching their very own fake tan just in time for summer - and compared to cult favourites, Lidl's Marbella Glow is significantly cheaper. While other viral brands retail around the £10 mark, the German store's version costs just £4.49. Thrifty beauty buffs can choose the vegan-friendly tan in three shades - Medium, Extra Dark and Ultra Dark. Bargain-mad TikToker, only known as @ kittsandpieces on the platform, went for the latter option, sharing her honest thoughts online. The PhD student, who dubbed herself a '' pale girlie '', started the process by showering and ensuring her skin was moisturised before applying the bronzing mousse. To ensure the tan doesn't stick to particularly dry areas, such as elbows and knees, the blonde stunner used Ultra-Repairing Soothing Balm by La Roche-Posay. The balm, which she claimed was ''a game-changer'', is currently on offer on Amazon for around £8, and for best results, the TikToker left it on for 20 to 30 minutes before applying the tan. After covering herself in the dark mousse, the Lidl shopper was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the tan dried. Raving about the wallet-friendly buy, she said in the video: ''No sticky feeling going to bed and no bad tan smell either.'' The following morning, the TikToker hopped into the shower, rinsed off the tan and was amazed by the results. Katie Price moans 'oh my god I'm so ugly' as she shows off BALD eyelids after removing fake lashes and make-up Sporting a gorgeous glow which made her look like as if she's just returned from a sunny holiday, the student said: ''10/10 for me.'' The best part? According to the shopper, the sun-kissed glow lasts almost a week too. ''I find I get a solid 4/5 days out of it with showers and all, it's even survived my swimming.'' Fabulous' £10 Fake Tan Test FINDING the perfect fake tan isn't easy. That's why Fabulous tested a number of fake tans which cost less than £10.. *If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue Superdrug Solait Self Tan Mousse Medium - £4.79 (was £5.99) - Buy Now Tester: Abby Wilson, Senior Fabulous Digital Writer Review: "This product give a very natural looking tan and if you wanted something a bit bolder, I'd suggest leaving it on longer or choosing a darker shade. I'm impressed with the results, but now my entire room stinks of the stuff. If you're on a budget and want a tan for last-minute plans, I would say this is one to try. " bBold Dream Mousse Tan in Dark - £9.50 - Buy Now Tester: Josie O'Brien, Senior Fabulous Digital Writer Review: "The first thing that hit me about this tan was the 'juicy watermelon' scent - it's delicious. I was left with a natural bronze hue rather than orange glow. My only qualm is that the tan seemed to stick to my dry patches and accentuated 'strawberry skin' on my legs. I'm still adding this tan to my arsenal though - the smell, colour and texture are dreamy." St Moriz Professional Medium Tanning Mousse - £4.99 - Buy Now Tester: Kate Kulniece, Fabulous Writer Review: "Not only does St. Moriz mousse leave you with a gorgeous bronzed glow, but it also smells fabulous - think Piña Colada on a sunny beach. At first, I was a little bit sceptical cause I'm a gradual fake tan girlie, but this quick developing St. Moriz number may change it all." Mixed reviews But while the money-smart shopper was raving about the bargain buy, not everyone had the best reviews. ''Yes it's good but be careful !! heard of horror stories from this tan especially firsthand ended up in a&e with a swollen face,'' wrote one of the 36k viewers. Another chimed in: ''it does smell, lovely red undertone, doesn't last long.'' Someone else said: ''I did it today and planing to wash it in the morning.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Men in Love by Irvine Welsh review – the Trainspotting boys grow up
It has been more than 30 years since Irvine Welsh published Trainspotting. To put that in perspective, it's as distant to readers today as Catch-22 or To Kill a Mockingbird would have been in 1993. If you are anything like me, that doesn't feel quite right. Because even at such a historical remove, there remains something undeniably resonant, something curiously current, about Welsh's wiry, demotic, scabrous debut. In part, this is explained by the sheer scale of Trainspotting's success. It was one of those genuinely rare literary events, wherein a critically acclaimed, stylistically adventurous book catches the cultural zeitgeist to such a degree that it also becomes a commercial sensation, going on to sell over a million copies. Its cultural salience was further compounded by Danny Boyle's cinematic adaptation, one of the highest-grossing UK films of all time, a visual intervention that seemed to crystallise the aesthetics of Britpop – high velocity, high audacity, high nostalgia. But there is also the broader sense that Britain has never truly escaped that historical moment, that at some point the nation was cursed by a demonic spirit in a bucket hat, condemned to an eternal return: no matter the nature of the crisis, the solution will always be Blairite management consultants, illegal wars in the Middle East, demonisation of society's most vulnerable and Liam and Noel getting the band back together. As the patron sage of centrists, George Orwell, wrote: 'If you want a picture of the future, imagine Ewan McGregor pelting along Princes Street to Iggy Pop – for ever.' So in some ways, despite being the fifth Trainspotting spin-off so far, Men in Love makes perfect sense as a novel in 2025: old rope in a contemporary culture made mostly of old rope. It displaces 2002's Porno as the original's most direct sequel, taking place in the immediate aftermath of the drug deal/betrayal that closes it out. We meet the boys again, scattered to the winds – Renton forging a new life in Amsterdam, Sick Boy climbing the social ladder in London, Spud attempting a quieter life and Begbie pinballing between prison and his old haunts in Leith. In alternating first-person chapters, we follow each of the characters as they begin to feel out what adult life might have in store for them. And it all rattles along reasonably enough. Renton attempts to come to terms with his past behaviour, Spud walks the line between a sincere desire to change and the siren call of addiction, Sick Boy sharpens his sociopathic charm into a weapon of class warfare, and Begbie remains trapped by his impulsivity and taste for violence. It all culminates in a riotous society wedding, a tragicomic clash of worlds, the old-guard Thatcherite elite disgusted by the sudden presence of the hoi polloi figuratively pissing in their ornamental pond. There are plenty of moments that showcase Welsh at his best, impertinent and loose and attuned to the poetic cadence of everyday speech. When his writing hits these heights, most often during flights of knowing, referential, rhetorical fancy, it is hard not to be charmed by its flair and insolence. Similarly, Welsh has not lost his feel for the particular rhythms and textures of addiction. When Spud unexpectedly comes into money, the reader fears for him precisely because Welsh does such a good job rendering the relentless dualism of the addicted mind, forever constructing alternative explanations, stories, justifications, lying in wait and biding its time. Elsewhere, Men in Love is tough going. Throughout, there is a tendency to grope for edgy and transgressive sentiment in a way that lands closer to juvenile and embarrassing. There are so many instances to choose from, but observations such as 'If women must have mental health issues – and they must – always best to err on the side of anorexia, rather than obesity', or descriptions of the Eurostar as 'smashing through the tunnel's hymen', give a general sense of the issue. To be clear, I am not arguing that there is an ethical problem here (people say all sorts of nonsense, so characters must be afforded that latitude too). The objection is aesthetic. Who do we imagine is responding to this sort of thing? The prospect of a middle-aged Trainspotting loyalist, giggling as they read about a 'chunky bird' and 'Specky Shaftoid', is almost too tragic to bear. Clocking in at well over 500 pages, there is also the sense that Men in Love could have done with a more rigorous edit. There is a leitmotif regarding the romantic poets that seems undercooked to the point of randomness at times, while conversations about the coming transformations of the internet age were unlikely in 1990. Equally, I don't know how many more times the world needs to hear a story about an indie musician taking their first pill and deciding that dance music is the future. The reasons why Welsh is still writing Trainspotting lore seem evident enough; these are well-loved, iconic characters and there is apparently still an audience appetite for their adventures. Also, vanishingly few writers will ever know what it is to cast such a long shadow over the culture, and so it would be churlish to judge from a position of ignorance. But reading Men in Love, in 2025, under a Labour government that can't decide if it is echoing Margaret Thatcher, Alastair Campbell or Enoch Powell, it is hard to shake the feeling that we are in desperate, desperate need of a new story altogether. Keiran Goddard's I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning is published by Abacus. Men in Love by Irvine Welsh is published by Jonathan Cape (£20). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply.
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Torvill and Dean perform for the final time as they retire following Dancing on Ice's axe
skating off A former DOI pro suggested their retirement is the reason the show ended TORVILL and Dean performed together for the final time last night as they wrapped up their farewell tour in their hometown of Nottingham. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean last year announced plans to retire 40 years after their gold-winning 1984 Bolero routine at the 1984 Winter Games. 3 And following their last time skating together, Christopher, 66, said: 'The performance went well and the audience were amazing and so, for us, to be able to bow out on a high like that was wonderful.' Opening up about performing in his hometown, he continued: 'These last four performances here in Nottingham, the early ones were quite emotional and I think I sort of got that out of me, and tonight, it was a high.' Jayne, 67, added: 'I think we'll miss it. 'When you've done all these shows like this, and you're suddenly home, not doing anything, you miss that adrenaline rush and you miss the excitement of being on the ice, whether it's a practice session or a performance.' The duo were coaches on Dancing On Ice from 2006 until it ended the first time around in 2014. When the ITV show returned in 2018, they became head judges on the panel alongside Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse. It was confirmed in March that Dancing On Ice had been shelved with no plans for a new series. An ITV Spokesperson said: "Following another successful series earlier this year, Dancing On Ice will be rested in 2026 with no current plans for another series. "We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the cast and crew who have worked on the show since 2006, and over the previous 17 series, for all of their hard work both on and off the ice.' Former Dancing On Ice pro Alex Murphy suggested Torvill and Dean's plans to retire might have had something to do with the show being axed. She told The Sun: 'Torvill and Dean are national treasures. They are fantastic people, and the most iconic skaters in the skating world as a whole, not just England, and I think Britain sometimes doesn't recognise that, or even notice that they are iconic to the world. 'So it's their show. I just love that. It's their show. So whenever they're ready, I think, then that's when it will go.'
