Prince William's ex-girlfriend played a key role in revealing his relationship with Princess Kate, a royal commentator has claimed.
The Prince and Princess of Wales spent the beginning of their relationship dating in secret, after meeting at the University of St Andrews.
According to royal commentator Robert Jobson, the pair only revealed their relationship status to friends when they were forced to during a university game of "Never Have I Ever".
In a new biography of the Princess of Wales, Jobson wrote that William and Kate's relationship "remained shrouded in secrecy" until "a revealing moment occurred during a dinner party with friends attended by Carly Massy-Birch".
Kate and William's relationship 'shrouded in secrecy' before key dinner partyGettyMassy-Birch was Prince William's ex-girlfriend, whom he dated during his first semester at the University of St Andrews in 2001.
The author continued: "Perhaps unwittingly, Carly exposed William’s secret love affair with Catherine, much to the prince’s chagrin."
This story had previously been told by royal commentator Katie Nicholl in her book, The Making of a Royal Romance.
She said: "When it was Carly’s turn to play she announced, 'I’ve never dated two people in this room,' knowing full well that William was the only one who had because Kate was sitting next to him."
Prince William and Kate photographed during the early years of their relationship in 2007PAThe Prince of Wales was then reported to have given his ex a "thunderous" look before whispering: "I can’t believe you just said that."
Massy-Birch previously spoke about her connection with William.
She told Vanity Fair: “I’m a real country bumpkin. I think that was why we had a connection.
"William was in the year below, and we just happened to meet through the general St. Andrews melee.
Princess Kate [R] sat two rows behind Prince William at the Concert for Diana in 2007
PA
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
William and Kate first met at St Andrews University in Scotland in 2001PA"It’s such a small place that it was impossible not to bump into William, and after a while, there was nothing weird about seeing him around.
"We got on well, but I think we would have got on well even if nothing had been going on romantically.
"It was very much a university thing, just a regular university romance.”
Prince William and Princess Kate began dating in 2002, before tying the knot at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
