What to Know
For some people, it doesn’t really matter how many years have passed because running into an ex is always going to feel at least a little uncomfortable and awkward. We can only imagine what things were like for Kate Middleton when she ran into her ex, Rupert Finch, at the wedding of Prince William’s cousin this past weekend. When you’re discussing the royal family and everyone else who is involved but might be slightly more on the fringe, there’s bound to be some interesting party encounters that take place during hors d’oeuvres or even on the dance floor.
Kate Middleton ran into her college ex at a recent royal wedding.
According to Page Six, the wedding of Princess Anne’s son, Peter Philips to Harriet Sperling on June 6, 2026, at All Saints Church in the lavish Cotswolds, was the place to be for a whole slew of royals — even those who have previously dated.
Donned in quintessential royal wedding attire, Kate Middleton attended the wedding alongside her husband, Prince William, in which her ex-boyfriend, Rupert Finch, was also in attendance with his wife, Lady Natasha Finch.
According to Page Six, Kate and Rupert dated back in 2001, when they were both attending university at St. Andrews.
Did the pair exchange pleasantries at this formal affair or just give one another a polite nod from across the room?
Reportedly, Kate was seeing Rupert Finch when she initially caught Prince William’s eye.
Page Six reported that when Kate Middleton walked in a fashion show in 2002 where she wore an eyecatching sheer mini dress, she was romantically involved with Rupert.
Town & Country reported that it was a charity fashion show for the university hosted at St. Andrews Bay Hotel and Prince William was sitting in the front row. Reportedly, when William spotted Kate strutting down the runway, he leaned over to a friend told him that “Kate’s hot!”
It’s interesting to think about that moment because as the magazine outlines, it was quite a big focus for how the love story really began for the couple as they even depicted it on season six of The Crown. To think that Kate was dating Rupert at the time, it makes the royal couples’ meet-cute seem that much more scandalous!
Over the years, Kate’s ex has remained tight-lipped about their past connection.
Since the royal family is all about discretion, it seems fitting that someone who dated Kate Middleton would practice the same decorum.
According to Tatler, Rupert and Kate dated for just under a year and he was considered to be “the ultimate catch.” At the time of the fashion show, he was seen as a “tall, dark, and handsome aspiring lawyer.” The former couple reportedly met as students in the St. Andrews residence hall.
Even though there is probably lots to say about what happened between them — especially considering how Prince William soon became a fixture in Kate’s life — Rupert has chosen to keep that point in his life a private matter.
He even spoke to the Daily Mail in 2006 and said, “It’s not something I’ll ever talk about. It’s between Kate and me and was a long time ago.”
Considering both Kate and William, along with Rupert and his wife, have both been married with three kids for many years, it’s pretty safe to say that what happened between them is water under the bridge. But it’s still interesting to think about what any potential conversations between them that day might have looked like!
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