Kate Middleton Is Barely Recognizable in Resurfaced Photo Shared by Former College Friend

A never-before-seen photo of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, from her days at St Andrews University in Scotland, has surfaced online, which has her looking almost unrecognizable. The photo, shared by Middleton’s former university friend Laura Warshauer, captured her with long brown curls resting on her shoulders, smiling casually at the camera while holding a brownie.

Warshauer, a singer-songwriter from New Jersey who attended St Andrews alongside Middleton, posted the image on Instagram. In a heartfelt caption, she wrote, "Sending love to Kate Middleton, the future Queen of England and my university dormmate! This was us at a Hope Street flat party. I have the loveliest college memories with Kate. She is the kindest, most caring, down-to-earth, genuine person, and it’s incredible to see her shining so brightly and inspiring the world with her compassion and courage."

The image, now circulating widely, was initially posted by Warshauer in July when Middleton was undergoing chemotherapy for an unspecified type of cancer. Warshauer re-shared the throwback recently on her Instagram Stories. In another snap, shared previously, Middleton can be seen with her arm around Warshauer, wearing a dark blue polo and a Nike cap. Warshauer has often shared anecdotes about her friendship with the now-Princess and her husband, Prince William.

According to Mirror, she previously recounted that during their time at St Andrews, William— whom she fondly referred to as 'Will Wales'— would often gravitate towards Middleton in social settings. “Whenever Kate was in the room, Will was obviously paying attention to her,” Warshauer once told People magazine. “When we would be sitting at lunch in the dining hall and the two of them would be talking, it was amazing to see how natural it was, how they had so much to say to each other. Looking back, there were all these small moments— certainly moments where I was like, 'Wow, this could really be something.'"

Warshauer also shared memories of her close friendship with Middleton, describing moments when the Princess would sit on her bed, playing guitar, while William would drop by to chat and ask for biscuits. She also recounted how, on one occasion, Middleton stepped in as William’s 'fake girlfriend' at a party to help him out of an awkward situation. Warshauer claimed William was persistently approached by a girl at a party that made him visibly uncomfortable as he struggled to shake her off. Just then, Middleton swooped in, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, sorry, but I have got a girlfriend," William told the girl, before he and Middleton walked off together, giggling.

In honor of their wedding 13 years ago, Warshauer also wrote a song in tribute, titled To Will and Kate, Meet Me at Exit 109. While she has since lost contact with the couple, she cherishes memories of their college days. She recalled, “There was just such an innocence about it. I look at my pictures, and I can see the romance and the magic.” After the couple announced their engagement in November 2010, “I was like, ‘Okay, these people haven’t changed at all since I knew them in that freshman dorm!’” she said.