Prince William and Kate Middleton Brilliantly Used Just 3 Words to End All Divorce Rumors

Back in March, Prince William and Kate Middleton succumbed to nasty divorce rumors after she was mysteriously absent from the public platform. At first, she underwent a successful abdominal surgery followed by her cancer announcement video in which William was nowhere to be found near her. This raised many eyebrows until the couple shut down the reports. 

The couple rubbished all rumors with an official joint statement that read, "The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the U.K.; across the Commonwealth, and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness' message. They are extremely moved by the public's warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time," per Vanity Fair. 

What's worth noting in the statement is the three words that cleared any confusion- 'Her Royal Highness.' Why, you ask? Well, had William and Middleton separated, she wouldn't have been addressed as 'Royal Highness' since, according to the royal rules, the three-word namesake is strictly reserved for a working royal. 

The 42-year-old, who was still recovering from her abdominal surgery, came out and quashed all the rumors going on surrounding her and William's failing marriage. The Princess posted an update on her X, formerly Twitter account, where she announced her cancer diagnosis and cited the same as the reason for her prolonged absence in the public eye which was misconstrued. 

Following her announcement, Buckingham Palace released its own statement, saying that 'His Majesty,' King Charles, who was also diagnosed with (some type of) cancer, is "proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did." The palace continued, "Following their time in hospital together, [his majesty] has 'remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.'" 

William and Kate began dating in college in the early 2000s when they were studying together at St. Andrews University. In their 2010 engagement interview with Tom Bradby of ITV News, William recalled, "When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her, and then I knew there was possibly something I wanted to explore there." 

The college sweethearts officially tied the knot in April 2011 in a fairy tale ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London. A close friend of the couple told PEOPLE that their marriage is an 'old-fashioned one,' adding, "They look after each other but in different ways." Another source in 2012 explained the nature of their marriage, "[Kate] brings a sense of ordinariness that William has always craved." 

In the 13 years of their marriage, the royal couple welcomed three children- 11-year-old Prince George, 9-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 6-year-old Prince Louis. In September 2023, a source told Us Weekly that more than anything, both William and Middleton are "proud of their marriage and beautiful family [and] more in sync than ever. They cherish what they have with each other. For them, family comes first, and it always will."