Even as Princess Kate encountered Prince William in Scotland over two decades ago, echoes of an unresolved past lingered, tethering her to a former paramour.
Subsequently, she found solace in Marlborough College, concluding her secondary education, and crossed paths with Harry Blakelock, a figure she considered the elusive "one who got away."
Their romance unraveled as they bid farewell to college life, prompting Kate to embark on a journey to Florence, Italy, for her gap year before venturing into university.
In a revelation to the Mail on Sunday, a confidant of the future Queen disclosed, "Upon reaching Florence, Kate remained entangled in thoughts of Harry. She spoke of him incessantly, recounting instances of his capricious behavior.
The confidant added, "He oscillated between warmth and aloofness during their school days, and she persistently pondered strategies to win him back."
However, fate swiftly intervened, and Kate encountered the prince upon enrolling in the arts program at St. Andrews University in 2001, altering the course of history in a most literal sense.