After the couple effectively moved in with each other when William began work at the RAF Valley airbase in Wales, he finally popped the question on a holiday in Kenya in October 2010, giving her his mother Diana’s engagement ring.
Their wedding was a mix of glittering pageantry and spontaneity.
A million people lined the streets and two billion television viewers worldwide watched as Catherine swept up the aisle.
Now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they undertook their first royal tour in June and July 2011, visiting Canada and California on a trip that saw them carve out their own style, mixing ceremonial duties with light-hearted events.
They also got through a six-week separation when William deployed to the Falkland Islands in February 2012, though Catherine bought Lupo, a black Cocker Spaniel, to keep her company.
In September last year, they travelled to Singapore, Malaysia, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands on behalf of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II as part of the year-long diamond jubilee celebrations marking her 60 years on the throne.
During the tour, the couple had to contend with the publication of paparazzi shots of the duchess sunbathing topless in France.
After the couple effectively moved in with each other when William began work at the RAF Valley airbase in Wales, he finally popped the question on a holiday in Kenya in October 2010, giving her his mother Diana’s engagement ring.
Catherine’s pregnancy was announced early on December 3 last year as she was admitted to hospital with acute morning sickness. William spent hours at her bedside.
She left hospital after three nights and carried out a series of official duties during her pregnancy, showing off her baby bump. Her last public appearance was at Trooping the Colour, Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday pageant, on June 15.
The couple and their newborn baby are to move into Kensington Palace in London, William’s childhood home, once renovations are complete later this year.
The move symbolises their growing stature in the royal family – and the future that awaits their babe in arms.
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