William and Kate’s Britain: A Royal Watcher’s Guide

The Prince and Princess of Wales captivated us from the very start during their early days as university students.

Let's follow in William and Kate's footsteps, and take a closer look at the royal couple's favorite places, including the reasons they love each one.

St. Andrews 

The romantic town in the Kingdom of Fife is largely known as the place where Kate and William met, at Scotland’s oldest university in 2001. Founded in 1410, St. Andrews is straight out of a movie, set with ivy-clad buildings and leafy surroundings. The couple lived together as roommates in the student residence St. Salvator’s Hall dubbed ‘Sally’s’—and thus began the first chapter in their love story.

Prince William and Kate Middleton during a visit to the University of St Andrews on February 25, 2011, in St Andrews, Scotland

According to some reports, Kate was set to attend Edinburgh University when she had a last-minute change of heart once it had been announced the prince would study at St. Andrews. If that’s true, she wasn’t the only one. “Applications nearly doubled after people learned William was going,” said one veteran royal watcher.

William and Kate enjoyed several local spots with their closest friends, including their favorite bar, Ma Bell’s, which is still very much a student favorite.

Besides retracing the early steps of the royal romance, visitors to St. Andrews can travel back in time to explore the now-ruined cathedral and the adjacent church of St. Regulus with its spiral staircase to the top of the 108-foot tower. 

The Goring Hotel

The Goring Hotel, London

“Only a royal wave” from Buckingham Palace and just a few minutes walk from Victoria Rail Station, the luxurious five-star Belgravia hotel has earned its place in British history as a favorite of the royal family–and their well-heeled circle.

Royalty from all over the world stayed at the 105-year-old property for the coronations of George VI and Her Majesty the Queen. The hotel hosted bride-to-be Kate Middleton on the eve of her wedding to Prince William in 2013.

For her last night as a commoner and singleton, the future Queen was joined by her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and siblings, Pippa and James. The Goring was granted a Royal Warrant in 2013 - the only hotel to have been awarded a Royal Warrant for hospitality services by The Queen. www.thegoring.com

Anglesey, Wales

The South Stack Lighthouse stands on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales Prince William and Kate Middleton married in 2011 and lived near RAF Valley where the Prince was stationed as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot

William and Kate spent their first three years of marriage living in this remote island hideaway in a four-bedroom farmhouse with a private beach and stunning views of Snowdonia. The quiet Welsh island of Anglesey is hardly a hot bed of activity. There are charming mom-and-pop stores in Holyhead, the northeastern region of the island, but not much else. But perhaps what was most appealing to the newlyweds was the long stretch of beach–125 miles of coastline and plenty of room to walk with their pup, Lupo.

William paid £750 per month to rent the North Wales farmhouse while he served at RAF Valley as a search and rescue pilot. It’s more than likely the rent increased substantially when its most famous tenants moved to their renovated apartment in Kensington Palace after Prince George was born. While the couple adjusted to parenthood, Carole Middleton stayed with them to help her daughter with her first baby.

In a village where it is said there are more sheep than people, the royal couple kept a low profile. When they did venture out, they went to some of the island's pubs and restaurants, including The White Eagle in Rhoscolyn and the Ship Inn on the north side of the island. www.visitanglesey.co.uk

Bucklebury, Berkshire

Princess Kate, Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive to attend the service at St Mark's Church on Christmas Day on December 25, 2016 in Bucklebury, Berkshire

It seems only fitting that Kate grew up in a storybook-like village just an hour outside of London but worlds away from the excitement of city life. This picturesque hamlet in West Berkshire, dotted with estates surrounded by lush greenery, was the ideal setting for Kate’s happy childhood in the country.

And like every good fairytale, Bucklebury has a friendly village butcher, shopkeeper, and postman–all of whom were invited to the royal wedding.

Princess Kate still has strong ties to Bucklebury, having stayed in her parent’s home after the birth of Prince George and choosing the grounds of the estate for the first official photograph of the family, taken by her father shortly after the baby’s arrival.

Royal insiders have said William loves the sense of normalcy he feels in the village, particularly when they visit The Old Boot Inn just outside Bucklebury where they have been seen in front of the fireplace enjoying the pub’s sticky toffee pudding. When they got engaged, the couple popped into Peaches, a convenience store in the village, to pick up Kate’s favorite Haribo candy and show the shopkeepers her ring. 

* Originally published in 2016. Updated in 2024.