Princess Kate's surprise decision alarmed her parents

Long before royal titles, the Princess of Wales made a university choice that reportedly left her parents concerned.

After returning from a ten-week volunteering adventure in Chile with Raleigh International, the young Kate arrived home to Berkshire with a new academic plan. 

Instead of heading to the University of Edinburgh as originally arranged, she told her parents she wanted to apply to the University of St Andrews on Scotland’s east coast.

According to royal author Russell Myers in his book William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, the announcement sparked concern at home. 

Kate’s parents, Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton, worried that changing universities might disrupt her studies.

Just months earlier, Prince William had revealed he would begin studying at St Andrews in 2001. 

The coincidence led some observers to speculate that Kate’s revised plans were linked to the future king.

During her time in South America, Kate befriended another student who was preparing to attend St Andrews. 

Their conversations sparked curiosity about the seaside university, prompting Kate to look more closely at the option.

Eventually, she concluded that the quieter coastal setting suited her better than life in bustling Edinburgh. 

After discussing it with her parents, the family gave their blessing and she enrolled at St Andrews, later graduating with an honours degree in History of Art in 2005.

Fate, of course, had its own plans. Both Kate and William lived in St Salvator's Hall and studied on the same course, where their paths crossed as first-year students.