Isabella vs. Catherine. Who caused a break-up? And who crashed a boys-only
holiday trip? This is the truth about Prince William's alleged crush on Isabella Calthorpe.
It's never been clear exactly how Prince William and Isabella Calthorpe were first introduced,
but it stands to reason that the future king and the actress and socialite moved
in the same circles. As reported by The Daily Express, it was clear that William
had a thing for Calthorpe back in 2004, when the pair began spending a lot of
time together — and when he and future wife Kate Middleton happened to be on a break.
In her book William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls,
author Katie Nicholl offers insight into the triangle that existed between William,
Calthorpe, and Middleton. Nicholl even appears to believe that Calthorpe was the cause of William
and Middleton's 2004 split. She alleged that William intently pursued Calthorpe. She wrote,
"He had fallen for her in a huge way and wanted to be with her.
He propositioned her several times that summer and although Isabella was single,
she knocked William back and said it would be too damaging for her and her career."
"We were on a break!"
Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2007 break-up has been discussed a number of times,
but for years, only a few people knew the pair split up over Isabella Calthorpe in
2004 — or only a few people still remember these days. Back in 2004 Katie Nicholl reported that
The Mail On Sunday revealed Middleton and William were in "a trial separation" and
that part of that separation included a so-called boys-only trip to Greece.
The trip took place in the summer of 2004 and was the catalyst for the pair's initial split. Nicholl
writes that William and six friends went sailing. William reportedly asked to have a crew made up
entirely of females, a request that frustrated his estranged girlfriend. Her article explains,
"William had a great holiday with the boys. There was a lot of drinking and a
lot of fun. It was Wills's idea to request an all-female crew [...] He had specifically said
when he planned the trip that it was to be a boys-only holiday and Kate was not invited."
Despite the insistence that the trip was only for William and his male friends, a few other friends
also happened to be in the area that summer. As a source told The Mail On Sunday at the time
"Isabella was very much on the scene that summer. I would go so far as to say that
William dumped Kate because he thought he had a chance with Isabella and Kate knew that."
Kate Middleton likely knew when she met Prince William that anyone who entered a relationship
with the future king would have to learn to be comfortable with a certain degree of attention
from women, whether that means women that William knows or those who he's never met. A 2007 piece
published by The Daily Mail appears to confirm this, and writer Katie Nicholl explained that
Middleton put up with a lot of the attention without so much as a complaint to her boyfriend.
But when it came to Isabella Calthorpe, Middleton was reportedly very jealous and unable to cope
with rumors that suggested Calthorpe and William were involved. As Nicholl put it, just Calthorpe's
name coming up in conversation could put Middleton in a panicked state; the writer added,
"Kate was very aware of his obsession with Isabella and she was incredibly threatened
by her. Isabella is drop-dead beautiful and would leave any girl in the shade."
This jealousy went up a notch in 2005, when William spent most of his time at an event
engaged in conversation with Calthorpe — despite the fact that Middleton was also at the event.
Nicholl wrote that William's future wife, quote, "stormed out of the ball in a fury."
One of the rumors that has always circulated around Prince William and Isabella Calthorpe
is that the prince was completely infatuated with the socialite — even to the point of considering
leaving Kate Middleton for good if Calthorpe had been open to a relationship. As a source close
to the couple eventually explained to the Daily Mail, William was intent on attracting Calthorpe,
something that Middleton knew and was forced to wait out. The source explained,
"[Middleton] stood aside and waited for William to come back to her which
eventually he did. Before that, though, he did everything he could to woo Isabella."
The outlet also explained that Calthorpe was far from the only woman who expressed interest in
William during that time, and she wasn't the only person that Middleton had to deal with. However,
The Daily Mail also wrote that Middleton found a way to be friendly with some of William's exes,
including Jecca Craig and Arabella Musgrave. A source said of Musgrave,
"Kate has inherited most of William's friends so Bella was to be no exception."
"We just spent more time with each other and had a good giggle. Had lots of fun.
And realized we shared the same interests and just, you know, had a really good time."
Eventually Kate Middleton and Prince William got back together — in fact,
the pair were said to have been reunited by Christmas following his summer fling with
Isabella Calthorpe. And while Middleton might have forgiven her boyfriend for any perceived,
or actual, transgressions, it seemed that she wasn't prepared to allow him
the opportunity to reunite with Calthorpe in any way, at least not if she could help it.
A source who spoke to The Daily Mail told the outlet that William understood that if
he and Calthorpe got together that summer things would be over between himself and
Middleton. So it likely came as no surprise to him when Middleton outright banned him
from having a friendship with Calthorpe once they reunited. As the source said,
"William was madly in love with her but when he knew there was no chance of them
getting together he went back to Kate [...] Kate accepted William
back again but on the condition that he would not speak to Isabella again."
Calthorpe did score an invite to a major event a few years after
her so-called fling with Prince William: an invitation to his wedding to Kate Middleton.