The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge captivated us from the very start during their early days as university students. Today, their polished appearances at Sandringham, with their reportedly ever-growing family, leaves us even further enchanted. Let us mere mortals now 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.

Author: Remi Mathis

According to some reports, the future Duchess of Cambridge 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.

Author: e6La3BaNo

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. “He’d come in and be very polite when ordering a beer,” said one fellow student. “And grew more comfortable over time when he knew he could go there and not be treated any differently. People left them alone.” On an official school visit in 2011, to mark its 600th anniversary, William joked, "It's often said by the undergraduates of St Andrews that you leave the university in either one of two states: either married or an alcoholic. Fortunately for Catherine and me, we ended up married.”

Author: Remi Mathis

Besides retracing the early steps of the royal romance, visitors to St. Andrews can travel back in time exploring the now-ruined cathedral and the adjacent church of St. Regulus with its spiral staircase to the top of the 108-foot tower. Take in the breathtaking views. The area has two beautiful expansive beaches --one of which is West Sands, where the iconic opening sequence of Chariots of Fire was shot. Besides being a major chapter in Kate and Willian’s love story, St. Andrews is considered the birthplace of golf. The sport was first played here in the 15th century. Duffers can play The Old Course, the most famous of the town's eight championship courses which hosted some of the world’s finest golfers at the British Open Championship over the years. www.visitstandrews.com

The Goring Hotel


“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.

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The staff’s discretion and impeccable manners surely played a role in the appointment of a Royal Warrant to The Goring that year. It is the only hotel to boast that distinction. In January of 2105, it was closed for a month long "designer renovation" ahead of their landmark anniversary celebration, which was attended by – who else?—the Duchess of Cambridge.  www.thegoring.com

 


 Anglesey, Wales


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 coast line and plenty of room to walk with their pup, Lupo.

Richard Humphrey [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons