Prince William given valuable advice from King Charles which changed Kate Middleton romance

Prince William and Kate Middleton's love story , which began at university, almost didn't happen - if not for King Charles ' intervention.

William enrolled at St Andrews University in Scotland in September 2001, but by the end of his first term, he was considering leaving. Royal author Robert Lacey has revealed that university life wasn't what William had anticipated .

In his book, Battle of Brothers, Lacey said the Prince of Wales described the small town as "boring". William found little excitement in shopping at the local Tesco and his nights out were overshadowed by the fascination other students had with him.

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He also wasn't enjoying his history of art course. Feeling unhappy, William spent most weekends at home during his first term. By Christmas, he was contemplating leaving the university altogether.

Upon returning to London for the holiday break in 2001, he discussed his plans to quit with his father. According to Lacey, William asked Charles to help him devise a plan to transfer to another university, with Edinburgh being his preferred choice.

Charles consulted with his closest advisors, who believed it would be detrimental for William to drop out after only a few weeks. Lacey recounted one aide's opinion: "It would have been a personal disaster for William, he would have been seen as a quitter."

Additionally, there were worries about the potential negative impact on Scottish relations, considering the enthusiasm that had greeted William's choice to study there. William's grandfather Prince Philip, upon learning of the situation, is said to have offered a typically forthright reaction, allegedly stating: "William needs to knuckle down and not wimp out".

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Charles' media strategist, Mark Bolland, told Lacey: "It was no different from what many first-year students go through. We approached the whole thing as a wobble, which was entirely normal.

"St Andrews had a flexible course structure and when they heard that William might be happier majoring in geography, they made sure there were no roadblocks." After devising a new strategy, the aides returned to Charles with the advice that he should "demonstrate a more fatherly backbone".

During the Christmas period, Charles did exactly that, having a serious conversation with his son. The result was successful, and William decided to return to St Andrews.

The decision had far-reaching consequences beyond William's education. By returning to Scotland, William rekindled his romance with Kate, who he eventually married in April 2011.

Reflecting on the "wobble". William has spoken candidly about the experience, saying: "I don't think I was homesick, I was more daunted. "My father was very understanding about it and realized I had the same problem he probably had. We chatted a lot, and in the end we both realized - I definitely realized - that I had to come back."

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