The reason Prince William set up a support hotline for Kate Middleton during their first years together

Prince William had the palace set up a support hotline for Kate when they were dating, according to a royal expert.

• William was determined to protect Kate from the press.
• He set up a support hotline for her during the time they were dating.
• This follows royal news that Prince Charles once gave Meghan Markle some unexpected fashion advice.

After the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997, Prince William was determined to protect Kate from press scrutiny after they publicly announced they were in a relationship. He took her safety very seriously, especially when the paparazzi started following her.

Royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl discusses this in her book Kate: The Future Queen, explaining that William was so concerned for her safety that a hotline was set up to help her navigate the stressful, and often scary, side effects of dating a member of the royal family.

Once the press had figured out Kate’s home address, as well as her gym, local shops, and other places she visited during her everyday life, William started to become more concerned. They’d take her picture every day, even if she wasn’t with William.

In her book, Nicholl writes, "William was aware of the situation and anxious about it. He had seen first-hand how his mother had been harassed by the paparazzi and was determined that Kate not be subjected to the same treatment."

Because of this, William had the hotline set up for Kate at the Press Office at St. James’ Palace, and for Prince Charles’ Head of Press, Paddy Harverson, directly.

“We had been introduced to Kate early on, and we were instructed from the outset to give her every support possible.” A Senior Press Aide told Nicholl, adding “She was obviously the subject of a lot of press interest and intrusion from the paparazzi.”

“William said we had a duty of care to her and her family and so we advised her on how to deal with the cameras. We told her to smile at the photographers so that there would be a better picture. She was given advice on how to manage the media, and we were there to support her if there was a crisis."

Unfortunately, that crisis did come when the exact location of Kate’s London home became public knowledge, and panic buttons had to be installed to alert the police immediately.

The life of a royal isn’t always that glamorous after all, but it’s good to see William has done everything in his power to protect Kate during their time together.