Prince William's Romance With Ex-Girlfriend Rose Farquhar Revisited

William, Prince of Wales, and Rose Farquhar's association goes way back. According to The Telegraph, they were childhood friends. Rose's father, Captain Ian Farquhar, had a close relationship with the royal family and he served as one of the Queen Mother's equerries, or personal assistants, per Twystory. King Charles III was also a frequent visitor to the Farquhar family's dairy farm at Twyford Mill.

Rose also has the distinction of being William's first major romance, the Daily Mail notes. They became a couple in 2000, after he finished his education at Eton College, with the relationship beginning at the Beaufort Polo Club. Author Katie Nicholl called it "an innocent, tender romance" in her book "The Making of a Royal Romance," per People.

However, the couple soon went their separate ways, with William heading off to Scotland and the University of St. Andrews (via Woman & Home), and Rose taking acting classes at New York's Lee Strasburg Institute.

As reported by Tatler, Rose later went on to pursue a singing career. In 2006 she auditioned for "The Sound of Music's" Maria in "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" Then, in 2016, she sang on "The Voice." When Rose performed "Anyone Who Had a Heart," she shared, "I have sung since I was a little girl, singing really makes me tick," per the Mirror. Since 2020, Rose has worked in special projects and development at Belvoir Castle.