Students at St Andrews enjoyed their traditional Raisin Monday foam fight today, following in the sudsy royal footsteps of Kate Middleton nearly a quarter of a century ago.
A famous photo exists of the future Princess of Wales dressed as a baby, complete with a bib, red cheeks and pigtails and smeared with shaving foam. She is grinning with delight and looking at something off-camera, while more young people cavort in the background.
The image is under copyright but clearly the makers of The Crown had studied it closely when they were making Season 6, Episode 7, Alma Mater, which deals with the budding university romance between Kate and Prince William.
When he first claps eyes on Kate (played by Meg Bellamy), one of his mates declares: "We've already crowned her the fittest girl in Sallies [St Salvator's College]." However, the young prince already has a girlfriend – Lola Airedale-Cavendish-Kincaid (played by Honor Swinton Byrne).
READ MORE: St Andrews students follow Kate Middleton's lead by taking part in historic celebration
She is a fictional character, inspired by various aristocratic young women previously linked to William. Kate, working in a cafe, sees them kissing in the street and her friend tells her to forget about him. "When it comes to bagging a prince, only genuine blue bloods need apply," she says.
Later, after Lola accuses Wills (played by Ed McVey) of "flirting" with Kate in the university library, he snaps at another student who asks for his autograph. Kate is shocked at his attitude, but he says: "You have no idea what it's like to live with that day-in, day-out."
"Don't we?" she replies. "Being ogled, looked at and judged constantly? Try being a girl". After Wills pleads: "A fit girl," both young women storm away leaving him marooned with his books.
In the next scene, Wills is back with his friends and informs them that he isn't going to join in the boozy fun on Raisin Weekend because, "I've been given a cottage at Balmoral. Invited some friends."
His pal Ollie replies: "You can't not go. Raisin Weekend is a first-year rite of passage. Everyone goes. Twenty-four hours of drinking. The largest outdoor shaving cream fight on the planet. You've got your whole life to slaughter animals or peasants. You know, whatever you do up there."
WATCH: Click here to watch Season 6, Episode 7 of The Crown on Netflix
Another pal, Fergus, asks: "Is this about Lola? Or Kate? Ollie said you made an arse of yourself with her in the library."
Still feeling sorry for himself, Wills heads off for Balmoral where he gets steaming drunk with his brother Harry, before calling Ollie for an update. "I hate to say it, mate," he informs the lovelorn prince. "You are missing out. Not least because with your back turned, Kate is getting a lot of attention."
In the show, Kate is seen becoming very friendly with a young man named Rupert 'Finchie' Finch (played by Oli Green). Unlike Lola, Fergus or Ollie, however, he IS a real person and he really DID date Kate Middleton at St Andrews in 2001.
Now happily married to Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, the dad-of-three still on good terms with the royals and the couple were guests at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. And Princess Catherine has often been seen wearing the clothing brand Beulah of London, which was co-founded by Natasha. "It's always lovely to see the Duchess in Beulah," she said.
However, her husband has never spoken about the St Andrews romance, saying in 2006, "It's not something I'll ever talk about. It's between Kate and me and was a long time ago."
In The Crown, Kate takes Rupert home for Christmas to meet the Middletons – where she confronts her mother, Carole, over her matchmaking. "You've always loved the idea of me and William together," she says.
Meanwhile, William is thoroughly fed up and thinking of dropping out of uni. In the final scene, Harry says: "Stop muscling in on my territory. I know my job, to be the f*ck-up in this family. Don't you start too. Go back to St. Andrews. If not for your sake, then for mine. I need a... purpose in life. Screw up and make you look good."
The future of William and Kate is left as a cliffhanger for Episode 8... but then there can't be anyone in the world who doesn't know how it all turns out in the end.
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