Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were, seemingly, very much involved in Prince William’s life before he met Kate Middleton.

According to royal biographer Robert Jobson, the queen and Prince Philip had a list of potential girlfriends for their grandson.

In the book William’s Princess, Jobson said that the royal couple and the courtiers at the palace kept files on the right kind of girls that could be potential brides for Prince William.

One of the women in their list was Victoria Aitken, who attended the Cartier Polo at Windsor with the Duke of Cambridge in 1999. Aitken is now a well-known singer and songwriter in the United Kingdom.

Unfortunately, Prince William and Aitken’s relationship didn’t develop into anything more than friendship. According to New Idea, one of the possible reasons why their relationship was cut short was because of Aitken’s family scandal.

In 1999, Aitken’s father, Jonathan, was sent to prison for perjury. And during a previous interview, Aitken said that what happened to her dad changed her forever. After all, they were rich, and then they ended up with nothing.

Aitken’s family scandal also became one of the inspirations behind her song. And just a few years after she was photographed with Prince William, the latter met Middleton in school.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started off as friends, but they quickly fell in love with each other. After dating for a decade and having at least two brief breaks in their relationship, they tied the knot in 2011.

On the Royals podcast, royal commentator Angela Mollard talked about Prince William and Middleton’s relationship. She said that she thinks the strength in the couple’s relationship is in its longevity.

Before they tied the knot, Prince William and Middleton dated for several years. They also practically grew up and matured together.

“I think the fact they have known each other for so long, they were in their early 20s when they first got together, and they have this very close relationship born of the fact that they are two people in an incredibly unique position,” she said.

Now, the Cambridges are still happily married. Prince William and Middleton have also been blessed with three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Last year, they were rocked by the rumors that Prince William cheated on Middleton with Rose Hanbury. However, the allegations were never confirmed.