In 2001, William and Kate met at the University of St. Andrews. Could they have predicted at the time that they would one day become the most popular couple of the UK? Probably not. Although they both studied art history and had common interests, they were just good friends at the beginning. They even shared a flat in a student house, with two other flatmates.

The first son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, William was born on June 21, 1982. The Duke of Cambridge is second in the line of succession to the British throne, after his father, which made him one of the most sought-after bachelors of nobility when he was growing up.

Kate Middleton was born nearly half a year before William. Kate's parents, a flight dispatcher and a flight attendant, started their own party supplies business, from which they made a fortune. That's how they could afford to send their daughter to the best schools.

A key moment in William's and Kate's love story was a charity fashion show at St. Andrews in 2002. Kate strode down the catwalk in a see-through lace slip that caught William's eye. They became a couple in 2003. Nine years later, the iconic dress was auctioned for 78,000 pounds (nearly 90,000 euros, $101,000).

It happened in 2010: William proposed to Kate during a holiday in Kenya - presenting an 18-carat sapphire white gold ring encrusted with 14 diamonds. Beyond its material value, the ring has a strong sentimental value: It previously belonged to William's mother, Diana, who tragically died in 1997. The prince said that through the ring, his mother wouldn't miss out on his wedding day.

According to star photographer Mario Testino, this well-known engagement photo of the couple was taken by coincidence. After a two-hour shoot, Testino still didn't feel he had the perfect picture. As the fiancés were about to leave, they hugged in front of a radiator. Testino's snapshot of their spontaneous and genuine embrace went around the world.

On April 29, 2011, William and Kate finally exchanged their vows. Her elegant 1950s-style dress was a real eye-catcher. Her veil was 2.7 meters (8.8 feet) long - five meters shorter than the one worn by Princess Diana. Kate Middleton then officially became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Two families were turned into one: After the wedding, the Windsors and the Middletons gathered for an official portrait in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.

He looks just like his father: Little Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, at St. Mary's Hospital. It was the first time in a century that three successors to the throne were alive at the same time: Charles, his son William and his grandson George, who's pictured here at Pippa Middleton's wedding in May.

On May 2, 2015, nearly two years after Prince George was born, London's Tower Bridge was lit up in pink to announce the birth of William and Kate's daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The Royal Artillery Band played Stevie Wonder's song "Isn't She Lovely," and just like for her brother's birth, celebratory cannons were fired. The princess is already over a year old on this photo.

Former US President Obama didn't miss the opportunity to shake hands with the blue-blooded offspring. Appearing somewhat shy, George welcomed him in his bathrobe. Barack Obama and his wife Michelle offered him a special present for his birthday: a toy dog, a replica of the Obamas' pet Bo.

During their seven-day tour of India in 2016, William and Kate were given a traditional welcome at the Banganga Water Tank in Mumbai, where they let flower petals float. During their stay, they also participated in a game of cricket and went to visit a slum in Mumbai.

The young royal family is definitely charming. That's why Foreign Minister Boris Johnson incited the couple to travel to Europe to symbolically extend a "hand of friendship" as Brexit negotiations begin. During their first joint state visit to Germany on July 19, even their cute children will be contributing to the charm offensive.

The concept of the "royal family" originated in the middle of the 19th century with Prince Albert, Queen Victoria and their nine children. Since then, not only is a queen or a king responsible for the British Empire, but a whole extended family. The Windsors have modernized and perfected this concept. Today, the Queen even accepts Camilla, the second wife of son Charles, into the family circle.

George V (1865-1936, right) looked like his cousin Czar Nicholas II of Russia. But when the latter needed to abdicate after the 1917 Revolution, George V distanced himself and quickly withdrew the offer for political asylum for fear of unrest in his own kingdom. Nicholas II was assassinated shortly thereafter.

As World War I continued, the reign of George V stabilized after the change of name to Windsor. While elsewhere monarchies crumbled, George V led his kingdom through an economic crisis, and granted numerous colonies independence within the Commonwealth.

After George V's death in 1936, his son Edward VIII succeeded him on the throne. His reign lasted only 326 days - the shortest in British history. Edward's impending marriage to American Wallis Simpson caused both a scandal and a constitutional crisis. The conservative government eventually forced him to abdicate.

Edward's younger brother Albert stepped into the breach, and in 1937 was crowned King George VI. With his wife Elizabeth and his two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, George VI had a strong family behind him. He led the country through World War II, but was burdened with poor health. In 1952, the king died of arterial thrombosis.

During World War II, the royal family stayed in solidarity with the deprived general populace by living only on food rations, for example. George stayed in London despite the bomb attacks and the damage to Buckingham Palace. He spent the weekends with the family in Windsor.

With their commitment to the war effort, the royal family became a symbol of British resistance to fascism. After Germany's capitulation on May 8, 1945, a jubilant crowd gathered before Buckingham Palace and screamed "We want the King!" The royals were at the height of their popularity.

In 1947, people flocked to the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten. The king's daughter proved to be a godsend for the British crown. Since her coronation in 1952, she has stood for continuity. A largely scandal-free marriage and four children have ensured the continuation of the Windsors at a time when many other monarchies have dissolved.

The somewhat doomed marriage between Prince William and Lady Diana ended in 1992 amid an unsightly media spectacle that harmed the prestige of the royal family. Their two sons had to cope not only with the divorce in 1996, but also the sudden death of their mother in 1997. It would be a long time before Prince Charles was again a respected royal family member.

In 2016, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 90th birthday (pictured), and in 2012, her diamond jubilee was celebrated. She has held the throne longer than any British monarch before her. Currently, she is the longest serving head of state in the world. Despite increasing criticism of the royal family from the media, the support of the monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II seems unbroken.

After his father's inglorious divorce and the tragic death of his mother, the private life of the queen's grandson William has drawn high media scrutiny. In Kate Middleton he has chosen a partner who can and wants to fulfill her role in the royal family - two young heirs included.

The latest Windsor offspring have become media phenomena at a very young age. The "Prince George effect" describes Prince George's influence on business and pop culture - meaning whatever George wears sells. At the tender age of two, the prince has made GQ Magazine's list of the 50 Best Dressed Men in Britain.