The beautiful party girl who nearly stole Prince William away from Kate Middleton

Meet the stunning party girl who stole Prince William’s heart and came really close to nicking Kate’s title for herself.

Picture this: A willowy girl with flowing chestnut hair and a wide, joyful smile strides across a polo field.

She is walking towards 18-year-old Prince William, dashing in his sporting gear, preparing to play the next chukka. (I knew reading all that Jilly Cooper would come in handy.)

Their chemistry is palpable and their eyes light up when the see each other.

You thought I was talking about Kate Middleton? PSYCHE.

The girl’s name is Arabella Musgrave, and at this point in time, Wills’ is head-over-heels in love with her. There is speculation she could be The One.

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If things had played out slightly differently in the weeks and months that followed, there is every chance that is Arabella (or Bella to her mates and her 5973 Instagram followers) would now be the Duchess of Cambridge.

Instead of holidaying in the Maldives with the Delevingnes and attending Gucci shows, she’d have to stump for a slew of charities in LK Bennett nude pumps and put with Meghan’s exhortations to try Bikram yoga.

For years, there was speculation Arabella might be ‘The One’ for Wills. Picture: Nick Harvey/WireImage

But let’s rewind and play Sliding Doors — Future Sovereign Edition, shall we?

The year was 2001 and Prince William, having graduated from Eton, was whiling away those heavenly months between school and uni.

Let’s assume he was doing what most teenagers do at that time in their lives — revel in the chance to legally drink vast volumes of Midori and try and make out with one another in dimly lit corners every chance they can get.

It would seem, despite being second-in-line, Wills was no different.

William, shortly after his romance with Arabella imploded. Picture: Middleton Family/Clarence House via GettyImages

According to royal biographer Katie Nicholls, Arabella was part of the “The Glosse Posse”, the group of horse-loving, G&T-guzzling aristocrats who had been mates with Wills and Harry since childhood. Her father Major Nicholas Musgrave, managed Cirencester Park Polo Club, where the future king had been playing for years. Giddy up!

Nicholls writes that during a mate’s house party, Wills did a double-take when he spied Arabella: “Arabella had blossomed into a gorgeous-looking girl, and he wondered why he hadn’t noticed her properly until now. They danced and drank into the early hours, and when Arabella said her goodnights, the Prince quietly slipped out of the room to follow her upstairs.”

To which we say: OOOH ERRR!!! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, and all that.

The pair then embarked on a “passionate romance” and they spent that summer basically being inseparable (and no doubt insufferable) as only teenagers in love can.

Kate in one of her first official appearances as William’s girlfriend. Picture: Ben Gurr/AFP

However, the path of true love never does run smooth (especially for members of the Windsor family with the recessive hair gene) and only a few months later, Wills was packing his best casual corduroy slacks and collection of Mr Bean DVDs (we’re guessing) to take up his place at St Andrews University in Scotland.

There, stuck hundreds and hundreds of kilometres away from Arabella, he was one miserable boy.

“He missed Arabella, and on Friday nights when he began his journey home to Highgate he was comforted by the fact that she would be waiting for him,” Nicholls’ recounts.

And that’s when the crisis point came. Wills was in a romantic pickle. Should he stay at St Andrews or ditch uni to be closer to his girlfriend? Lectures or lust?

So, there was the Prince, wrangling with this tough decision (perhaps striding across the Scottish moors, brow furrowed as he weighed up his future) when he happened to meet another girl with flowing brunette locks and a lovely smile who urged him to stay at university.

Not long after, this new girl, whose name just happened to be Kate Middleton, walked in a student fashion show, wearing her bra, knickers and a horrendous see-through frock, capturing the heir’s, umm, let’s just say attention — the rest is royal history.

Kate got her happily ever after. Picture: Getty

If things had played out differently, it would be Arabella whose face is now on biscuit tins and tea towels and who can’t pop into Zara without causing a massive kerfuffle.

Instead, Arabella has worked for Gucci for years, is mates with Derek Blasberg, Poppy Delevingne and Lara Stone, and seems to have a particular penchant for cocktails, fabulous designer dresses, Tuscany and her adorable daughter if her Insta feed is anything to go by. (I know which fate I would much, much prefer.)

Intriguingly, Wills was far from Kate’s first love, having fallen head over heels for Willem Marx while they were both students at Marlborough College. When Kate first got to St Andrews, it wasn’t Wills who initially caught her eye it was Rupert Finch (aren’t posh boy names charming?) who she dated during her first year.

Arabella Musgrave at her own wedding in 2014. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Arabella, Willem and Rupert were invited to the royal wedding in 2011 so let’s assume everyone is lovely and chummy now and no one has any lingering regrets when they all bump into each other at the polo now and then.

— Daniela Elser is a freelance writer and contributor, continue the conversation @DanielaElser