• New picture of Kate has been published
  • Sweet private moment captured
  • THIS photo has never been seen before

A rare and previously unpublished picture of Princess Kate (42) and Prince William (42) has emerged. Taken at a polo tournament by American designer and bridal fashion designer Pat Kerr Tigrett, the photo captures an intimate moment between the couple four months before Kate's first official appearance with the royal family.

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In the photo, the then 24-year-old Prince William can be seen in polo gear at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Berkshire. While William is sitting on a horse, he is photographed by his girlfriend Kate Middleton.

Tigrett, who was a close friend of the late Lady Diana, received an invitation to attend the charity match and took the opportunity to capture this special moment.

"This lovely invitation arrived from Prince William to attend a polo match at Sandhurst," Tigrett said in an interview with the 'Daily Mail'. "This beautiful girl was taking photographs of him, and it appears that Catherine and the Prince knew each other. It was a wonderful occasion and, of course, Prince William won."

In December of the same year, Kate made her first official appearance with the royal family when she accompanied Queen Elizabeth II (†96), Prince Philip (†99), and the then Prince Charles (75) at William's graduation parade at Sandhurst.

This official appearance was seen as the strongest sign that the couple would marry. However, in April 2007, the two briefly separated, much to the chagrin of royal fans. Fortunately, they got back together a few months later and finally married in 2011.

Touching memories of Lady Diana

Tigrett also remembers her conversations with William about his mother and their home in Althorp. "We had such a nice conversation about his mother and her ancestral home Althorp. To my surprise he handed me his trophy which I truly cherish.'"

The designer met Diana in 1984 and later bought four of her dresses at a famous auction in 1997. She is now planning to sell three of these dresses through Julien's Auction House in Los Angeles.

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"When Diana died, The phones were ringing like crazy, and I just cried. It was so awful. She was so well loved by so many and those children of hers were her life," Trigett recalled.

The following year, Tigrett was invited by Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, to make a documentary about Diana's wardrobe. The film accompanied the exhibition "Diana: A Celebration" in Althorp Park, which was held in aid of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.

"I felt so blessed to be able to say goodbye," Tigrett said. "I took photographs of where she was buried, thought about her, prayed for her and read all the wonderful messages written by her family."