Princess Kate's maternal uncle Gary Goldsmith entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday and was quick to call his famous niece "simply perfect". It wasn't the first time that he has demonstrated his love for her. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been happily married for almost 13 years, but in the summer of 2007 the university sweethearts briefly called it a day. During their time apart, Kate was seen out and about with sister Pippa Middleton on London's social scene, and trained with The Sisterhood Dragon Boat team. She also sought sun and solace at uncle Gary's flamboyantly titled £6 million villa, La Maison de Bang Bang, and he was more than happy to oblige.
In a world exclusive with HELLO! magazine back in 2013, Carole's younger brother and self-made millionaire Gary spoke about his niece's retreat with her siblings, Pippa and James Middleton, in June 2007.
"Carole asked if the children could use the villa to get away from everything," Gary told HELLO! at the time. "[My wife at the time] Julia's visit overlapped with Kate's and she said Kate was very low, spending a huge amount of time on the phone, walking around the pool. It's a very relaxing place and it has a very nice vibe and you can hear the sea at night. So in some small way, I just hope that being there helped [Kate]."
By the following month, William and Kate had reconciled their romance after the future royal bride was spotted sitting two rows behind her ex-boyfriend William at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium.
When asked by HELLO! if the timing suggested that Kate's holiday to Ibiza played a role in helping the couple get back together, Gary responded: "Wouldn't that be brilliant?"
Gary, who attended the royal wedding in 2011, also spoke about spending time with William and Kate at the villa in 2006.
He revealed how a friend of his taught William "how to mix on the DJ decks" and how he "performed to the whole family as they swam".
Describing his first interactions during a family dinner with the Prince, Gary told HELLO!: "He was so relaxed in his own skin, but he does try very hard to be a real gentleman. He leaves a massive impact on you. He was incredibly charming and engaging. It was a very funny supper and everyone was just cracking jokes."
The outspoken businessman said of his niece Kate in the same interview: "She is this confident, clever, caring girl who has taken her responsibilities in marriage and job incredibly seriously. I think everyone thinks she's sincere, in love and doing her job to the best of her ability."
Gary has been married four times and has one child, a daughter Tallulah, with his second wife, Luan, who he married in 1997. He put his Ibiza villa on the market for £6.5 million in 2015.