Kate Middleton struggled without husband Prince William when he was posted to the Falkland Islands earlier this year.
Kate, 30, put on a brave face as she took on solo Royal engagements during RAF co-pilot Wills' deployment, but she found their separation tough.
'Although he was away for less than two months, to her it felt like a lifetime,' says a close figure.
'She was dreadfully lonely and lost her appetite when he first went and simply didn't get used to being by herself.'
Kate has lived with William, 30 today, on the Welsh Isle of Anglesey since their wedding in April 2011, and quickly settled into married life by going food shopping in Waitrose and visiting a local cinema with Wills to see The Inbetweeners Movie.
The couple are due to move to Kensington Palace next year, but Kate is reportedly not looking forward to it.
'She feels their time in Anglesey is going much too fast,' a friend tells the Daily Mail.
'That's part of the reason she felt so lonely - it was time wasted. She had no one to buy Pringles for.'
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Anna Duff
