Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla’s 11-year relationship: A Timeline© Provided by Cebu Daily News

The conclusion of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s relationship signifies the closure of a significant chapter in pop culture. Their transition from a reel-to-real romance was perceived by some as a fairy tale, and its end symbolizes the conclusion of a young adult’s childhood.Many fans watched them grow, and they did the same. But for others, the end of KathNiel’s romance is a reminder to people in long-term relationships that “forever” is not always a given. Love is not enough. Especially when someone—whom you thought had a sure spot in your future—is not meant to last. As fans mourn the breakup of Bernardo and Padilla, allow us to take a bittersweet trip down memory lane as we look back at their 11-year romance.

September 2011: Kathryn and Daniel paired on ‘Growing Up’ Putting Bernardo and Padilla together was initially not part of ABS-CBN’s plan. The newbie singer-actor was first paired up with Julia Montes in “Gimik 2010,” but according to Montes on “Magandang Buhay” in 2017, Bernardo knew him already. Months later, he was introduced as Patrick Rivero in the youth series “Growing Up,” who was the love interest of Bernardo’s character Ella Dimalanta.

What started as “kulitan” behind the scenes turned out to be the start of their longstanding romance. However, the exact date of the start of their relationship remains unknown until this day. April 2012: Kathryn and Daniel’s first teleserye Bernardo solidified her status as one of ABS-CBN’s A-lister stars with “Princess and I,” which also marked her first teleserye with Padilla. The ensemble cast also starred Enrique Gil and Khalil Ramos as potential rivals for the lead actress’ heart.

The 10-month teleserye ended on a high note, with Gino Dela Rosa turned Dasho Yuan Rinpoche (Daniel Padilla) proving to everyone that he was worthy of capturing Princess Areeyah Wangchuck’s (Kathryn Bernardo) heart. 2012: Daniel says ‘I love you’ to Kathryn for the first time Unbeknownst to the public, Padilla confessed his love for Kathryn when they were filming for “Princess and I” which was written on a tissue paper.   “‘Princess and I’ days ‘yun, sa tissue ko nilagay (I wrote it on a tissue paper),” Padilla recalled in a “Boyfriend Tag” video by Cinema One in September 2017. Bernardo, on her part, recorded the exact “time and date” of the singer-actor’s confession in a notebook. March 2013: Kathryn and Daniel as friends to lovers in