What scandal?!
Kate and Wills wow Paris
With an endless rotation of standout wardrobe pieces and a megawatt smile that rivalled the City of Lights itself, the Duchess of Cambridge glowed as she toured Paris, looking worlds away from the woman whose marriage had very publicly been engulfed in scandal just days earlier.
As Kate, 35, and her husband Prince William, 34, charmed the French public, it was clear the royal couple were doing their best to show their marriage is rock-solid in the wake of his humiliating ski holiday in Switzerland, where he was seen flirting with Aussie model Sophie Taylor, 24.
As we reported last week, the embarrassing pictures left his wife, who was home alone in the UK to look after Prince George, three, and 22-month-old Charlotte, in tears – and saw the couple once again criticised as “work-shy” and “idle”.
But in a jam-packed twoday schedule that included St Patrick’s Day celebrations in London, a meeting with French president François Hollande, a black-tie dinner at the British Embassy, a photo call outside the Eiffel Tower and a rugby match in Wales, Kate was clearly determined to put William’s wild weekend firmly behind them and prove that she and her husband of six years are more in love than ever.
We’re told the duchess’ resolve to move beyond her husband’s antics was in part because she knew how hard a trip to Paris would be for him. It was William’s first official visit to the French capital since his mother died in a car accident there in 1997 – an understandably difficult experience for the royal.
But Kate was also feeling more compassionate toward her husband after the prince offered a wholehearted apology for his bad behaviour, promised he’d never do it again and then tried to make it up to her with a series of heartfelt peace offerings.
“Wills has vowed there will be no more boys’ trips with partying, drinking and single girls on the agenda,” reveals a palace source, speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day. “If he needs an escape, from now on it’s hunting, camping or even yoga retreats.”
The second in line to the throne has also planned a romantic holiday to the Maldives with Kate so they can rekindle their flame away from the children – and he’s touched base with a couple of her friends to organise a girly spa retreat in Scotland. “He thinks she deserves her own getaway,” our source reports.
On top of this, William has presented his wife with a $40,000 gold and diamond bracelet that he bought in Verbier shortly before flying back to the UK, and he’s been spending more time at home since his return.
“He’s playing Mr Mum and it appears to be working,” reports our source. “When Wills got home, he was really in the dog box.
“Kate was hardly speaking to him because she felt he’d been extremely careless and it looked like she’d been treated like a doormat. But now it seems the frosty relations between them have well and truly melted.”