10 magical years WILLS & KATE’S LOVE REIGNS
WE CELEBRATE THE WONDERFUL LIFE THEY’VE CREATED TOGETHER
It really was a fairytale wedding – the bride was beautiful, the groom dashing and they looked very much in love. The ceremony went off without a hitch, which was just as well because two billion people were watching.
When Prince William married Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011, it heralded not just a legal union between two young people who fell for each other as university students, but the start of a relationship upon which the future of the monarchy will one day come to rest.
The good news is that, in a family where broken marriages are sadly all too prevalent, William and Kate, now the Duchess of Cambridge, are not only still happily married, but in their decade of wedded life, have gone from strength to strength. As they celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary, they’ve formed a partnership that is not only stable and loving behind closed doors but allows them to thrive in their public roles.
Kate’s willingness to dedicate herself to royal duty has been crucial to the success of their marriage, as well as their jobs as busy working royals. Katie Nicholl, author of Kate: Future Queen, says Kate is the silent power behind William.
“William has always carried a lot because of who he is, and she’s always been there to support him and stand by him. She’s sacrificed so much to be his wife.”
Kate’s also fiercely loyal and a sounding board whenever he needs it. “She’s unflappable, always calm in a moment of crisis,
very solid and dependable,” says Katie. “She’s a constant for William amid so much drama and uncertainty. I was once told by someone in the household that Kate simply doesn’t do drama.”
Meanwhile William, 38, gives his full backing to Kate, 39, when it comes to projects close to her heart, like the Five Big Questions survey to help development in early childhood, and has had no issues with sharing the limelight with his other half – unlike his father Prince Charles, who in the early days of his marriage to William’s mother Princess Diana struggled with the fact people wanted to see her rather than him.
“William is happy to share the spotlight with Kate and he appreciates that they work well together, each complementing the other,” Katie adds.
They both combine their official duties with being hands-on parents to their children, Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and three-year-old Prince Louis. They’ve managed to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible while living in an intense spotlight.
William says becoming parents has changed them. “You can be a happy-go-lucky young guy, enjoy parties, and then all of a sudden you go, ‘There’s a little person here and I am responsible for that person.’”
They seem to be doing a great job as parents, Katie says. “The constant struggle with being private people in public roles is an ongoing balancing act, but they seem to have got it just right. They have a real sense of purpose and duty is something that unites them. The Queen is rightfully very proud of them both.”
‘She’s always been there to support him and stand by him’