The ROYAL REPORT
‘It’s a coming of age for William and Kate’
William and Kate have undergone an astonishing transformation since the day they walked down the aisle. After more than a decade waiting in the wings, they are now the jewel in the crown of the British monarchy. And as the second Elizabethan era ends, the couple will soon hold the future of the institution itself in their hands.
King Charles’ position will only ever be a transitional reign. But when William ascends to the throne, he is likely to face years, if not decades, longer in the role.
He knows the job of winning the public hearts and minds started the day he was born. When they celebrated their 10th anniversary on 29 April last year, their prominence within the Royal Family started to explode. From glamorous red carpet appearances, to keynote speeches and high-profile overseas tours, it’s a coming of age for William and Kate. And there is a sense the public is starting to get to know them as a family.
But it wasn’t always this way. In their early years as husband and wife, they kept a low profile, living in a remote cottage on Anglesey. William became a rescue helicopter pilot and they bought a secluded mansion in one of England’s quietest counties. The day they became parents, they embarked on a battle to protect their children’s privacy. And there was a sense the family were almost frightened to expose themselves to the limelight. Those days seem long ago. They are now centre stage.
How things have changed. From my seat in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, I watched as the then Bishop of London stood in the pulpit to bless the breathtaking wedding. As a royal correspondent, it was my job to build a relationship with the younger royals as well as report on their every move.
Neither bride nor groom took their eyes off the Right Rev Richard Chartres as he told them, ‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.’
It may have taken a decade, but recent events have forced them to significantly up their game. Harry and Meghan’s departure from official royal life was a shock at first, but William and Kate soon realised the opportunity it presented.
No longer part of a Fab Four, the days they feared being out-sparkled by the Sussexes have all but disappeared.
The Queen’s ill health and later her passing did much to accelerate the inevitable need for William to take on more royal jobs. His father is now King, and William and Kate are a couple in waiting. Once George turned eight, William and Kate felt he was ready to make more public appearances, and within months, he and his siblings have become a familiar sight. And then the recent Jubilee threw the focus on the direct heirs to the throne, and the continuity of the family itself. The bishop’s wedding day challenge is yet to be accomplished, but the time has now come for the Duke and Duchess to sit front and centre of the institution they will one day lead.