Do any royal couples actually love each other? In the House of Windsor,
it might be more rare than you think.
Kate Middleton and Prince William, the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge, seem like the definition
of a storybook romance. The pair met in college in the early 2000s. While their
relationship started as a friendship, William admitted that he was drawn to his classmate.
"I knew there was possibly something that I wanted to explore there. But we ended up being friends
for awhile and I knew that there was possibly something that I wanted to explore there."
The future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived together with two other friends in a
house off-campus during their second year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2002.
They began dating in 2003, and initially tried to keep their relationship a secret.
After going public in 2004, they became a fixture in the press. In 2010, William proposed, and a
royal wedding followed the next year, taking place in London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
Since then, the couple has welcomed three children into the world and served
as representatives of the British royal family on the world stage.
In April 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated their 10th wedding
anniversary after having been together for about 18 years. Believe it or not,
that longevity might make them a rarity in the royal House of Windsor.
William's parents, Charles and Diana,
had a notoriously contentious relationship that was colored by infidelity and ended in divorce.
And they weren't the only ones in the House of Windsor to be publicly unlucky in love.
Royal historian Robert Lacey, who authored the 2020 William and Harry biography "Battle
of Brothers," claimed to People in 2021 that William and Kate's loving relationship
is nothing less than a historical landmark for the royal family. He wrote,
"The House of Windsor has an abysmal track record of marital failure,
but William has broken the cycle."
Lacey largely credited Kate for helping William "break the cycle," describing her as a, quote,
"empathetic outsider from middle class origins."
It doesn't hurt that the couple can look up to Kate's parents,
Carole and Michael Middleton, who have been married for more than 41 years.
William and Kate's former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton,
weighed in on why they're basically the ultimate royal power couple to People in 2021.
According to him, William, quote, "has the experience of knowing where
the institution sits and seeing it evolve," while Kate, quote,
"brings this pragmatic awareness of what it's like to be from a decent, down-to-earth family."
Author Robert Lacey also noted to People that the pair are devoted parents to their three children,
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. With any luck,
their relationship will set a great example for their children, and the future House of Windsor.
Despite how successful their relationship seems now,
Kate and William did face a couple of bumps in the road as they got to know each other.
For the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, it seems as though the most prominent
rough spot that the public is aware of took place before their brief breakup in 2007.
"We went through a few stumbling blocks as every relationship does,
but we picked ourselves up and carried on."
As for why they briefly broke up, royal author Katie Nicholl speculated to Express that Prince
William was left questioning his priorities after beginning his career with the military in 2006.
Meanwhile, Middleton allegedly wanted to get more serious in their relationship. As Nicholl put it,
"I think she wanted some more commitment."
The prince also reportedly hoped to avoid a failed marriage like the one between his father
and mother, and was therefore extra cautious about entering into a serious relationship.
Nicholl added that the Queen and Prince Charles both urged William not to rush into anything.
Unfortunately, tensions seemed to hit a boiling point when William made a last-minute decision
one holiday season and canceled plans to spend New Year's with the Middletons.
Middleton was reportedly left in tears after receiving a phone call about the change in plans.
Their brief split happened shortly after. Thankfully, the young couple were able to
work things out; reportedly, even the Queen was upset by the news of their breakup.
Now, of course, that's all behind them,
as they forge a new path forward for the royal House of Windsor.
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