Prince William and Kate Middleton have been married for over 13 years. The Prince and Princess of Wales have faced many challenges together. This year has been especially tough because Kate was diagnosed with cancer in February, but it looks like she is now on the way to a full recovery.
Kate’s recovery has been hard for the whole family. William has had to take on more responsibilities than usual. Despite the difficulties, their marriage has stayed strong. In fact, a royal expert believes that Kate’s illness may have made their relationship even stronger.
Kate made her first public appearance after her illness at the Trooping the Colour event. Royal fans were excited to see her again. Although she still has some recovering to do, her marriage with William remains solid.
William and Kate first met at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland through friends. Kate was very shy when they met. She remembered, “I actually went bright red when I met you and scuttled off feeling very shy about meeting you.”
William didn’t remember their first meeting very well and had to think hard to recall it.
At first, William and Kate were just good friends. But as they spent more time together at university, their relationship became more serious. According to Insider, William really noticed Kate when she wore an outfit at a fashion show that cost only about $40. They started dating soon after.
A documentary called “The Day Will and Kate Got Married” aired in April 2021 and said that this outfit changed everything. “A switch had been flicked, he suddenly saw her in a different light, and I really believe that was the turning point in their relationship,” said Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent.
William and Kate soon fell deeply in love. William explained that their friendship blossomed into something more when they spent more time together and realized they had the same interests. “We were friends for over a year first and it just sort of blossomed from then on,” William told The Telegraph. “We just spent more time with each other and had a good laugh, and realized we shared the same interests.”
William and Kate spent a lot of time together at university. In 2005, both graduated: Kate Middleton earned a degree in art history, and William graduated with a degree in geography.
Their relationship had become serious by then. They publicly announced they were dating, and by the time they graduated, they had already lived together for a while.
In 2006, Kate made her first public appearance with the Royal Family. Later that year, she attended the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy with her family, where William was also present. The couple briefly broke up in 2007 but got back together in 2008.
After their breakup, their relationship improved. They became a loving couple again and were well-liked by the public. Then, in 2010, they took the next big step.
William proposed to Kate during a holiday in Kenya. He had been carrying the engagement ring in his bag for three weeks without letting it go. Kate had thought William might propose, but it still came as a “total shock.”
“It was very romantic,” Kate said. “He has a true romantic side.”
The ring was special and had belonged to William’s mother, Princess Diana, fitting for a future Queen or Queen Consort.
On April 29, 2011, William and Kate got married at Westminster Abbey in London.
Since then, William and Kate have had three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
When Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, the couple had to take on more important roles in the royal family. This is because Prince William is next in line to the throne, and Kate will become queen when he becomes king.
This year was supposed to be King Charles’s first full year as the monarch, marking a new era for the royals. However, things took a sad turn when Kate Middleton had abdominal surgery shortly after the King was diagnosed with cancer in March. A few days later, Kate announced she also had cancer.
Since then, Prince William has been balancing his duties to the Crown with being a father and husband. He has been praised for how he has handled everything, but experts say it has been a tough time for him.
Two weeks ago, Kate Middleton shared wonderful news that she would attend Trooping the Colour. After riding in a carriage and waving to her fans, she walked out onto the balcony with Prince William and their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
While it has been tough, Kate has not been alone in this challenging time. Prince William has taken on the massive responsibility of George, Charlotte, and Louis while simultaneously performing his royal duties.
The pictures on the balcony spoke for themselves as William and Kate smiled at each other. According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, it painted an obvious picture. They have not only made it through a very challenging period but also have hopes for a bright future.
“The last few months have been a test of their strong partnership,” Bond told OK! Magazine. “I think this photograph tells us that they are still able to jump for joy, even in the toughest of times, and that Kate has deliberately chosen a picture that speaks of their optimism for the future.”
“She adores William – he is her rock and has supported her so selflessly through all of this and has taken flak from members of the public for not doing more and for devoting himself to her. So she adores her man. I think their marriage is stronger than ever.”
Jennie Bond continued, describing William’s commitment to Kate as a “great accolade.”
While the future king has received some criticism over how he behaved following his wife’s cancer diagnosis, Bond says it all comes down to the fact that he is one hundred percent dedicated to his wife.
“It’s a great accolade to a person to have your partner who has such a public role but any partner just say ‘OK, I don’t care what people say, you are my priority,” she concluded. “William has made it absolutely clear that Kate and the children are his number one priority and nothing is going to move him away from that path.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton have never experienced a challenging situation like this for their tight-knit family before. While it has been a very emotional rollercoaster, the tragic passing of his mother, Princess Diana, has somewhat helped him and his family in recent months.
A source close to Prince William told the Sunday Times in mid-March that the future king had gone into “protection mode,” trying to protect his children as their mother’s health is discussed in the media and among the public. William knows all about it as he lost his mother when he was only a teenager.
“All he wants to do is protect his wife and children. The family just want to go away for Easter, spend time together, the five of them, close off from the world and move on.”
Princess Diana never got to see her children marry or have children. But according to royal commentator Ingrid Seward, Diana would have been very proud of William’s handling everything in the past year.
“It has been one of the most difficult couple of years of Prince William’s life,” she told the Mirror.
“William is sensitive, he likes structure and has perseverance. He does not give up easily. His relationship with brother Harry upset him more than he would care to admit. But he found it easier to cut ties rather than allow himself to be continually annoyed.”
Seward added, “His life with Kate gives him the security, love and friendship he needs. He doesn’t dwell upon the loss of his mother but knows the feeling of hurt will never go away completely.”
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