How Prince William And Kate Middleton Have Broken The Tradition Of Doomed Royal Marriages
When we think of royal couples who look like they belong together, we cannot help but think of the Cambridges. Prince William and Kate Middleton look so charming together. The photographs they post on their official social media gleam with happiness. There's a pair that seemingly always supports each other as they build a future with three beautiful children, even if they have hit a few bumps in the road themselves.
The royal family hasn't had a history of calm, composed marriages, you see. The turbulence seemed to peak with the marriage between William's parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Charles' public affair with Camilla Parker Bowles — now the Duchess of Cornwall — was anything but smooth. His children, William and Prince Harry, might not have had the most successful relationship to look to, but they ended up doing just fine. Like the Cambridges, the Sussexes also have what appears to be a beautiful married life. Harry and Meghan Markle have stood by each other, right from the very beginning of their relationship.
The future King of England and Queen Consort have much to be thankful for, including their three children — Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte. And considering how chirpy their home at Kensington Palace might be, it's no surprise that William and Kate have stood out as far as royal parents and couples go, breaking the royal family's long-standing tradition of failed marriages. Here's more on how the relationship between William and Kate marks a change in the course of royal relations.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have their parents as examples
Children learn a lot from their parents, especially when it comes to forming and maintaining relationships, and dealing with conflict. Considering everything he went through growing up — his parents' messy relationship, their eventual divorce, and his mother's untimely death — the odds were seemingly stacked against Prince William. But it all worked out. "The House of Windsor has an abysmal track record of marital failure, but William has broken the cycle," writes royal historian and author of "Battle of Brothers," Robert Lacey, for People.
Lacey also thinks Kate Middleton, an "empathetic outsider from middle-class origins," should get much credit for how their decade-long marriage has progressed. After all, the duchess' parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, have been married for more than four decades. Unlike Charles, who has had numerous rifts and conflicts in his married life that eventually led to a highly publicized divorce, the Middletons seem to get along well, setting an excellent example for their daughter. With the family backgrounds they have inherited, Lacey notes that the Cambridges "have focused on ... working to ensure that all three of their children ... enjoy the peaceful childhood that eluded William and Harry."
The Cambridges' former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, previously told People that Kate "brings this pragmatic awareness" of coming from a "decent, down-to-earth" family. "They have a solid bond through these last 10 years," he explained. "If you had scoured the realm you couldn't have got a better pair, frankly."