It’s no secret that marriage isn’t always a walk in the park—and that’s for the average couple. Add in life under a royal microscope, and you might expect a fast track to Splitsville.
Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case for Prince William and Kate Middleton. In fact, despite recent royal family drama, as well as Kate’s cancer, which is now in remission, the couple is doing better than ever.
“They’ve gone through some exceptionally tough times, particularly recently,” BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told Closer Weekly in an interview published on Wednesday, May 14. “But I think that has made their marriage even stronger. We see them out and about in public touching one another tenderly and sharing private jokes. They laugh a lot.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been together for more than two decades, 14 of them married. Over the course of their marriage, William, 42, and Kate, 43, have welcomed three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
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“They spent almost 10 years together before marrying. I think it is that strong friendship and understanding that has kept them so united through thick and thin,” Bond noted, adding that ultimately Kate was fully aware of what her life with William would be like.
“She understood that she was marrying into an institution and that her husband’s destiny was mapped out before him—as hers would be too,” Bond explained. “I think after 24 years with William, most of it either as his girlfriend or wife, Catherine has accepted, and even embraced, her destiny.”
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As for navigating any tensions in the royal family, William and Kate have grown accustomed to it, and that includes Prince Harry’s latest interview with the BBC.
“I don’t think William has room in his head or his heart to deal with all the hurt that Harry has caused. He is concentrating on his wife, his children, and his father,” Bond revealed, referring to King Charles III. “It’s incredibly sad, but it’s impossible at the moment to see any way forward.”