Kate Middleton and Prince William have been together for almost 19 years, during which they have been married for a decade.
Finding love is a complicated business and it's not easy for anyone. Some people might take years to realize that what they have with their partner is the real deal. However, it's always incredible when that lightbulb goes on and a couple realizes how much they mean to each other. Those who take their time to decide their partner might be cautious people but there is a reason for that.
Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have been a mainstay of the British royal family for over a decade now. The couple brought stability and new blood into the family when they got married. They have long been considered one of the unshakeable celebrity couples, and rightly so. They have seen each other through some difficult times, after all.
This splendid couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary on April 29. They also released new photos of themselves to commemorate the occasion. Here are the new portraits of the Cambridges that show them in summer clothes and in a brighter mood since Prince Philip's funeral.
The way Prince William looks at his wife reveals how much he loves her, and how their love has not diminished in the last decade as a married couple. However, they have been together for longer. In fact, they attended the same university and met there. The Crown historian Robert Lacey told ELLE.com that Middleton had intentionally picked St. Andrews University to cross paths with the prince.
"Kate was very strategic,” Lacey says. "She gave up her place at one of Britain’s premier universities, Edinburgh, and opted for another one [St. Andrews] that probably didn’t have the same academic standard. She had already been to Edinburgh to get her flat accommodations sorted out but switched universities and switched her courses to history of art because that was William’s," she added.
They dated for nine years, during which time they also broke up twice briefly. In 2007, the couple broke up when Prince William wanted to end things, as per CheatSheet. Middleton worked as a buyer in a fashion company and the then-25-year-old prince was "uncertain" if he wanted to spend his life with her. He called her at work, where she was new and in a meeting, and broke with her. Only three months later, they got back together. Previously, they had broken up in 2004 after the end of college.
They got engaged in 2011, four years after they got back together, and married the same year. Prince William sure took his time to decide, and perhaps, that's why he told his brother, Prince Harry, to take time making up his mind about Meghan Markle.
Since then, Middleton has been a constant by her husband's side. They work together on their various charities and public engagements. They are also raising their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, which can't be easy.
William and Middleton are now full-time working royals, who have also taken up more responsibilities while Prince Charles is making an effort to free up Queen Elizabeth II, 95, now, as per USA Today. The couple lives in a 20-room apartment in Kensington Palace with their kids. They also spend a lot of their time at Anmer Hall, on the royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Since the death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II has returned to her public engagements. However, it is expected that other senior members like Charles and William will take over more of her public engagements. This would also mean that Middleton too will have to step up.
It is not known how they will be spending their 10th anniversary, but their family has been seen around London as their children go back to school. Their youngest, Prince Louis, recently celebrated his first day of pre-school and his third birthday, according to Town & Country. They may not have a large party this year to honor William's grandfather's passing, but they will surely spend the day together. And, maybe, with their family too.
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Cover image source: Getty Images | Photos by WPA Pool