Prince and princess of Wales/CH Ebenezer
On April 29, the Prince and Princess of Wales will mark their 15th wedding anniversary.
Fairytales tend to draw to a close just as the couple say “I do” – and we all now know that marrying a prince in real life doesn’t always mean living happily ever after.
That applies especially to the British royals, who, even as a family known for more than their fair share of drama, have faced a particularly turbulent few years.
Yet, through all the scandals, health scares and relentless scrutiny, Prince William and Kate have emerged ever stronger as they prepare for their future at the helm of the House of Windsor.
“William and Catherine are united in wanting to make change for good,” Russell Myers, author of William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, tells WHO.
“They know the institution needs to evolve to survive and I think they are great custodians for a modern monarchy.”
In this new book, The Mirror’s royal editor charts the couple’s nearly 25-year love story, which began after they met as undergraduates at the University of St Andrews in mid-2001.
Myers traces how their early on-again off-again romance ultimately laid the foundations for what he believes is now the monarchy’s most stable partnership.
How Kate’s background shaped her role as future Queen
Prince William, 43, of course, was born in the spotlight and raised with the knowledge that he would one day be King.
For Kate, 44, the journey has been very different.
Growing up in a middle-class family in rural Berkshire, she entered royal life as an outsider, a ‘commoner’.
Seen as something of a slower starter, Kate hit her stride about 10 years after she wed, launching The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which has been described by Palace sources as her “life’s work”.
Today, she certainly looks the part of a future queen. Kate was radiant in a green Andrew Gn gown and the Lover’s Knot tiara at the state banquet to welcome the Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at Windsor Castle on March 18.
The strength behind William
But her influence extends far beyond sartorial choices and playing a charming hostess, with Myers revealing just how reliant her husband has become on her steadying influence and calm presence.
“I don’t think she always gets the credit she deserves but professionally, personally and emotionally, William needs Catherine,” he explains.
“From the fallout of Megxit – when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their duties – to her cancer diagnosis and treatment, it is William who found it all incredibly disorientating. But Kate is the strong one who takes charge and says, ‘This is what we are going to do. We will take this time off and focus on our family.’”
It’s a dynamic William himself has acknowledged. “Behind every average man is an even better wife,” the prince admitted while carrying out an engagement in Wales last November.
Kate’s quiet strength behind the scenes has shaped some of William’s most ambitious work. His decade-long environmental initiative, The Earthshot Prize, might never have launched without her encouragement.
“William had the idea but was really second-guessing himself,” Myers explains.
“Catherine was the one to say, ‘This is a really great idea – you’ve got to do it,’ which gave William the confidence to move ahead with the project.”
Inside William and Kate’s happy home life
On April 29, William and Kate will mark 15 years since the marriage that has produced three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
One of their most significant legacies might be the way they have reshaped royal parenting for the next generation.
William grew up watching the marriage of his father and mother – Charles and Diana, then Prince and Princess of Wales – crumble under the strain of incompatibility and public life, before he and brother Harry were sent to boarding school while their parents travelled extensively.
In contrast, William and Kate have moved their family to Windsor to give the children a more private upbringing than they would have had in London.
They also prioritise hands-on parenting and are often spotted doing the school run and attending sports days at Lambrook school.
“It has definitely been their main priority to provide as strong and stable environment for their children as possible,” Myers reveals.
“After William’s fractious upbringing, he and Catherine have completely changed how they live. They can see how upbringing is what has led to some of the problems they’ve experienced with Harry in recent years. They are determined not to make the same mistakes.”
Preparing George, Charlotte and Louis for their futures
Despite the slimmed-down monarchy, it’s expected that all three Wales children will take on working royal roles in some capacity, although Louis might have more freedom to explore his own path.
When it comes to George and Charlotte, William and Kate are intent on ensuring each child has a meaningful and clearly defined role within the institution, with no-one being “forced to make it up as they go along”.
“The dynamic of the heir and the spare has become a problem for royal families all over Europe,” Myers explains. “There is the sense that, if they can get that right, it will fix so many of the problems that flow on from that issue.”
William has made it clear that he would like to see the Palace become a more open and accountable institution by the time his eldest child succeeds him.
“Change is on my agenda – change for the good,” he said during an appearance on The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy.
“I want to question things more. I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”
William steps up as future King
In this light, William is believed to have been instrumental in the decision to remove the titles of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and to exclude him from all aspects of public and private royal life.
Myers reveals that William had wanted to take this action as early as 2019, following his uncle’s disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in which Mountbatten-Windsor attempted, unsuccessfully, to downplay his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“What I was told was that William didn’t want to let the rot set in,” Myers explains.
As the heir, William has, at times, been criticised for not taking on more responsibility.
But, with his brother now settled in America and the banishment of his uncle complete, the prince has been stepping up his public engagements.
A team to be reckoned with
Kate has also been slowly increasing her workload since announcing her cancer was in remission in January 2025. This year has seen her return to glamorous events such as the BAFTAs and there are high hopes that she’ll appear at Royal Ascot in June.
In recent weeks, the couple have been appearing together more frequently, in what might be an effort to project a strong and stable image of the future of the monarchy.
This included a day out at the popular Borough Market in March, at which Myers also noted personal changes in how they are conducting themselves on these joint engagements.
“We are definitely seeing a lot more PDAs from the pair recently. They certainly seem a lot more relaxed,” he explains. “They’ve had to deal with a lot over the past few years – major scandal, infighting, the loss of a loved one and very serious health issues – so, of course, that will affect how they approach this next stage of their life.
“But I think that’s only made them stronger than ever. They make a great team.”
