That yearning for a slice of regular life becomes palpable when recalling Kate pushing a shopping cart around Waitrose near their home in Anglesey, just days after tying the knot with William in 2011.
Their knack for maintaining a personal life distinct from their official roles has been the solid foundation of their union. In their younger days, sporadic snapshots would emerge of William and Kate enjoying the London nightlife, partying and clubbing like many other couples in their twenties.
However, as they’ve matured, their social activities retreated out of the public gaze, reminiscent of how private their time at St Andrews was.
Hugo shared: “They’ve always been good at keeping their private life away from the public gaze, just as they did in Anglesey. Now, of course they have help at home in Windsor but they don’t have many staff. I think they’ve always tried to keep it informal so that they are all together as a family.”
Their four-bedroom abode, adorned with cushioned sofas and framed family photos, was initially dubbed as “quaintly elegant” when it was erected in 1831. With its expansive garden, it’s the perfect spot for raising their three kids and hosting local pals.
As Duncan puts it: “By royal standards, Adelaide Cottage is incredibly modest. They could be living in any number of places that would be 10 times bigger and 10 times grander, with 10 times the staff, but that just doesn’t seem to be how they’re wired. There is a humility to both of them.”
During their leisure time, the couple relishes sailing holidays, roast dinners, and extended weekends at their Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall. Meanwhile, during school days, other parents at Lambrook, their children’s school, are quite accustomed to seeing either Kate or William dropping off their three kids, Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte, and participating in events on the school’s vast 52-acre campus in Berkshire.
The strength of their family unit is what makes them so resilient, according to Duncan. He observed: “One thing that has struck me over the years is how much they changed after their engagement and marriage. From William’s point of view as heir to the throne, things did get very serious.
Now they’ve replaced that carefreeness they had in their youth with a family bond with their kids. They live their lives through their children when they’re not on official duty. And that’s probably one of the secrets of their success not trying to relive their youth. They just absolutely love being Mum and Dad to three kids.”
As the school summer holidays approached, it was Prince William who took on the responsibility of the daily school runs while Kate recuperated from her chemotherapy treatment. In her announcement about her cancer diagnosis, Kate touchingly spoke of her husband, stating, “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance.”
This sentiment mirrors what Kate expressed when they got engaged in 2010. She disclosed at the time, “You know, over the years William has looked after me, he’s treated me very well as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and through the bad times.”
But perhaps what has kept them together more than anything else is their brilliant sense of humour. We don’t always see this side of the couple in public except for the occasional knowing glance shared between them but behind closed doors, it’s a different story.
William has revealed some endearing insights about his relationship, saying: “Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we’re down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she’s got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.”
No doubt, he’s pulling out all the stops to keep his wife grinning through it all.
