Solid As A Rock & More In Love Than Ever

Nine years after tying the knot, Will and Kate’s dedication to duty and to each other just keeps growing

- Nici De Wet

The queen is away, holed up in isolation as Covid-19 continues to run rampant through the UK. Prince Charles is recovering after testing positive for the virus. Harry and Meghan have flown The Firm, off doing their own thing far away in California.

So who do people have to look to as the world sinks further and further into despair and uncertainty? William and Kate, the rocks of the British royal family and a soothing balm to the souls of a nation in turmoil.

The Cambridges – who’ll celebrate their ninth anniversary at the end of the month – have increasingly proved to be solid and dependable as crisis after crisis hits the monarchy.

Amid the divorces, scandals and “abdications” that have tarnished the House of Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been the trusty ship sailing through troubled waters. They’re the ones who can always be counted on to put others first, to say the right thing and to adopt that most British of behaviours: to keep calm and carry on.

And as always, William and Kate are each other’s pillar of support. “They always have been,” royal expert and author Katie Nicholl says. “They’ve been married for nearly a decade now and are going from strength to strength.”

As royal writer Rebecca English puts it, “The Cambridges’ determination to ignore the naysayers and follow the queen’s example by focusing on what matters – namely their family and their charity work – has paid dividends.”

And so, as their anniversary looms, we look back at the highs and lows of a couple who’ve become the epitome of dependability and decency – while never losing their sense of fun.

THE FAIRYTALE WEDDING