SIDE BY SIDE

Through good times and bad, Prince William and Kate's love continues to strengthen and flourish

- JACKIE BROWN

It was a quiet, tender moment between the Prince and Princess of Wales - captured on their wedding anniversary this year – that revealed the depth of the bond between them.

Standing with their backs to the camera, an arm around each other's waists, they seemed lost in their own private world as they looked out to sea during a trip to the Isle of Mull in Scotland.

While their chemistry has always been evident, Prince William and Kate often maintained a certain formality in public. Since the princess’s cancer diagnosis and recovery, however, the couple have appeared more openly affectionate.

The prince surprised many when, in January, he shared a personal message to mark Kate’s 43rd birthday. “To the most incredible wife and mother - the strength you've shown over the past year has been remarkable,” he wrote. “George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday Catherine. We love you. W.”

There was even a rare display of affection when the couple publicly marked Valentine’s Day for the first time. Their Instagram post showed William kissing Kate on the cheek, along with a heart emoji. The lighthearted picture had been taken on a shoot released the previous September, when Kate revealed she’d finished her cancer treatment.