On April 21, the royal family celebrated what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday with a special reception at Buckingham Palace. There, Prince William and Kate Middleton (who wore Elizabeth’s iconic three-strand pearl necklace and Bahrain earrings to the event) chatted with representatives from the late monarch’s most cherished charities as well as some centenarians ushering in a new century. In images from the gathering posted on their official Instagram page, Kate can be seen warmly hugging a military vet, and William laughs with guests while holding a glass of tomato juice — reportedly an ode to his beloved grandmother’s favorite beverage.
Just eight days later, William, 43, and Kate, 44, were set to mark another special occasion: their 15th wedding anniversary. It seems like just yesterday the college sweethearts were saying “I do” in front of nearly 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey. They’ve gone from young newlyweds living a quiet life in coastal Wales to full-time working royals with three children and extremely high public profiles. Amid ups and downs (including their fallout with William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, former Prince Andrew’s underage sex scandal and King Charles III and Kate’s cancer battles), their marriage has remained remarkably steady. “William and Kate have been through so much, but they always have each other’s backs,” a source tells Us Weekly. “They are incredibly connected.”
Few people can understand what life is like in the royal bubble. “It’s very unique being [part] of the royal family,” says the source, noting that it can be “extremely isolating” for William and Kate because of the nature of their roles and the security involved. It’s a shared experience that has helped them forge a “super-close” bond. “Their inner circle is very tight, and they spend a great deal of time together,” says the source. “In their situation, all they have is each other.”
Royal historian Marlene Koenig says William was intentional about avoiding his parents’ mistakes when it came to his own marriage. Charles and the late Princess Diana wed in 1981 and separated 11 years later; they had reportedly only gone on a dozen dates before Charles proposed. “Diana and Charles didn’t have the real time to get to know each other,” explains Koenig, whereas William “was determined to allow his relationship with Kate to grow. It’s a much more modern marriage.” (The University of St Andrews classmates dated for nearly nine years prior to getting engaged.) “They are friends and partners,” notes the source, “and they trust one another wholeheartedly.”
The couple, who share Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 8, put family first. “William and Kate are very present [with their children],” says the source. “Kate has a great relationship with her parents, and they raised her in a tight-knit family.” William gravitated towards the sense of normalcy that Kate’s mom and dad, Carole and Michael Middleton, created. “William wanted to emulate Kate’s closeness with her family, and he wants his relationship with their children to be similar,” the source says.
Having strict boundaries has helped them balance work and family life. “They show up polished when needed, and when they’re back at home, they’re in mom-and-dad mode,” says the source. “They want to create a normal atmosphere in a very abnormal one.” They take a “tag team” approach, explains royal expert Amanda Matta. “They’ll alternate on and off days with engagements, and are always creating space for family time within the royal calendar.” (The pair stepped back from their busy schedules while their children were off on Easter break between March 27 and April 22; in years past, they traveled to the French Alps and spent time at their country estate, Anmer Hall.)
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Parenting duties are divided equally. “Kate brings patience and structure, and William has a fun outlook and energy,” says the source. “[He] likes to play sports [with the kids]. They both do school runs and bedtime, and they both enjoy cooking and make family dinner a priority. The kids also have chores,” notes the source. At home at Forest Lodge — the eight-bedroom home they moved into in late 2025 that’s nestled within 4,800 acres of Windsor Great Park — they enjoy privacy and seclusion. “The kids can play outside and be normal there,” says the source. Koenig tells Us that George and Charlotte are slowly being introduced to royal duties and “are made aware of their futures.” However, William and Kate’s No. 1 goal is that they “want their children to be raised in a stable home.”
There’s no shortage of common ground between the two. They’re both sporty, outdoorsy and competitive. (During a 2023 podcast appearance with William’s cousin Mike Tindall, Kate revealed she and her husband have never “managed to finish a game of tennis” because “it becomes a mental challenge between the two of us.”) And they have the same sense of humor. “William really makes Kate laugh,” the source says.
Their emotional connection is also strong. Former The Great British Bake Off judge Dame Mary Berry — who’s worked with William as a patron of Child Bereavement UK — told The Daily Mail in 2025 that William is Kate’s biggest cheerleader. “There’s always a little arm around the back, encouraging her,” Berry said. “Early on, when she started doing public life, he would chip in and say something really nice and encouraging, you know?” Adds the source: “Kate’s inner strength and grounded calm really light William up, and she really admires his deep sense of duty and protective nature. He always puts her first, and it warms her heart. He has her back in every situation.”
They’ve faced challenges as a united front. In 2021, there was speculation and scrutiny following Harry and Meghan’s bombshell TV interview, where they alleged that there was racism and neglect among members of the British monarchy. (“We’re very much not a racist family,” William bluntly told a reporter days later.) Matta says the rabid “Where’s Kate?” speculation before the princess went public with her cancer diagnosis was “deeply unwelcome.” During an October episode of Apple TV’s The Reluctant Traveler, William spoke about protecting his family from intense media glare. “The damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family,” he told host Eugene Levy. “When boundaries are crossed, William and Kate generally don’t engage directly,” Matta says. “They close ranks and recede inward.”
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For years, they have distanced themselves from William’s uncle Andrew (his titles were officially stripped in late 2025; he was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office tied to his friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein). “William and Kate have cut him off,” the source says, noting that Andrew’s daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, “are in good graces with the palace. “William and Kate are very protective of them, and they will always have a place in the family.”
Kate’s health crisis clearly brought them closer as a couple. (She revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 and announced in January 2025 that she’s in remission.) “They seem much more in tune with what the other person needs, and how they can show up for one another,” notes Matta. “William really stepped up as husband and father,” says the source, adding that he did everything in his power to make her recovery as comfortable as possible. “From cooking to making sure the kids were taken care of, he [tried to make sure she] didn’t have to lift a finger or worry about anything,” continues the source. “He [ensured] she could take as much time off from royal duties as she needed to recover.”
Matta notes that Kate’s health challenges appear to have prompted a real recalibration of priorities. “There’s been a visible shift toward prioritizing not just family time, but also personal well-being alongside royal duties. Experiences like this tend to deepen understanding within a partnership, and there’s every indication that this has brought them closer,” says Matta. “They seem much more in tune with what each person needs and how they can show up for one another.” Royal watchers have noticed they’ve become more prone to PDA. “We’re seeing more joint appearances framed around them as a couple,” Matta adds, “and the tone feels more openly supportive.”
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Behind the scenes, the couple is “much more normal than anyone could ever imagine,” says the source. “There’s a narrative that they are always uptight, but they’re actually very casual in their off time.” They’ll have date nights at home with dinner and a walk, and they like to binge-watch shows (the source notes they watched Suits before meeting Meghan!). Matta says that the couple tends to favor understated, meaningful ways of spending time together. “These are often things that reflect their earlier years, like low-key pub dinners or countryside getaways,” she says. “Their Isle of Mull trip last year [they marked their 14th wedding anniversary during an official two-day visit to the Scottish island] is a good example of how they blend work with personal time.” As a family, they enjoy board games — William said in 2024 that the family favorites include Monopoly and Risk.
Their anniversary plans are low-key. “They’ll most likely do a cozy getaway,” says the source, noting that the pair love spending time in Scotland. “They may have a nice romantic dinner together because Kate’s been through a lot and William wants to make it special.”
The future King and Queen of England are busy gearing up for the next phase of their lives. “They’ll be looking to maintain as much separation as possible between present and past controversies,” says Matta. (William said on The Reluctant Traveler that “it’s safe to say that change” is on his “agenda” when he eventually takes over the crown.) The couple will have a lot more responsibilities when the time comes, and “they are talking about how to navigate that,” says the source. “So when that happens, they have a plan and strategy so they can still carve out time together, which is really important to them.”
Still, the evolution will feel organic. “Any couple would feel a twinge of nerves about the weight of the crown, but they seem rock solid and prepared. They have already grown closer with real-life tests like her health scare and all the scrutiny,” explains the source. “William and Kate are used to the work-life balance, so they feel like they’ll be able to handle what comes next well. There’s more excitement than fear,” adds the source. “They are rock solid and prepared.”
For more on William and Kate, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
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