A royal expert asserts that Prince William established vital foundations after marrying Kate to ensure the success of their relationship.
The couple wed in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, recently celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary.
Following their marriage, Kate set forth "terms" ensuring she would prioritise duties aligned with her passions. These conditions allowed her to balance her roles as a working royal and her focus on family.
Royal commentator Robert Jobson outlined these arrangements in his new biography, "Catherine, Princess of Wales." He explained that Prince William conveyed Kate's "fundamental rules" to his father and Camilla while Kate was expecting Princess Charlotte.
In an excerpt from the book, which is due to be published next month, the royal commentator said: “On her behalf, he explained that she wanted more space to grow into her role and needed more time to adapt to the peculiarities of royal life.”
Going into more details about her wishes, Jobson explained: “Before joining 'the Firm', she wisely established some fundamental rules. She wouldn't be pigeon-holed into carrying out particular duties and insisted on eventually having her full quota of maternity leave, away from the glare of the media and public.
“Her priority, she emphasised, would be to maintain a balance between her royal obligations and what she held most dear: a loving marriage and a happy family life.
“This didn't mean that she wouldn't carry out royal duties; far from it. But she wanted to offer her patronage only to charities close to her interests and delve into their purpose with in-depth study.”
Jobson said that William’s intervention on Kate’s behalf was poignant as he knew that his mother, the late Princess Diana, had often felt like an “outsider”, a position he did not want his wife to inherit.
During an interview following their engagement in 2010, the Princess was asked if she found it intimidating to be following in the footsteps of a “massive iconic figure” - replying that she did indeed.
William then stepped into her defence to say: “No one is going to try to fill my mother's shoes — what she did was fantastic. It's about making your own future and your own destiny, and Kate will do a very good job of that.”
Ahead of their 13th anniversary, a royal commentator said the Waleses would not celebrate in the usual way due to Kate’s health.
Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News in April: “They will undoubtedly be celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary privately.
“This year will be very different from previous years as Catherine is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after recovering from abdominal surgery.”
Fitzwilliams continued: “This is clearly a marriage of like minds as the years have shown. They are focused on parenthood with its ups and downs and ensuring their children grow up in as normal a way as possible.”
