15 Ways Prince William & Kate Middleton Work to Protect Their Marriage

It's been nearly a decade since Prince William and Kate Middleton got married on April 29, 2011. Even nine years in, they're still working to protect their marriage and keep it healthy for all the decades to come. Anyone who's ever been married knows that no matter how much love there is in a relationship, that doesn't always guarantee a perfect marriage. People have to work at things and continue to grow together. Luckily for all their fans, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pretty great at literally working together as royals, but also working through things together as a couple to make sure their marriage bond lasts. 

They're in this one for the long haul.

That's not to say that the Cambridge duo haven't had their ups and downs like any husband and wife. Who can forget the time that Kate seemingly shrugged away from Will when he tried to touch her shoulder at an event? (It was so awkward.) But every couple is bound to have arguments and bad days, it's just that Kate and Will's play out in front of the whole world.

But the scrutiny and public attention just give them even more reason to make it work. The royal family is pretty isolated, since no one can really understand what it's like to be them. For Kate and Will, they know they can always trust and count on each other, which they can't necessarily say for their staff or friends or the random people in their lives.

Will and Kate want their marriage to last, and here are all the ways they're making sure that happens.

William Protected Kate Even Before They Married

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As a young man, William knew all too well the dangers of the press with regards to the people he loved. His mother died while being chased by paparazzi, so when he started dating Kate Middleton in college, he was careful not to let onto the media about the relationship. In fact, according to Express, he went out of his way to lie to protect Kate

"Look, I'm only 22 for God's sake. I am too young to marry at my age," he said in 2005 when the press had started poking around. "I don't want to get married until I am at least 28 or maybe 30." That part turned out to be true, but things were much more serious with Kate at that point than he was letting on.

Helping Kate Not Feel Isolated

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Being in the royal family can be intensely isolating, especially for someone who isn't used to it. Prince William was extremely aware of that, and he made sure Kate felt supported at all times when she first entered the family. He reportedly even set up a hotline that she could use to call William directly whenever she needed him during those early dating days. 

Aww.

They Didn't Rush Into Marriage

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One of the smartest moves Will and Kate made to protect their relationship was not to rush into anything. They dated for eight years before they got married, even breaking up for a time to make sure that they truly wanted to be together. That way, Kate and Will knew when they said, "I do" they both were really in it for the long haul.

Letting Their Personalities Balance One Another

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Marriages where both people are extremely similar seem like they should work best, but that's not always the case. With Kate and Will's marriage, balance seems to be the answer to staving off any problems. 

As royal expert Camilla Tominey explained, "She's the yin to his yang in that he, although a level-headed, down the line kind of guy, can be prone to a few temper tantrums and likes to dig his heels, and knows his own mind. Sometimes he gets quite angry and one gets the impression she is the one reigning him in, saying, 'OK, keep calm.'"

Never Going to Bed Angry

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According to The Sun, the couple reportedly works on their marriage by never going to bed angry. They also allegedly have a "no shouting" rule for their three children as they encourage the kids to talk through their feelings instead. Kate and Will have reportedly adopted the talking-not-shouting rule for their own conflicts as well.

Ignoring Rumors About Themselves

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People love to gossip about celebrities, but William and Kate stay above the fray — especially when it comes to rumors about their marriage. After Will was accused of allegedly cheating on Kate, neither of them said anything to confirm or deny, and the rumors eventually died out while the duo's love stayed as seemingly strong as ever.

Getting Into a Parent Routine

Having children is always going to add stress to a marriage, but the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge help mitigate potential arguments by having a routine in place. That leaves less room for the kids to argue or for the parents to get frustrated. "We've kept to a pretty strict routine here at home," Kate said when her family started self-isolating. "That's massively helped us all actually, it's just having that bit of structure."

Playing to Their Own Strengths at Work

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Technically, Kate and Will share a job, and working with family doesn't always go well. But this royal duo makes it work by each playing to their own strengths. As a royal insider recently told People magazine, "They are a great double act. People make much of William giving the big speeches, but Kate is there too, asking questions of presidents and their wives. These things are easier when they are side-by-side."

And Having Their Own Passions

Although Kate and Will do carry out joint engagements, they also have their own charities and causes that they support independent of each other. Kate's really into photography and motherhood, so she focuses a lot of her work in those areas, while Will has his own passions. Being able to do separate work likely helps them decompress, otherwise, they might get sick of one another!

Looking After Each Other

An alleged royal friend said in the same People magazine article that part of why the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's marriage works so well, is because it's a bit old-fashioned. "They look after each other but in different ways," the source said. "Some people might say it's an old-fashioned marriage, but it seems to work." Even if other people think it's old-fashioned, we think it's so sweet that Will and Kate take care to look after one another.

Willing to Have Hard Conversations

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According to Express, William didn't initially want a third child, so he and Kate had a hard conversation about what adding another member of their family would be like. Ultimately, they decided as a couple to get pregnant again — and Prince Louis may not be the last. Express reported that Kate's uncle said on Twitter, "She's a natural mother. I wonder if she will stop at three? I doubt it. They are having such fun with the babies."

Fans would love to see another royal baby (that's for sure), but even if they stick to three, we're just glad they're still able to compromise this far into their marriage.

Respect for the In-Laws

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Family is everything, and not getting along with the in-laws can cause major drama in a marriage — even more so when those in-laws are the UK's royal family. But Kate fits in so well with Prince Charles, Camilla, Harry, and the Queen. However, it's not a one-way street. William also respects and gets along with Kate's family. 

According to The Telegraph, a source said of William before the royal wedding, "The Prince has made it absolutely clear that the Middleton family is incredibly important to him. They will be as much a part of his family as the royal family."

That must have made the start to their marriage that much smoother.

Doing 'Regular Couple' Things

They may be royalty, but William and Kate know how important it is to also just let their hair down and relax. Life is stressful, and that stress can impact a marriage. So the couple revealed in 2017 that they like to have down time together watching TV and eating curry in their "comfy clothes," according to William. Their favorite shows at the time were Homeland and Game of Thrones.

And Staying Grounded Overall

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Will and Kate each bring a factor of normalcy to their relationship thanks to their childhoods. Kate Middleton grew up as a commoner, so she has a real sense of being grounded. And even though William grew up as a prince, Princess Diana tried to give him as much of a normal childhood as she could. As a result, neither Kate nor William has too much of an ego about them, regardless of their current celebrity status. That certainly helps keep a relationship from falling prey to jealousy or entitlement.

They're Equals & Share Duties

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Royal expert Camilla Tominey said that compared to, say, Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship, Kate and Will "seem much more equal." That could certainly be seen in how the two have shared parenting duties during their self-isolation. They reportedly were both involved in helping George with his online schooling, as well as coming up with activities to entertain Charlotte and Louis. Everyone could use a partner like these two have. 

They make for a great team.