Today is the Prince and Princess of Wales’ 15th wedding anniversary. Through gritted teeth! There’s been little gossip about a potential anniversary outing for William and Kate, but you never know. They would have been told to stay out of view while King Charles and Camilla’s US state visit is ongoing, but William was out yesterday in military drag, so who knows. Well, the Daily Mail’s Becky English is currently traveling with Charles and Camilla, but the Mail wrote her prepared “anniversary keenery” article today. Most of it is just an interview with Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, William’s former private secretary, but let’s discuss it anyway.
The 15th anniversary. Aides are discussing how to mark the event publicly, given that it lands midway through the King and Queen’s high-profile visit to the US. Privately, however, friends and associates say that William and Catherine have very much ‘found their groove’.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton on Will & Kate: He first met the future princess when he joined William at St Andrews for his graduation in the Spring of 2005, describing them as ‘incredibly well-suited. Even on first meeting them, that was obvious…It was, and is, a meeting of minds and equals between the two of them. The idea of him wanting to protect her is a nice image, but it goes both ways. She is very protective of him too. There’s always been a quiet confidence about her.’ There’s no doubt in Lowther-Pinkerton’s mind that, while she is an ‘absolute rock, very intelligent and intuitive and strong.’
The second coming of the Steel Marshmallow: Many within the royal household refer to Catherine as ‘the Steel Marshmallow Mark II’, a play on the late Queen Mother’s nickname: her soft exterior belying an indestructible core.
An equal partnership: In public it is William, 43, who often takes the lead. But it is very much an equal partnership, and William deeply respects his wife’s judgment. ‘They make all the important decisions together and support each other’s work,’ says a friend. ‘You couldn’t find two people closer. The difference is they just don’t feel they need to show it for the cameras. They aren’t performative. One of the things that the princess, in particular, has always been so impressively clear about is that she is allergic to being given advice about how things will come across, or look through a PR lens. That’s the total antithesis of how she operates.’
Prince Harry isn’t mentioned once, you guys: They have come through a tumultuous few years, with the implosion of William’s relationship with his brother, Prince Harry, and Catherine’s cancer diagnosis. ‘From losing his grandmother, to all of the awfulness of the princess’s health, as well as that of his father, it’s been a tough period for William,’ a source says. Notably, Harry isn’t mentioned once. I’m told there is sadness, naturally, at how things have turned out, but William has very much placed the issue of his estranged brother to one side, to ‘focus on the things that matter’.
William didn’t order the banishment of his uncle: His uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is more of an immediate headache, the ramifications of which may last well into William’s own reign. I am told suggestions the heir to the throne was a prime mover in his banishment to Norfolk are untrue. While despairing of his uncle’s behaviour, the future king was deeply concerned about Andrew’s mental health.
William didn’t freeze out his cousins: As for reports he has ‘frozen out’ his cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, a friend says firmly: ‘It’s complex, but he’s kinder than that. Easter [when it was claimed that William only agreed to attend if the sisters weren’t there] was absolutely nothing to do with him.’
Moving to Forest Lodge: ‘It’s given them a new lease of life. It’s helping them to put the unhappy memories of the past few years behind them,’ a source explains. ‘The move has given them a renewed sense of purpose and vigour. They are happier, and you can see that visibly. Adelaide Cottage [their former home] coincided with a really unhappy time in their lives and they were ready to start a new chapter.’ Another source says: ‘They have become more comfortable with the increasing state duties they take on but, at the same time, like nothing more than sitting at home and watching Traitors [a recent obsession, apparently] three nights a week.’
Kate might travel for work: The princess hasn’t undertaken a working foreign visit since before her cancer diagnosis, but aides haven’t ruled out her taking up the baton again this year.
Change is on the agenda: ‘When thinking about the future he himself has said change is on the agenda. That is true. But it’s worth noting that both he and Catherine are also very much “conservative with a small c”. They both respect the tradition that comes with their roles,’ says a source close to them. They add: ‘Will he get rid of garden parties and Trooping the Colour? No, of course not. But might those things feel a little different in the reign of King William? Yes. They both want things to feel more relevant and “of today”, whenever that might be.’ Another source says: ‘When you want to make change, you have to make really difficult decisions. He’s prepared to shake a few trees but not to cut down the whole orchard.’
Teamwork makes the dream work: And the princess is by no means a passive participant. ‘When the time comes [for them to step up as King and Queen], they will enter into the roles in the same way they have approached the first 15 years of their marriage. As a team.’
The Steel Marshmallow thing has been mentioned before and it’s bonkers every single time. Absolutely no one thinks Kate is a steel marshmallow, not even the bulletproof-sunshine crisis manager hired by Prince William. No one calls Kate “Steel Marshmallow Mark II.” Please. And if William has “very much placed the issue of his estranged brother to one side, to ‘focus on the things that matter’,” then why is William constantly having rage-attacks and nervous breakdowns over whatever Harry does? Why the huffy counter-briefings to friendly royal reporters, why the copykeening, why is there a constant stream of energy towards the Sussexes?
Speaking of, this part is a fascinating subtweet of how William and Kate are trying to convince themselves and everyone else that they’re the antithesis of Harry and Meghan and that’s a good thing: “The difference is they just don’t feel they need to show it for the cameras. They aren’t performative. One of the things that the princess, in particular, has always been so impressively clear about is that she is allergic to being given advice about how things will come across, or look through a PR lens. That’s the total antithesis of how she operates.” They’re trying to say Harry and Meghan are performative, and that H&M are optics-obsessed. When really, the Sussexes understand public relations and image-making, two vital parts of William and Kate’s job. It’s not a flex for Will and Kate to argue that they don’t care about their image or managing their own public relations.
They released this photo for their anniversary:
Celebrating 15 years of marriage
pic.twitter.com/egvsuIh6xF
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 29, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
