VF: ‘It’s very clear that Prince William is deeply in love with his wife, more than ever’

Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair was one of the royal reporters to get special briefings in honor of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s 14th wedding anniversary. All of the pieces start the same, with memories of Will and Kate’s 2011 wedding and how everything was perfect, and 2024 was only a minor blip in the larger fairytale, one bad moment which made William and Kate appreciate their perfect family even more. It’s a good narrative and it was smart for Kensington Palace’s courtiers to try to put a bow on the rolling catastrophe that was 2024. It’s funny that there are two sets of briefings in the past week coming from KP: one one side, there’s the “Will and Kate and incandescent with love, their marriage has never been stronger and they simply adore each other 24-7” briefings. On the other side, Rageaholic William and his allies are throwing sh-t fits about the Duchess of Sussex’s title and HRH style and screaming about how much William “despises” Harry and Meghan. Nicholl’s VF piece was mostly about Will and Kate being the most perfect and keen couple ever though:

Will & Kate stayed in a modest lodge during their Scottish holiday: It is, according to those who know the couple best, their idea of a perfect night in. “They really love the simple things in life,” a family friend tells Vanity Fair. “A little cottage in the middle of nowhere is their idea of heaven.”

Kate is doing well, health-wise. A year and two months after Kate’s cancer diagnosis, the future looks a lot brighter as she has been given the all-clear and has returned to work. Sources close to the family say that her prognosis is very positive and that she is “doing exceptionally well.” Princess Kate has said she is doing everything she can to stay cancer-free, and while she has returned to work, her priorities are her health and her family.

William prioritized Kate?? “Getting cancer changed her, it changed William, and it changed everything between them. They were both shocked to their core, but they knew they would get through it together,” reveals a family friend. “William stepped up. He made Catherine front and center of everything and will continue to do so. It’s made them both prioritize family and each other over everything else.”

Skipping Easter with the Windsors: Certainly, the couple’s recent decision to skip Easter Sunday with King Charles and Queen Camilla so that they could celebrate quietly as a family was a change noted by royal watchers. Last year, the family was in Norfolk for the Easter holidays and Kate was undergoing treatment, but their decision not to join Charles and senior royals a second year in a row was significant. “Usually they are there, and everyone loves seeing the little ones. This year they decided to have a quiet family Easter. The king was fully supportive, and I think it is an example of William and Catherine doing things the way they want to and doing what works for them as a family,” adds the royal insider.

They’d rather spend time in Norfolk: “They know with the children growing up and George about to start a new school, the family unit as it is will change a bit and they want to spend as much time together as they can,” the source adds. “They love being in Norfolk, it’s where they bond as a family and where they make very happy memories. It’s their happy place and they love being there.”

They’ve been together for two decades: “Like all couples, the relationship has ups and downs, but I would say they are stronger than ever, they are a very tight partnership,” says a long-standing friend. “It’s very clear that William is deeply in love with his wife, more than ever, and she is eternally grateful to him for the support he has given her this past year and how he has been with the children. He has shouldered a lot.”

[From Vanity Fair]

I sometimes feel like Kensington Palace walks over their competing talking points from Kate’s camp and William’s camp. Camp Peg wants to ensure that he’s seen as the guy who shouldered enormous burdens completely on his own, prioritizing the fakakta school run single-handedly and staying stoic and calm in the face of Kate’s health issues. Meanwhile, Camp Kate has created an idealized version of how she wanted William to behave and react – “He made Catherine front and center of everything and will continue to do so” and “It’s very clear that William is deeply in love with his wife, more than ever.” All I know is that both sides are laying it on really thick. Also: KP keeps insisting that Charles was fine with the Waleses skipping Easter with the family. That’s not coming from Buckingham Palace.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.