It seems all of England has gotten a little wind beneath its wings- the oldest of Diana’s boys is engaged! It almost seems like the event was planned to offer the British people a respite from the stress and weight of the staggering level of debt that they are trying dig out from. Too bad we here in the US have no royals to distract us and offer us our own happily ever break from reality.
In all seriousness, did you see that ring? Brings back lots of memories of the spring of 1981- for those of us who can remember Charles and Diana and their “storybook” romance. Talk about your surprise endings. Because I am a dating coach, it is probably assumed that I would be as excited as our friends across the pond- not so much. I am happy for this young couple, and I hope theirs is a marriage made in heaven- however, I know that there is no such thing as “happily ever after” and that great marriages result from good choices, maturity, tenacity and luck- not necessarily in that order.
How are we to know if this marriage will be any different from the disastrous royal unions that it will follow? We don’t; however, we can do a quick comparison with Charles and Diana and see if there are any important differences in the relationships- at least on the surface.
Charles was much older than his son when he married. Apparently, he was raised with the expectation that he would marry someone from his background and “breeding”, however, his heart was already taken by a “commoner” he had known and cared about since his youth. Therefore, he finally chose a much younger woman of child bearing age who passed the background test. It was more or less an arranged marriage between two people who had little in common besides their blue blood.
In comparison, William and Kate who are basically the same age, have known each other since college. They began their relationship as friends, and in time, their feelings grew into something more. Kate is a commoner who lacks the right pedigree, but he wants to marry her anyway. Fortunately, the old restrictions seem to be lifting, but even if they weren’t, it seems William would give up his crown for love. Too bad Charles never seriously considered this.
If Kate is up to the pressures and constant demands of a royal life, and she and William can find ways to remain a cohesive unit- having each others’ backs and dealing with whatever comes together- they might have a real shot at that fairy tale ending we all wish for.
