The former Kate
Middleton's transformation into a highly regarded member of the royal family is
nearly complete.
She is now the
Duchess of Cambridge, a striking woman who is comfortable speaking in public,
going to charity events with husband Prince William or having tea with Queen
Elizabeth II, her grandmother-in-law.
But the best times
seem to be the quiet moments — walking in the wilds of North Wales with William
and their black cocker spaniel puppy, Lupo.
"The main
point is that they look as if they're enjoying themselves,". "The
first year of marriage is difficult for everybody and they've adapted to their
role admirably."
Seward believes
the royal couple, who were college buddies before romance developed, have
benefited tremendously from their long, solid friendship. The first year of
their marriage has been largely free of controversy.
"They were
together a long, long time and maybe this is a demonstration of how much it
helped for them to be the friends that they are," she said.
Kate and William
plan to celebrate their first anniversary on Sunday in private, palace
officials said. On Thursday they visited the London headquarters of the MI6
intelligence agency, and also attended a reception, with Kate looking
resplendent in a charcoal gray dress.
The duchess has
faced considerable pressure in her first year as she has eased into her
increasingly public royal role, but she has avoided any missteps, seeming to
have benefited from strong family support and good advice from palace
professionals.
She was reluctant
at first to speak in public, although she showed an immediate skill at interacting
with British citizens at casual events.
The royal wedding
— a television spectacle seen throughout the world — gave William and his bride
the chance to recast the image of the British monarchy as more down-to-earth.
After the wedding,
they shunned the spotlight to spend what would typically have been a honeymoon
period on Anglesey, a wind-swept spot off northwest Wales where William works
as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot at the Royal Air Force Valley base.
Their first year
of married life has been a study in balancing their dual roles: Royal and
regular. The couple like to dress down when they walk Lupo, but they also wear
designer duds at gala dinners and speak out in support of their chosen
charities.
After they said
"I do" in a gala spectacle at Westminster Abbey, the first images to
emerge of the couple were of a casually dressed Kate picking up groceries.
Her later
appearances on William's arm were more typically royal: Stunning red carpet
walks in designer gowns while championing charitable causes.
While the royal
wedding was the culmination of a long courtship, it was also Kate's coronation
in the eyes of the public — as a fashion icon, a philanthropist and a possible
future queen.
She has been
widely praised for her fashion choices and her emphasis on British designers —
many of the outfits she chooses become immediate favorites, selling out within
hours.
With William by
her side, she rendered celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon star-struck on a
whirlwind tour of California shortly after the wedding, but also struck a chord
at the less-highbrow Calgary Stampede wearing tight jeans, a cowboy hat and
large belt buckle.
The duchess has
also had to select charities to patronize, mindful of the causes her husband's
late mother, Princess Diana, pursued.
She's been
photographed hugging cancer patients and doing arts and crafts with young
Britons. The charities she now supports have praised her approachability and
dedication.
That dedication
was put on display when William was deployed to the Falkland Islands for
several weeks earlier this spring.
As William proudly
served his country, the duchess delivered her first public address — noting in
her brief but confident delivery that she was sorry her husband could not join
her.
Kate might
consider giving some advice to her younger sister on media management. While
the duchess has generated some of the most positive royal press in years, Pippa
Middleton made some unpleasant headlines this month when she was photographed
in a car in Paris with a driver who pretended to point a gun at photographers.
The gun was later said to be a toy.
Still, when the
royal couple marks their anniversary on Sunday, the ever-present question that
trails many newlyweds will be right there with them: When will baby make three?
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