The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's 3rd Wedding Anniversary

Yes, you read the title right. I can't be the only one who finds it hard to process that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge- the media like to call them "Kate and Wills," but here at the Rose and the Thistle we like to keep up standards when it comes to royal etiquette- were married three years ago today. It seems only yesterday we were treated to the pageantry of a royal wedding, to the soon-to-be Duchess' magnificent wedding dress, to Prince William in his smart military uniform, to the glorious procession of the household cavalry accompanying Their Royal Highnesses' back to Buckingham Palace in the state carriage as adoring crowds lined the Mall, holding aloft British and other commonwealth nations' flags and banners with kind words for the newly married couple. It was a spectacular warm-up to an even rarer royal event, 2012's Diamond Jubilee, when Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 60 years on the throne of the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Even if, admittedly, several of those nations did not exist as independent states upon her ascension to the throne of the then British Empire and Commonwealth.

 

The Coat of Arms of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Quite fetching, if you ask me.

Recently the young Duke and Duchess have returned to the news. Their Royal Highnesses have just returned to the UK following a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand. I have been hugely encouraged by figures showing that support for the monarchy is strong among 18-34 year old Australians. This bodes well for the long-term security of Australia's monarchy. It is also encouraging to see how well the Duchess of Cambridge has settled in to her royal role; comparisons to her late mother-in-law Diana, the Princess of Wales, have been rife in the British press. That said, I often think such comparisons are unfair and place a great deal of pressure on the Duchess to live up to her mother-in-law's illustrious reputation, which has cast a long shadow over royal life ever since her tragic loss in 1997.

All in all, it has been a royal whirlwind for the last three years, but our future King and Queen have weathered it well. Republicanism remains a damp squib across the commonwealth realms. This month our Sovereign celebrated her 88th birthday, and Her Majesty shows no signs of slowing down. I'm sure her subjects the world over will join me in wishing Her Majesty many years on the British throne and the thrones of her other territories (and seeing as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother made it to the grand old age of 102, who knows how long our current monarch will reign), but it is comforting to see the affection afforded by those subjects to Her Majesty's eventual successors. Fate allowing, some day I may be blessed to see the coronation of King William V and his queen, Catherine. 'Till then, three cheers for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!