Prince William and Princess Kate marked 15 years since their engagement announcement on Sunday, November 16, and the couple has certainly been through their share of ups and downs since 2010. After navigating Queen Elizabeth's death, Prince Andrew's title-stripping scandal and a falling out with Prince Harry—in addition to raising three young children—the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. For the Prince and Princess of Wales, their trials have made them come out stronger, as multiple royal sources have noted.
The couple hugged, held hands and shared kisses in the video they released to mark the end of Kate's chemotherapy treatment last September—gestures that the public have rarely seen from the royals. They even released a photo celebrating Valentine's Day in 2025, a first for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
"William must feel so fortunate that Kate has come through this that he wants to tell the world about that love," Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward told Peopleearlier this year. "It shows the intimacy of them sharing that journey together."
"They are happy for people to see them be touchy-feely," she added. "They’re in a different phase of their life now. William is very protective and very proud of her for coming through this and carrying on with her life."
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Slots, body language expert Darren Stanton said that even though they both gave the impression of "a very stiff upper lip" during their engagement interview, William and Kate have come a long way.
"William has always seemed deeply devoted to Kate, and she to him," Stanton said. "They’re comfortable showing affection in public, from playful touches to warm, genuine interactions."
April 29 will mark the couple's fifteenth wedding anniversary, and after releasing special new photos for their tenth, fans could be in for a "special" treat, said one longtime royal journalist. Katie Nicholl told the Mirror, "They tend to do things in a low-key way, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them do something special to recognize 15 years of marriage."
Nicholl added, "They've been through so much and, of course, each year Kate clocks up will be another year of being cancer-free, which really will be worth marking."
