Whatever the secret is to making a relationship work, it seems that the Prince and Princess of Wales have been clued into it. They have been together for half of their lives, meeting at the University of St. Andrews in 2001 and turning their friendship into a romantic relationship around 2002 or 2003, depending on who you ask. That means the couple have been together for over 20 years (minus those couple of months in 2007 that we don’t speak of), and, as they are both 41—yep, that’s half a lifetime together.
Hello reports that one of the secrets to their romantic success might lie in a personality trait they share and make them a “match made in heaven”: They’re both extremely competitive. Whereas competitiveness might not be the first trait you think of when you consider a formula for a successful marriage, it works for them.
“Prince William and Princess Kate always seem to be having the time of their lives on joint public engagements, and never more so when they’re taking part in a competitive activity,” the outlet writes. “From spinning to sailing to running, the Prince and Princess of Wales never look happier than when they’re engaging in a spot of healthy competition.” In fact, many of their joint engagements tend to lean towards scenarios where the pair is somehow competing against one another in an activity.
Psychotherapist and founder of Luxe Psychology Practice Jade Thomas said that this competitive nature could be the linchpin to their successful relationship. “Competition may bring a fair amount of excitement, motivation, and drive to your relationship,” she said. “Two individuals who have a competitive streak could be considered compatible, as they share similar values and will both be equally motivated.”
Psychotherapist Dana Moinian agreed: “Being jointly competitive can serve as encouragement for both members of a couple,” Moinian said. “Competitive people generally like to move benchmarks higher and higher, so when two people who are in a relationship have the same mindset, [it] can be beneficial for them in terms of progression.”
That said, both Thomas and Moinian are in agreement that competitiveness between partners needs to be kept in check in order to avoid it becoming detrimental. “It’s important to be aware of what the competition is about in the relationship,” Thomas said. “For example, it could become detrimental to the relationship if both parties are constantly competing to outperform one another, as this could result in conflict and lowered self-esteem.”
