In 1969 Petula Clark and the charming Peter O'Toole appeared in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." One of the many beautiful songs in that film was called Walk Through the World With Me. Watching William and Kate hike to Tiger's Nest earlier this month got me thinking about their hand-holding and today, as we celebrate their 5th anniversary, the lyrics seems especially applicable to William and Kate: Walk through the world with me, and you will see how happy life can be...hand in hand, together for eternity. This duo has covered the globe in the past five years, often hand in hand.
William said that he was torn about asking Kate first or Michael first, but settled on proposing to Kate. The prince famously popped the question to his girlfriend while on vacation in Kenya, but shortly after their return William invited Michael and Carole to Birkhall, Prince Charles' Balmoral Estate. During this intimate shooting weekend away, William asked Michael Middleton for Kate's hand in marriage. Although William claims he was worried Michael would say no, I think it is pretty clear that every single party involved was absolutely thrilled by the secret proposal. Five months after William asked Michael for Kate's hand, in the proverbial sense, Mr. Middleton delivered in a poignant moment at the foot of Westminster Abbey's altar.
The custom of asking the bride's father for her hand is an old one, which increasingly has been left at the wayside, but William maintained the tradition and more than many couples, it seemed particularly appropriate. Once William took Kate's hand that morning, it seems the two haven't let go.
The morning after the Royal Wedding, the couple strolled across the green lawn of Buckingham Palace. They had spent the night at Buckingham Palace after their private reception and were making their way to a waiting helicopter. Usually reticent with the press, the newlyweds were happy to put their joy on display for all to see.
There were only a few paparazzi shots of the couple's super-secret and jealously guarded honeymoon in the Seychelles, but the one that did emerge pictured the couple hand-in-hand walking the beach.
The two spent a weekend in Scotland, where their royal romance first began, to attend cousin Zara's wedding. The newlyweds took a break in Holyrood Park in what was to be the first of many vacation walks we would witness.
Photos of their happy stroll along the pebbled beaches near their Anglesey home remain favorites for many:
In 2012, the pair travelled to Southeast Asia where they were hoisted high into the canopy of the rainforest, holding tightly to one another so as not to drift off.
Sport games are often frustrating for fashionistas because we don't get a great look at the clothes and the overall view of the royals is often partially obstructed. The balance to that drawback is the relaxed nature of the event usually highlights sweet moments, such as this one from the 2012 London Olympics:
It was Christmas in 2013 that the Duke & Duchess first walked hand-in-hand to the Christmas morning service. It was an evolution not in their relationship, as we have seen, but in their comfort level with the press. The necessary discretion of their dating days was starting to fall away.
When the couple flew to another hemisphere in 2014, they were pictured walking the grounds of Government House in Canberra:
Toward the end of that year, in what appeared to be a more contemplative moment, they watched the Commonwealth Games in Scotland together:
Who can forget their stunning moment at the head of the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City?
It was just a few short weeks later they were at Sandringham once again for their family Christmas gathering. That was a special year as it was the first time that the Middletons joined the royals for this major holiday. Kate's family stayed at Anmer Hall and were present at the Sunday morning service.
The couple marked a milestone on May 2, 2015 when they introduced their daughter Charlotte to the waiting press and to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing:
Most recently, the couple travelled to India and Bhutan, during which they spent several hours hiking to a historic monastery nestled high in the mountains.
Throughout the years, their joy in each other has been readily apparent to even the most jaded observer. Their penchant for hand-holding is a delightful outward symbol of their unity and the strength of what appears to be a remarkable romance. It has been five years since William and Kate joined hands to walk through the world together and it has been a wonderful, wonderful journey thus far.
In 2012, the pair travelled to Southeast Asia where they were hoisted high into the canopy of the rainforest, holding tightly to one another so as not to drift off.
Sport games are often frustrating for fashionistas because we don't get a great look at the clothes and the overall view of the royals is often partially obstructed. The balance to that drawback is the relaxed nature of the event usually highlights sweet moments, such as this one from the 2012 London Olympics:
It was Christmas in 2013 that the Duke & Duchess first walked hand-in-hand to the Christmas morning service. It was an evolution not in their relationship, as we have seen, but in their comfort level with the press. The necessary discretion of their dating days was starting to fall away.
When the couple flew to another hemisphere in 2014, they were pictured walking the grounds of Government House in Canberra:
Toward the end of that year, in what appeared to be a more contemplative moment, they watched the Commonwealth Games in Scotland together:
Who can forget their stunning moment at the head of the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City?
It was just a few short weeks later they were at Sandringham once again for their family Christmas gathering. That was a special year as it was the first time that the Middletons joined the royals for this major holiday. Kate's family stayed at Anmer Hall and were present at the Sunday morning service.
The couple marked a milestone on May 2, 2015 when they introduced their daughter Charlotte to the waiting press and to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing:
Most recently, the couple travelled to India and Bhutan, during which they spent several hours hiking to a historic monastery nestled high in the mountains.
Throughout the years, their joy in each other has been readily apparent to even the most jaded observer. Their penchant for hand-holding is a delightful outward symbol of their unity and the strength of what appears to be a remarkable romance. It has been five years since William and Kate joined hands to walk through the world together and it has been a wonderful, wonderful journey thus far.
The two are celebrating privately this year, and having just finished their tour of India and Bhutan, they have a lot of memories to reflect on both from this year and the past five!
If you haven't seen last years's post Love Is In The Air, be sure to pop over and OD a little on the pictures. I have had this scene from the Royal Wedding on replay most of the day. The ceremony remains as magnificent, soul-moving, and visually arresting as it was at 3am five years ago!
Wishing you all a very Happy Royal Wedding Anniversary Day and a celebration that continues into this weekend! I am having champagne tonight; I hope you do, too. ;)