Royal Wedding: Prince William and Kate Middleton Share Their Anxiety About the Expected Pressures of Marriage
LONDON, April 22, 2011— -- Kate Middleton is reportedly breaking with tradition on the wedding vows. She will "love, honor and keep" her husband but not "obey" him, according to the London Daily Mail.
Also, Middleton and Prince William have apparently had their sit down with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who will officiate their ceremony a week from today.
The royal couple confided in him their fears about the pressure that public scrutiny will put on their marriage, bearing in mind the recent history of royal divorces, the Daily Mail reported.
But, the archbishop said, they're mature and they know "what's at the heart of all this," he said, according to the newspaper.
Since the glowing euphoria of the announcement in November, there has been at least one apparent sign of stress in the princess-to-be in particular.
She has made four official appearances since then. "It's quite noticeable that on each one, she's got thinner and thinner," ABC royal contributor Duncan Larcombe said.
Middleton is a bride after all and, like any bride, she's nervous. She wants her big day to go well. And she's involved in every detail, even down to which flowers will decorate the wedding cake.
"I think it's that walk up the aisle," royal expert Katie Nicholl said. "I've done it. It's nearly 4 minutes."
With 1,900 People in the Abbey and Maybe Another 2 Billion Watching on TV
"I would imagine she probably can't eat," Larcombe said. "I would be amazed if she can sleep."
Signing Up for a Life of Scrutiny
"It's obviously nerve-racking," Middleton said after the engagement was announced. "I don't know the ropes. William is obviously used to it, but I'm willing to learn quickly and work hard."
Among the reasons William might have waited so long to propose was to give Middleton the chance to dip a toe in royal waters and, perhaps, recoil.
"I wanted to give her a chance to see it and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much," the prince said.
But she didn't. "And I'm sure as soon as the wedding day is out the way, she'll put a bit of weight back on," Nicholl said. "Color will come back in her cheeks."
