Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesIt was five years ago today that Kate Middleton and Prince William said "I do" with the whole world watching.
Kate borrowed Queen Elizabeth II's tiara and looked every bit the perfect princess in her custom (and newsworthy once again) Alexander McQueen gown from designer Sarah Burton. William looked dapper in red, wearing the Irish Guards Mounted Officer's uniform. The royal wedding was brimming with tradition and proper protocols were observed, but onlookers could easily pick up on the very real personal connection between the bride and groom.
You'd think Will and Kate's romantic wedding would've been a tough act to follow, but the next five years played out like a modern fairytale, too. As the newlyweds settled into married life, the adoring public fell more and more in love with them. We loved that William went back to work as an RAF search and rescue command pilot (although he later left the military to focus on on his royal duties and charity work), and we were impressed at how seamlessly Kate transitioned to her royal role and became a patron of multiple charities. Will and Kate got a dog, Lupo, and they moved from a country home in Anglesey to an apartment at Kensington Palace in the heart of London. They embarked on royal tours around the globe, interacting with commoners and kids at every stop, and on July 22, 2013, became parents themselves with the birth of Prince George.
Royal or not, there's something humanizing about seeing first-time parents trying to figure things out. Kate and William were no different—they were giddy, maybe a little nervous and obviously excited to embark on an entirely new chapter in their lives. Kate and Will proudly introduced George to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital—the same exact place where Princess Diana and Prince Charles debuted William back in 1982. Charles and Diana looked perfectly happy as they cradled their future king, waved to the crowds, and then popped into the back of a chauffeured station wagon so a driver could whisk them away. With William and Kate, though, it was different. Kate revealed that William already changed his first "nappy," and we watched as the first-time dad nervously fumbled with the car seat to make sure it was installed just right. Then, instead of having the help drive them away, William got behind the wheel of the Range Rover, paying careful attention as he made the first drive home as a family of three.
From here, William and Kate began seeming less regal and more regular—which was a good thing. We heard from his hands-on parents that George was a typical, fussy newborn. William described him as having "a good pair of lungs on him" when he was just a day old, later calling the tot "a little bit of a rascal, put it that way."
Both sides of the family were eager to bond with the newest member and help however they could. Carole Middleton, Kate's mum, was happily on hand those first few weeks. William's brother, Prince Harry, and Kate's siblings, James Middleton and Pippa Middleton, all gushed over their nephew, and we even saw the softer side of Prince Charles emerge as he embraced being a grandfather.
Interest in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's family life piqued again in 2014 when William and Kate confirmed baby No. 2 was on the way. Then on May 2, 2015 (three days after Will and Kate's fourth wedding anniversary) Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge was born!
The arrival of a little princess was something to celebrate, and seeing George become a big brother was heartwarming as well. With all the doom and gloom and sad news we come across every day, the sight of a happy, healthy family of four is a welcome reprieve for this weary world.
Both William and Kate are, like most parents, making their children their first and foremost priority. Most people can't relate to the pressures of being a royal, but we can all empathize with a mom and dad determined to give their children a normal childhood. That's exactly what William and Kate are trying to do for George and Charlotte, and although they've gotten some flack for it, they will continue to do what is best for their babies.
"To be honest, I'm going to get plenty of criticism in my lifetime. It is not something that I completely ignore, but it's not something that I take completely to heart," William said in an interview with the BBC's Nicholas Wichtell. "I'm concentrating very much on my role as a father. I'm a new father and I take my duties and my responsibilities to my family very seriously."
"I want to bring my children up as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important," he added. "But if I can't give my time to my children as well, I worry about their future."
William takes his royal responsibilities seriously, but in the end, being George and Charlotte's dad is every bit as important as being England's king. Both William and Kate's commitment to family life and genuine affection for each other and their children is apparent in everything they do, which is why five years after "I do," the public is even more fond of the royal family than they were on that historic day.