Kate and Will a PR dream for monarchy

Half of Britons think the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton has made the monarchy more likeable, according to a survey.

Ahead of tomorrow’s first wedding anniversary of the now named Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a poll of more than 2,000 Britons by Opinium Research revealed that one in 10 have forgotten their own anniversaries, but threein five believe the royal marriage has boosted national morale.

Kate Middleton’s reputation and status have rocketed over the past year as three in five Britons (59%) believe she has become a role model for British women while just over half (55%) think she is now a British icon worldwide. Two billion people around the world tuned into watch Prince William marry Kate Middleton and the global media remain captivated with their lives.

The wedding fervour, which saw a million Britons cram the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the future king and queen, has inevitably faded with the memory of the fairytale dresses, uniforms and horse-drawn carriages.

But royal watchers and many members of the public believe the couple have boosted the monarchy’s popularity and offer an escape for a nation beset by unemployment, recession, and financial insecurity.

Even if, as naysayers argue, the duke and duchess are merely celebrities whose wealth and style are out of the reach of all but a few, their popularity reaches far beyond Britain.

Media outlets in Britain, the United States, Canada and beyond remain enamoured with Catherine and second-in-line-to-the-throne Prince William.

“I think it’s been a complete triumph for them,” Claudia Joseph, a biographer of Catherine, said of their first year of married life.

Where the couple, and their PR team, have been particularly successful, commentators say, is in projecting the image of a relatively ordinary pair, albeit it one that has access to palaces, castles, glitzy red carpets and the odd butler or two.

While William has been working as a rescue helicopter pilot in north Wales, they have stayed in a rented home on the island of Anglesey, a move that has helped them build the “couple-next-door” idea. “William drives himself to work, enjoys a pint in the local pub, Kate shops at the local supermarket, cooks for her husband, they go for walks, go to cinema, watch television,” Joseph said.

“The main point is that they look as if they’re enjoying themselves,” said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine. “The first year of marriage is difficult for everybody and they’ve adapted to their role admirably.”

Seward believes the royal couple, who were college buddies before romance developed, have benefited tremendously from their long, solid friendship.

Kate and William plan to celebrate their first anniversary tomorrow in private, palace officials said. On Thursday they visited the headquarters of the MI6 intelligence agency, and also attended a reception, with Kate looking resplendent in a charcoal grey dress.