Inside the Five-Year 'Nightmare' That Tested Prince William & Kate Middleton's Marriage

After two weeks of hectic royal engagements, Prince William and Kate Middleton are proving that their marriage looks much different from what it did five years ago.

The royal couple’s strength has been tested over and over again with family feuds, cancer battles, and the death of their loved ones. Some marriages would have crumbled under the stress, but royal expert Amanda Foreman is praising William and Kate for their “extraordinary” resilience.

:There is a sense of protectiveness and partnership. The last five years have been a nightmare for them in every possible way — the past year even more so. That either crushes a marriage, or it brings them together,” she explained to People in March.

“And just in time, frankly — if there was ever a time when the country required stability, this is it,” she continued. “The international stage is so unstable, it is rather extraordinary to see how both have risen to the occasion.”

That sense of togetherness was evident as they navigated a high-profile diplomacy event with Donald and Melania Trump for their second state visit. Despite Kate’s rocky history with the U.S. president, she handled his uncomfortable comments about her appearance with unflappable grace.

William also acknowledged Kate’s toughness in November 2024 when he was in Cape Town, South Africa, for an Earthshot Prize trip.

“Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he said, per The New York Times. “I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

Last December, royal insiders noticed a shift in the Prince and Princess of Wales’ relationship — it was noticeable behind palace walls.

“It’s safe to say that her health crisis has made Kate and William stronger as a couple — and now they’re more in love than ever before,” a source told Life & Style. “William and Kate have been to hell and back, and it just proves that nothing can break them.”

The “nightmare” appears to be receding even though there are still plenty of family issues to work out. Still, Kate and William have emerged as a power couple with a family-first mission in mind.

Before you go, click here to see more photos of Prince William & Kate Middleton through the years.