The royal family has proved yet again that it’s rather good at weddings. At marriage, however, it sucks. While it was a safe bet that the nuptials of Prince William and Catherine Middleton would come off without a hitch, it’s an open question whether their lifelong union will be quite as silky. After the royal horses have been watered and the bridal gown sent to the dry cleaner, there are still two people who have to figure out how to spend their lives together, under epic scrutiny, in an era when more than 40% of first marriages go belly-up.
Unfortunately, one of the best predictors of marital dissolution is whether the couple come from homes of divorce. Kate Middleton’s parents appear to dwell together amiably enough among the hedgerows of Bucklebury. But William’s father, the Prince of Wales, is divorced and remarried. His mother — you may have heard about this — died in a car accident with her then boyfriend, a man many said she was dating only to irritate her former in-laws. William’s uncle the Duke of York is divorced. His aunt the Princess Royal is divorced and remarried. The Queen’s sister Margaret was also divorced. The only British institution that can rival the House of Windsor for spectacular splits is the Royal Ballet.
