
April 2011’s royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton united Britons behind an uncommon vision of happiness and confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II’s line has a stable future. Now the Duchess of Cambridge, whose pregnancy was announced publicly after she was hospitalized for acute morning sickness in early December, continues to raise spirits and burnish the Windsor family name through her solo appearances as the patron of several charities. Whether greeting cancer victims and cutting ribbons, or championing British fashion designers, she demonstrates a common touch without sacrificing the mystique of royalty. The future of British monarchy appears to be in secure hands.