Kate and Wills: Our first 100 days

As the young couple reinvent the way we look at the royal family one charming appearance at a time, Katie Nicholl has a front-row seat.

The bar was set on April 29 and the expectations were high. After their fairytale wedding at Westminster Abbey, we wondered if and how William and Kate, the royal family’s youngest, brightest stars, could continue the magic they made on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Now, 100 days after the momentous occasion, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have proved they have that rare combination of royal stardust and accessibility – a tool they have used to enchant and captivate the world.

The newlyweds, who are said to be “delighted” and still riding the wave of euphoria that followed their first overseas tour, have already been labelled Britain’s most dynamic and powerful “brand”. Their tour of Canada and California has generated millions of dollars for their charities and Britain. There is even talk of them being trade ambassadors, now Prince Andrew has stepped down as the trade envoy.

Their huge success has not gone unnoticed at the palace, and a possible tour to Australia and New Zealand next year, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, could be in the offing. The Queen is naturally delighted that her grandson and his new wife triumphed in Canada and California. William and Kate were treated like rock stars. Everywhere they went, crowds waited for hours for a glimpse of them. I accompanied the couple and witnessed the excitement.

William, who as a teenager had blushed furiously at the “Wills-mania” he first encountered in Toronto, now revelled in the attention, as did Kate. They beamed, waved and seemed genuinely keen to meet as many people as possible. According to one senior courtier, “The Duke and Duchess are still on a high and absolutely thrilled with how the tour went.” Now that they are home, they are keen to resume “normal life”, and after William’s cousin Zara Phillips’ wedding to Mike Tindall last weekend in Scotland, they plan to keep a low profile.