It’s taken 10 years of friendship, love, breakups and make-ups.

But considering the high rate of divorce within the Royal Family, the fact that the couple have taken their time over the relationship is surely a good thing?

Compare the long, secret romance of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles to the short pre-engagement relationship Charles shared with Diana Spencer (according to Wikipedia, the two became a couple in the summer of 1980 and were engaged by February 1981).

Perhaps spending some time on your relationship has its benefits. A slow engagement may well be the thing that will leave William and Kate enjoying each other’s company for the rest of their lives — after all, they’ve already spent some of their most formative years growing together, and their relationship has withstood a break-up along the way.

Royal weddings don’t exactly have a great history when it comes to happiness, loyalty and love (check out Neatorama’s Royal Marriages That Didn’t Go So Well).

But surely there are a few happy ever afters in the Prince Charming fairytale?

We’ve picked out our favourite long and happy royal marriages. Here’s hoping Kate and William will be on a similar list one day.

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Happy royal marriages

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Married: 21 years
Prince Albert’s death at just 42 years old cut short what was a truly great romance. Victoria famously mourned her husband right up until her death, giving her a reputation as a rather dour monarch. Recently, her reputation as a sour-puss has been somewhat revised thanks to films such as Young Victoria and Mrs Brown.

Wallis Simpson and Prince Edward
Married: 35 years
Whatever we may think about the notorious divorcee responsible for the abdication crisis, love affairs don’t get much more romantic than this. Falling in love with a divorced right-wing American was not a great career move for Prince Edward, first in line to the throne. But rather than do his duty and choose a more fitting bride, the prince gave up the throne and married for love.

You can imagine that he won every argument with “I gave up being King for you!”.

King George III and Queen Charlotte
Married: 57 years
Notoriously “mad” King George III didn’t exactly go for the slow living ethos when he married Charlotte on the day he met her. But “Farmer” George was a lover of the slow life, passionate about farming, and admired for his homely and thrifty ways. The couple’s marriage was a very happy one, and the king — somewhat unusually for the time– never took a mistress. He had 15 children with Charlotte, and their happiness was only cut short by the onset of his final bout of ‘madness’ from which he never recovered.

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How to have a Slow Marriage

The secret to a long and Slow marriage is simply this:

1. Remember to say thank you. Taking the time to appreciate the good things your loved one does for you means you’ll always remember just how marvellous they are. And they’ll be grateful for your gratitude in return.

2. Remember to be kind. It’s so easy to be nasty to someone we love. We take out our frustrations on them and give vent to our bad moods. But if you forget small and simple acts of kindness then meanness will become an easy habit.

3. Remember to say sorry. Sorry is such a simple word, but it has the power to fix so many things. Often taking the time to say “you’re right, I’m sorry” will diffuse any argument and restore your household to calm. But don’t fake it — your partner can smell an empty apology a mile off.

Really this all boils down to one simple golden rule: Don’t take each other for granted.

It may not sound sexy or revolutionary, but so many marriages fail simply because the couple forgot to appreciate the many minor miracles that brought them together. Respecting your relationship and each other, remembering how fragile love can be if it’s not looked after, and being realistic about the strange things that life can throw up, all help towards a long and slow relationship.

If you take it for granted, it will wander off while you’re not looking.

Recommended reading:

How to tell if your love is slow. Does your lover take the slow approach to romance? Check out our handy guide.

Rediscover the lost art of romance. Is it time for you to slow down your love life?

But where did this idea of the ‘scheduling’ of love come from, and are we focusing too much on instant gratification?

In the last decade or so, there’s been a big emphasis on speed in relationships, with the huge upsurge in internet dating, speed dating and more ‘speculative’ relationship choices.

While these methods can be helpful for some and can and do lead to lasting and satisfying partnerships, the vast majority find them unsatisfying and even traumatic ways to reach the ‘goal’ of a successful relationship.

Marriage, once seen as the cornerstone of a healthy partnership, is still a popular relationship choice but with more focus on the ‘big day’ than ever before, with the average cost of a wedding soaring to £20,000 – no wonder so many couples forget to think about what happens afterwards.

Meanwhile, more couples are rushing into married life, with short engagements leading to short-lived marriages and the highest divorce rate ever recorded.

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Speed dating vs Slow Love

So what has led to this breakdown in lasting relationships?

One reason is the methods many of us are forced to turn to when looking for a partner. The main advantages of speed and internet dating are also its biggest pitfalls: it’s useful to be able to ‘cut to the chase’ and weed out bad prospects when you’re battling against the very real obstacles of limited spare time, a lack of community and often a noisy biological clock.

But this approach can also create wildly unrealistic expectations.

If you’re feeling that these methods are your only hope, it’s worth thinking about how many people managed to find their soul mates before technology entered into our personal lives. In our parents’ and grandparents’ day, family introductions, shared interests and friendships played a far more important role in bringing couples together.

Of course, things have moved on and we no longer have the same courtship rituals and opportunities to meet potential partners as previous generations did. But the same principles are just as relevant as ever.

Becoming involved in a community, one that allows you to develop your interests, is still the best way to meet people and find someone who shares your values. While speed and internet dating strip away the context that surrounds your everyday life, finding someone who fits into that arena is likely to lead to a much more lasting relationship.

Once you do meet someone who fits in to your life — whether through one of the newer dating channels or via more traditional means, it’s important not to feel under pressure to rush into a particular relationship ‘mould’.

Every relationship is a journey, and the ones that make it all the way involve obstacles, with both partners working to overcome them together. A relationship founded on common interests, natural attraction and a willingness to grow together is far more likely to make it part the first few hurdles!

Image: Sabrina_Capmpagna

To keep things suitably romantic, seek out more traditionally made, artisan chocolate, and you’ll give your sweetheart a taste sensation they’ll never forget.

Hotel Chocolat has branches all over the country, so popping into your nearest store may be the easiest way to acquire hand-made, luxury chocolate. Highlights of its Valentine selection this year include Melting hearts (£11); a selection of melt-in-the-mouth heart-shaped treats and The Affection Collection; an indulgent blend of flavours to stimulate mind and body.

L’Artisan du Chocolat, based in Notting Hill, is taking orders right up until this Friday for delivery in time for Valentine’s Day. Its usual mouth-watering selection of couture chocolate, salted bars and truffles all make delicious gifts, but the romantically inclined will enjoy the chocolate message hearts (£1.99), which come with a special inscribing stick for a personal message; or Love Potion no. 9 (£6.50): a seductively smooth hot chocolate mixture containing cloves, rose petals and basil.

For a decadent chocolate experience à deux, drop into the boutique on Friday from 7-8pm for chocolate cocktails.

If you or your partner love chocolate so much you’d like to be able to make your own in an emergency (or just feel like having a romantic and fun new experience), chocolate making workshops make a great Valentine’s treat.

Since the day falls on a Sunday, there are plenty to choose from over the weekend: our favourite tip so far is My Chocolate’s All Loved Up workshop – a Fifties-style evening of indulgent cookery and chocolate-tasting with unlimited champagne and the chance to cut, dip and decorate hand-made truffles, Italian praline and melted Belgian chocolate. Running on 13 and 14 February, the workshop lasts two hours and costs £149.

Image: Love Janine

Aside from avoiding a nightmarish table-booking rush, the forced ‘romantic’ atmosphere of many restaurants and additional sneaky additional charges, cooking as a couple is one of those ‘bonding’ activities that can help develop your relationship. What better day to do it than Valentine’s?

Of course there’s always the chance that you’ll squabble over spilt milk or one partner will discover his or her inner Gordon Ramsay, but creating something together can bring couples closer.

To make this a pleasant bonding experience rather than a fraught one, make sure you’ve decided on a menu in good time, set aside enough time (preferably the whole day!) to purchase, prepare and cook the food and have agreed on who’s doing what.

If the more confident partner wants to declare him or herself ‘head chef’ for the event, make sure that’s sorted out long before you start peeling potatoes!

Your choice of menu will of course be a very personal one, but some food options work better than others when love is in the air. For obvious reasons, overly spicy food is usually considered a no-go, but light, bite-sized foods or sharing plates make excellent romantic options. Think about what dishes you most enjoy when you’re out together and find out how you can interpret them at home.

The main challenge for those attempting a home-cooked Valentine’s meal is creating a suitably special and romantic mood. Candles and music are tried and tested ways to achieve this, but there are plenty more personal touches you can give your home to make it cosier and more inviting.

The obvious - but often overlooked first step – is to give the house a thorough clean so you’ll feel comfortable relaxing there, but you can also bring in fresh flowers, light a fire (it will certainly be cold enough this weekend) or maybe make some DIY table decorations: wine glass charms or your own fabric place mats to transform your dining experience.

The food itself can also help here: If you’re planning to bake, why not make some heart-shaped biscuits to help set the mood? You could also have a think about creating your own special cocktail, named after something that’s unique or important to your partner and you. Don’t worry about being too soppy – the situation demands it!

Image: Or Hiltch

1. A floatation experience.

Men often miss out on the joy of spas and pampering as so many are marketed at, or solely available to women. But if your partner is working too hard, stressed our or under the weather he may be delighted and surprised at receiving a spa voucher, and if calming down is what he needs, many people find that floatation therapy is a great way to slow down racing thoughts.

Floatworks in London Bridge is the world’s largest floatation centre and is offering gift vouchers for Valentine’s Day. Here, your loved one can climb into a tank of warm, salty water and drift into carefree oblivion, free from work deadlines and other stresses.

2. Wind-up MP3 player

Just like an ordinary music player but powered by a small dynamo, the Baylis Eco Media Player (£99.95)  makes a great gift for the self-sufficient man. Crank the handle to get started, and it plays MP3 tracks and even video, without the need for batteries or power cables.

If all that sounds a bit ‘primitive’ consider the advantages: carrying a hand-powered gadget like the Baylis means your loved one will never suffer the abject disappointment of his music player running out of power in the middle of a favourite tune on a long train journey. Avoiding that miserable experience is a gift in itself!

3. Tree of Love

A love that grows and endures is what we’re all after, so a ‘living’ gift will always have a particular appeal. Great for those looking for a low-cost gesture, the ‘Grow Me’ gift set (£5.99) is a tree sapling that can be kept on the windowsill until it’s big enough to be planted outside.

4. Romantic slow food dinner

If a candlelit dinner is what gets you in the mood, make this a time to discover the joys of Slow Food as a couple. You could book into a restaurant specialising in locally sourced produce, such as Acorn House or Waterhouse, or order in your own supplies to create a meal you can linger over for hours. For an authentic Slow Food experience, make sure you source your ingredients as locally as possible: y0u can find your nearest farmers’ market here.

5. Garden tools

Serious gardening season is just around the corner, so why not give him a nudge in the direction of the garden or allotment by buying him some high quality, solidly-made tools? Labour and Wait’s garden tool set (£24) combines traditional design with modern materials for a product that’s strong, tactile and great to use. Maybe by this time next year, he’ll be bringing in the dinner ingredients!