Like many other couples of their generation, Prince William and Kate Middleton have followed a recently popular pattern with their courtship. They met at school, dated a while, lived together, broke up, dated others, reconciled and finally decided to marry, probably with a little push from their families that it was time to settle down.

Unlike many other couples their age, with the exception of some show biz favorites and sports idols, every tiny fluctuation within the relationship has been observed, speculated about, photographed and scrutinized by millions of watchful eyes. However, unlike any other modern couple in the public eye, centuries of tradition and history, the very future of an empire, rest on their shoulders.

How can we possibly know how that has affected the decisions of the future King of England and the woman who is marrying him?

As much as custom and convention may influence Will's life choices, he and Kate have already defied tradition. They chose to live together, a very modern step in a relationship. While statistics show that the longer two people know one another, the better chance their marriage has of lasting -- and this couple certainly has that in their favor -- statistics also show that the marriages of those who live together before the wedding tend to end in divorce more often than the marriages of those who don't.

Sociologists suggest that people who shun tradition by living together, often facing the disapproval of their elders when they do, would be more willing to consider divorce if they are not happy. Those who don't live together beforehand may turn out to be just as unhappy with their choice of partner after marriage, maybe even more so, but for reasons of religion or family pressure, will stay married nonetheless.

We can't possibly know how centuries of tradition and the forces of public scrutiny will affect the future life choices of two people who have already demonstrated their willingness to break with tradition when it suits them. How will the demands to produce a suitable heir to England's throne influence Will and Kate's marriage?

All we can do is hope that the outcome of this royal romance and magnificent wedding extravaganza will be as fairy tales tell us it should be: the prince and his princess will live happily ever after.