Mal Fletcher comments

Normally after the first few months of marriage, even the luckiest of couples will start looking to reaffirm their relationships and roles outside of their partnership.

At that point, the presence of family and friends can either greatly help or hinder a marriage, providing support or sowing division.

Yet in most cases there is just one set of in-laws to worry about. However, if we're not careful with royal marriages, the entire nation takes on the role of a third set of in-laws.

Some in-laws - like my own, thankfully - are brilliant. But there's another brand of in-law, the type who constantly offer unsought advice and proffer constant criticism, usually without having the benefit of accurate intelligence.

In the end, the hapless couple struggle to find the space to build the lines of communication and the shared memories that make a marriage last.

Imagine how much more difficult this might be if the in-law factor was multiplied millions of times, with everyone in your world knowing - or thinking they know - about your challenges.

Prince William has, apparently, expressed a desire that he and his bride be allowed a relatively normal time in the early stages of their marriage. The Queen and Prince Philip had this opportunity in Malta and it may be one of the reasons they have made it thus far.

If weddings were merely about signing a legal contract, or a romantic day out, even royal weddings would hold less attraction for us. Even in these often cynical times, marriage is still seen as a covenant and a wedding involves the exchanging of vows and the intertwining of two lives into a common cause.

A royal wedding carries the extra sparkle of uniting a nation - and reminding us of the core values that shape our shared cultural worldview.

Yet while we look forward to a huge festive occasion we must remember that a marriage is at hand and not just a party.

While we may all share in the joy of a royal wedding, we shouldn't expect a share in the ups and downs of the marriage itself.