London, England – According to a rather cheeky poll of 2,000 British travelers conducted by Travelodge , Kate Middleton and Prince William have been voted 2013’s most inspiring “romantic couple.” Only fourth on the list in 2012, the charismatic duo has been in the news because Kate is expecting a baby in July.
Not all of the attention has been welcome. According to Christopher Wilson at Yahoo News , the Duchess of Cambridge was forced to file a lawsuit against French magazine Closer , which published decidedly un-inspiring photos of the topless Kate Middleton sunbathing in a supposedly secluded vacation spot.
As Nathan Francis previously reported, there are also rumors that Kate Middleton bottomless photos could be floating around.
However, the romantic British travelers polled by Travelodge are willing to overlook any attempt to soil the popular Kate’s reputation. The top pick for 2012, Romeo and Juliet, were the fictional couple who died for love created by William Shakespeare. They only ranked fifth in this year’s poll, a distant rival to the popular real-life Kate and William.
The world’s most powerful couple, US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michele Obama, were ranked only sixth as the world’s most romantic. Number two were David and Victoria Beckham, married for 14 years, while number three were Queen Elizabeth II and her consort Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who have been married a stunning 66 years.
Star-crossed couples like Edward and Bella, the fictional hero and heroine of the Twilight series who appear number eight on the list, don’t seem to be grabbing the attention enjoyed by long-time loving romantic unions in this year’s poll. Travelodge spokeswoman Shakila Ahmed has noticed some trends in the years since she’s been conducting the survey:
“It’s the first time we have seen three generations of royal couples make the top ten listing of most inspiring romantic couples. This year’s listing reveals that Britons are looking up to established couples in a solid relationship as role models, for inspiration to enhance their romantic relationship.”
With monogamy and togetherness the watchwords for romance in 2013, Kate Middleton and Prince William may enjoy a long reign as Britain’s — and the world’s — most romantic couple.