Royal or not – marriage is good for you!

Prince William has married his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton. Now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they'll live in North Wales where he is serving with the RAF.

They started their romance eight years ago when they were students at St Andrews University, but they only got engaged last year while on holiday in Kenya.

Did the couple wait so many years because of the ill-fated ‘fairytale’ marriage of the Prince’s parents? We may never know for certain. However, the experts agree that marriage is good for you, and if you want a longer and happier life then you should tie the knot.

It may be an outdated institution to some but it seems to have incredible health benefits.

William and Kate married at the age of 28, a little younger than the average person who gets married for the first time. Latest figures for 2008 show that in England and Wales the average age for men to get married is 32.1 years, and for women 29.9.

The figures also show that marriages have been in long-term decline for several decades but, despite the fact that  divorce rates are high, two out of every three first marriages will last until one partner dies, and one in two second marriages will also last a lifetime.

Dave Percival, organiser of the annual “Marriage Week UK” says, “Wake up and realise how special and important your relationship is and cherish it.”

It’s good for your health

Married couples live longer and are happier and healthier according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The findings are the most solid evidence yet that, despite changing social attitudes and an end to the stigma of divorce and single- parenting, marriage is still good for you.

“There’s no evidence that the intense, passionate stage of a new romance is beneficial to health,” says Dr Harry Reis, co-editor of the Encyclopaedia of Human Relationships. "People who fall in love say it feels wonderful and agonising at the same time, but all those ups and downs can be a source of stress.”

It takes a calmer, more stable form of love to yield clear health benefits. “There is very nice evidence that people who participate in satisfying, long-term relationships fare better on a whole variety of health measures”.

Health Benefits

You live longer - One study has gone so far as to say the impact of marriage on health and life expectancy, particularly in men, is almost equivalent to giving up smoking. Professor Andrew Oswald, lead researcher of the University of Warwick study says, “Smoking takes on average seven years off a man’s life and marriage gives him an extra seven years.” For women marriage gives you an extra three years.