Can Prince William and Kate Middleton Have a Modern Marriage?

When the juggle gets particularly 势不可挡的">overwhelming, it can be a nice escape to fantasize about being queen or king for a day, with minions of servants and loads of money to make things go more smoothly.

That royal dream has come true for 28-year-old Kate Middleton, who is now engaged to Britain's Prince William, also 28, her longtime boyfriend. (The two met as students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.) Unlike Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana, Middleton is not an aristocrat: Her mother used to be a flightattendant, and her family runs a small business called Party Pieces, which sells glitter, piñatas and other party paraphernalia. But she did grow up in a large house and she and her siblings attended private schools. The couple said they would live in north Wales, where William works as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force; Middleton has reportedly worked as a photographer and a retail buyer.

Now, royal-watchers around the world are speculating about what kind of marriage this couple will have, given the tug-of-war between the monarchy's centuries-old traditions and the couple's seemingly modern lifestyle, not to mention pressures such as hovering paparazzi, class differences and the eyes of a royal-obsessed nation watching their every move. (Even the sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring carried a lot of weight, both figuratively and literally; it once belonged to the late Princess Diana.) As the New York Times' 'Room for Debate' section put it:

'The days of dynastic marriages based on class are clearly over for the British royal family. This generation of royals, like those in continental Europe, lead more 'normal' lives, or at least have experiences that resemble those of commoners. But have things changed so much that we'll see a marriage of equals who will make household decisions together, cheer at their children's soccer (football?) games and walk side by side? What barriers, personal or institutional, might stand in the way of a modern marriage?'

One commentator, Stephanie Coontz, director of research at the Council on Contemporary Families, said that one of the big issues in most marriages is how fair the division of housework is. That's not likely to be a big problem, she writes:'What could be more fair and fun than neither having to do any?' Children, however, may be a bigger hurdle, since childcare 'is not among the duties traditionally expected of either princes or kings.'

In the spirit of escapist fun, what challenges might Prince William and soon-to-be Princess Kate face in achieving a 'modern' marriage? Do you think it's possible? Would you like to be in their shoes?