The royal wedding of Britain's Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton has audiences speculate about the marriage's chances of lasting in the divorce-prone family. The couple's childhood photos may hold some clues with respect to the potential longevity of the relationship.
Publishing in the 2009 edition of “Motivation & Emotion,” DePauw University researchers assert that the smiles shown in childhood snapshots forecast the likelihood of divorce as adults. Entitling the study “Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Divorce Later in Life,” associate professor of psychology Matthew Hertenstein and his cohorts have found a way of forecasting future marital success that is supposed to be more reliable than compatibility charts: bright smiles.
A child who consistently graces photographers with a bright smile is three times more likely to have a good marriage than a sullen, withdrawn or shy child who cannot be coaxed to crack even a bit of a toothy grin. Even more telling is the suggestion that snapshots of children as young as 5 can be good indicators of marital success or failure some two decades (or more) in the future.
Causation is unclear. Hertenstein speculates that happily smiling people are more likely to attract partners with a positive outlook on life and love. Then again, being blessed with a positive outlook on life makes it easier to be a strong marriage partner and as such stick it out through the rough times. “It feeds into this idea that what's occurring earlier in our lives in terms of our present situation and our mental state can predict things that occur decades later,” Hertenstein explains in an interview to LifeScience.
Really? Let's apply this theory to the relationship woes of a well-known couple. When the Princess of Wales was simply a young Diana Frances Spencer, she smiled shyly for the camera — not a good sign. Her Biography Online photos show a happy albeit reserved youngster. Snapshots of a young Prince Charles — published by the Daily Mail — show an even tighter smile. It seems like Hertenstein and his smile research is right on the money with this relationship.
Fortunately for Kate Middleton, Prince William appears to have been a thoroughly happy child according to the photos published of him by Noah Hunt. Big grins throughout the years show no dour side to Britain's future monarch. Kate, on the other hand, has some big childhood smiles on Access Hollywood, but they are not quite toothy and bright. Will there be trouble on the horizon?
