Royal anniversary: Prince William and Kate to celebrate one-year

(CBS News) One year ago on Sunday, hundreds of millions of people watched Prince William and Kate Middleton walk down the aisle.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had a busy first year as husband and wife. As every newlywed couple knows, the wedding day is the fun part. They had one day to be the stars of their own, meticulously-crafted production. But after choosing the perfect gown, saying the vows and the kiss, getting married becomes the business of being married. And when you marry into the royal family, that really means business.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were thrust into the spotlight as the fresh new faces of British royalty.

Roya Nikkhah, royal correspondent for the U.K.'s Sunday Telegraph, told CBS News, "The two of them do bring a new glamour to the royal family, which I think has reinvigorated the brand. ... There has been an injection of vitality and glamour that was missing from the royal family for a while and that's definitely had a huge bounce effect."

Two months and one day after the wedding, their first bounce was straight into the celebrity stratosphere with a trip to Canada, where they were loved for doing as the locals do, and then to Los Angeles, where Hollywood "A"-listers suddenly began looking a little bit less famous.

Returning home, William resumed full-time military service as a search-and-rescue helicopter co-pilot, taking part last winter in a dangerous mission to rescue sailors after their ship went down in the Irish Sea.

Catherine, meanwhile, flew solo, from the glitz and glamour to charitable work.

It was only a matter of time before she made her understated debut as a public speaker in a hand-me-down dress from her mother, no less.

There have, of course, been the inevitable comparisons to Princess Diana, who, in her first year as a royal, was just 21, pregnant and made far more public appearances.

Catherine, who turned 30 this year, is more self-assured and worldlier. But most importantly she has the backing of a royal family that has learned from the public relations disasters of the past.

Mark Borkowski, a public relations and branding expert, said the royal family has learned from their mistakes. "Clearly, from Diana onwards, they've had to change, reluctantly at times, but here they see the two brand ambassadors for the royal family and for Britain. They're young, they're fresh. They're Hollywood."

And now, Borkowski said, it's all about the royal brand and protecting that brand, which doesn't mean they'll stop doing the fun stuff, like attending film premieres.

Prince William and Catherine haven't been seen much in public together since the beginning of the year. A recent stroll down the red carpet is their last glamorous public appearance before they celebrate their anniversary in private.

One thing they might struggle to keep private, however, is the question of a royal heir. Just Thursday, William and Catherine were filmed at military fundraising event, cuddling the child of a soldier who attended. Cue the royal baby rumor mill.

Robert Hardman, author of the "Her Majesty," a book about Queen Elizabeth II, said, "Sure as night follows day, when you have a royal wedding, a few months later the questions start. When are we gonna hear the patter of tiny feet? I mean, any young couple just wants to get on with their lives, and sort out married life and when these things happen they happen."

So what's the obsession? How did a stuffy, uptight, some might say, dysfunctional institution like the royal family get its groove back?

Simple, say the people who make the message: It's just a good old love story.

Borkowski said, "At the base of this is a happy couple, a happy confident couple who have found love, and I think that's partly the genuine brand truth of this story. You cannot in this day and age of 24/7 media and the internet and social media peddle a lie."

To watch Charlie D'Agata's full report, watch the video in the player above.

Charlie D'Agata

Charlie D'Agata is CBS News' senior national security correspondent. He was previously a senior foreign correspondent and has spent more than two decades covering international news for CBS.

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