查看原文

Kate and William met at a Scottish university, visited Scotland in May and have their own Scottish titles. Could a royal baby save the union?

Forget tea time, beefeaters or those derelict red phone boxes – nothing makes you feel more proud to be British that the world’s most photogenic royal couple announcing that they’re expecting a second child.

And with ten days until Scotland votes on whether to remain part of the - proudly royal - British union, could the excitement over the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second baby help keep England and Scotland together?

After all, the story of the Kate and William begins in Scotland, where the couple met in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews. The royal romance gave the small university global recognition and students would be bereft to see their mascots become foreign citizens should the Yes vote carry the day.

“We go crazy for anything royal, so this baby will be another member of the St Andrews’ family as far as we’re concerned,” says Dani Goldberg, a fourth year marine biology student at the university. When Prince George was born, she says those on campus chatted excitedly about the “St Andrews’ baby” and the buzz was “huge”. “I was in the library and everyone looked up from their laptops, screamed and started clapping,” she adds.

The Scottish campus is fiercely proud of their links to the couple. Students try to recreate the first dates of Kate and Wills, a cappella groups sing spoofs of how they met and photos of the couple are framed in café. Dani says that members of the single-sex social clubs that boasted Kate and William as members – the Lumsden Club and the Kate Kennedy Club – model themselves as junior versions of the couple, while the flat where Prince William lived is subject to intense scrutiny and rumours about undercover agents.

“When you tell people you go to St Andrews, their first question is, 'Have you met your Prince or Princess?’,” she says. “St Andrews is very small and Kate and Wills are the biggest claim to fame we have.”

Dani says that students get caught up in royal enthusiasm regardless of their political leanings, and excitement over the future royal baby could remind Scots of their love for the royal family and, by extension, Great Britain.

“A lot of Scots who are going for independence haven’t done that much research and they’re just voting as an angry reaction to England,” she says. ”The 'Yes’ campaign is taking advantage of that simple enthusiasm for independence. This equally emotive news of a new royal baby could be a winning force.”

The couple’s Scottish links have not faded post university. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hold separate titles in Scotland, where they’re known as the Earl & Countess of Strathearn – the title used by First Minister Alex Salmond when he congratulated the couple on news of the pregnancy.

In May, the royal couple were greeted by cheering crowds in Perthshire when they toured the sites of their honorary title, Strathearn. Kate and William visited the Famous Grouse whisky distillery at the time – where the Duchess of Cambridge put earlier pregnancy rumours to rest by sipping samples of Scottish whisky.

“There’s a lot of pride in the area to be associated with Kate and William,” says Stuart Cassells, general manager of the distillery. “They’re thoroughly respected worldwide, they’re the world’s most famous couple and they’ve energised and modernised the royal family. We found out that Prince William is very fond of whisky and we were delighted that Kate also enjoyed a few,” he says.

Prince William has spent considerable time in Scotland since he was a child as Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeenshire, is the royal family’s most private residence. It’s unlikely the royal family would want to let go of their Scottish heritage – or that Scotland would want to give up on the royal family.

Alex Johnstone, Member of Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland, says news of the royal baby will cause a great deal of excitement in the country. “Loyalty to the royal family is very high and people are very supportive on a personal and individual basis,” he says. “Everyone will be absolutely delighted to hear the news and wish them all the best with the pregnancy and birth of their second child.” Johnstone says that Scots are very supportive of the royal family and that news of a new member will “reinforce what I believe will be a resounding 'no’ vote”.

After all, the annoucement is a timely reminder of some of the most romantic and best-loved traditions that come with being British. With referendum polls wavering as polling day draws near, could the new Cambridge baby actually save the Union?