09 April,2011 07:51 AM IST | | Agencies
In 1981, Princess Diana's uncle made a public statement before her royal wedding to clear up the question: Yes, she was a virgin.
What a difference a generation makes.
Today, few people seem the least bit concerned that Prince William and Kate Middleton, set to wed this month, have been living together off and on since their university days.
Unlike Princess Diana who had to announce she was a virgin, people are not bothered about Kate's sex life
"We live in a modern age and people do all sorts of things before they settle down,'' said Keith Morley, 34, an engineer from Birmingham. "It's probably best that they lived together before making a commitment.''
Some historians say it's about time the royals shed the prudishness they exhibited at the time of Diana's marriage, which came years after the pill and the summer of love made casual sex more socially acceptable even in traditionally uptight Britain.
The modern-day tolerance of William and Middleton's living arrangements, many say, just brings the House of Windsor in line with the times.
Part of the change may have to do with the very public infidelities that played out in the disastrous marriage of Charles and Diana, which rocked the royal family to its core.
"After two decades of scandal, I think it's the royal family recognising that to be normal is to their advantage,'' said Deborah Cohen, a historian who specialises in modern Britain.
