Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine will this weekend mark a triumphant first year of marriage as a hopeful nation waits for news they are expecting a royal heir. The couple have lost none of their popularity in Britain and abroad 12 months after their fairytale wedding drew cheering crowds and two billion TV viewers, with one royal expert crediting them with “saving the monarchy”. But fans are still awaiting word that they are expecting a baby, and the former Kate Middleton appears to have bucked a royal trend. Royal biographer Andrew Morton told AFP a year ago: “If Kate is not pregnant in the next nine months, she’ll be defying 200 years of royal tradition.” Press speculation has been feverish and bookies are offering narrow odds on a new arrival in 2013, while succession rules were changed last year so that any daughter of the couple would be equal with boys in the queue for the throne. But the second in line to the throne and his wife — who took eight years to marry and have also flouted royal convention by opting against household servants — have made it clear they will not be bound by any…