It was one of the feel-good moments of the decade – the union of Prince William, handsome heir to the throne, and elegant commoner Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011.
Even the British weather agreed, with the clouds parting has the new husband and wife emerged from Westminster Abbey to greet the public – and found themselves bathed in golden spring sunshine.
Many of us still have fond memories of those moments. And today, on the anniversary of the Waleses’ wedding, we hope to jog a few of those with this A-Z of a glorious occasion.
A is for Aston Martin
Forget the pageantry: one of the most iconic moments of the Royal wedding was the moment that Prince William drove his bride through the gates of Buckingham Palace after their wedding reception.
The crowd roared as the couple emerged in a convertible Aston Martin Volante, decorated with red, white and blue streamers and rosettes, an L plate on the front and a JU5T WED number plate on the back. The car was gifted to Prince Charles by the Queen on his 21st birthday.
B – for Berkshire
William and Kate’s wedding breakfast included a nod to Royal Berkshire, where she grew up, as well as her father-in-law’s organic fodder.
Guests dined on starters of South Uist salmon, Lyme Bay crab, wild Hebridean langoustines and fresh herb salad while the main course was organic Saddle of North Highland Mey Select lamb, spring vegetables from Highgrove, English asparagus, Jersey Royal potatoes and sauce Windsor. However, the pièce de resistance was the trio of puddings: Berkshire honey ice cream, sherry trifle and chocolate parfait, served with Laurent Perrier Rose.
C is for Cartier Halo Tiara
It was worn by Princess Margaret at the Coronation of her sister Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and by Princess Anne at the State Opening of Parliament in 1967.
But it was never worn by the late Queen and remained in the Royal vault until she loaned it to Kate for her wedding. Set with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette diamonds, its scroll effect was echoed by her diamond earrings, which featured an oak leaf and acorn from the Middleton family crest and were a gift from her parents. The tiara was commissioned by the Duke of York in 1936 for his wife, three weeks before he became George VI.
D is for Dress. Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
Kate’s wedding dress became a calling card for Sarah Burton, who went onto be named Designer of the Year and receive an OBE.
According to Burton, the dress was a 50/50 collaboration between the designer and the royal, who is believed to have been inspired by the frock that the late actress Grace Kelly wore to her 1956 wedding to Prince Albert of Monaco.
Kate visited the ‘Grace Kelly – Style Icon’ exhibition about the Hollywood actress at the Victoria & Albert Museum in the year before her 2011 wedding and fashion pundits noticed parallels between the two gowns. The dress featured a Victorian-style corset, which narrowed at the waist and was padded at the hips, underneath a bodice made of lace, created by the Royal School of Needlework, which cut individual flowers – the rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock – from antique lace and appliqued them onto ivory silk tulle.
E is for Engagement Ring
It is the most iconic engagement ring in history.
When the then Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana Spencer, she chose a £47,000 sapphire and diamond ring from the Crown Jeweller Garrard, inspired by the brooch that Prince Albert gave to Queen Victoria as a wedding gift. William carried the ring around in his rucksack on holiday in Kenya before he proposed to Kate.
F is for Flowers
When designer Fiona Cairns created the one-metre tall, 100kg Royal wedding cake, she made 17 individual fruit cakes, which were decorated with cream and white icing.
A garland design around the middle of the cake matched the architectural garlands at the top of the Picture Gallery, in Buckingham Palace, where the cake was displayed, and the cake featured 900 individually iced flowers and leaves. The 17 flowers, which were chosen by Kate, all had different meanings and included the four national flowers: the Rose to symbolise England, the Daffodil for Wales, Thistle for Scotland and the Shamrock for Ireland
G is for Goring Hotel
Rumoured to have had a secret tunnel to Buckingham Palace, The Goring hotel in London was where the Duchess of Cambridge spent her last night as a single woman.
She stayed in the Royal Suite, and it was on its steps that the world first caught a glimpse of her wedding gown. The Goring was the first hotel in London to have ensuite bathrooms when it opened in 1910 by Otto Richard Goring – the price of rooms was 7s 6d – and was awarded the Royal Warrant in 2013. George VI and the Queen Mother celebrated the end of World War II there with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret – they ate sausages and scrambled eggs.
H is for Honeymoon
Arriving in a private jet, William and Kate spent their honeymoon on the exclusive North Island, in the Seychelles.
They are believed to have spent £9,000 a night for the honeymoon villa, one of 11 luxurious villas on the island, which is also a favourite with celebrities. Both George and Amal Clooney and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault honeymooned there.
I is for Invitation
It was one of the most coveted invitations in history: 1,900 people received an invitation from the Lord Chamberlain, adorned with the late Queen’s cypher in gold print.
Guests were requested to RSVP to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office and wear uniform, morning coats or lounge suits.
J is for Joker Michael Middleton
As father-of-the bride, Michael Middleton solemnly walked his daughter down the aisle of marry Prince William in front of a television audience of billions.
But, away from the cameras, is known as a joker, dressing up in fancy dress during festivities. ‘My father has developed this funny tradition of surprising us at some point by appearing in fancy dress,’ his daughter Pippa once told The Spectator. ‘He buys a new costume each year and typically gets a bit carried away. A couple of Christmases ago, he appeared in an inflatable sumo outfit.’
K is for Kiss
When William and Kate kissed twice on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, they became a sensation on TikTok after a video from Royalfancams purported to show the couple’s conversation.
When the crowd applauded and yelled for them to kiss again, after their first kiss, William turned to Kate and said: ‘Shall we do one more.’ Kate laughed and nodded before leaning over to give him a peck on the lips.
L is for The Lesson
When Kate’s dyslexic brother James Middleton was asked to read an extract from Romans 12 at the Royal wedding, he knew he had to practice as it was in front of a global audience of billions.
He was so determined to do her proud that he retyped it phonetically in order to learn it. ‘At the end of the day, whether it was a little church or Westminster Abbey didn’t matter,’ he said at the time. ‘It was me, as a brother, doing a reading for my sister and her husband at their wedding and I wanted to do it right.’
M is for Medal
Former footballer David Beckham made a small faux pas when he was one of the guests at the Royal wedding.
Looking dapper in a Ralph Lauren morning suit, he arrived at Westminster Abbey with his Order of the British Empire Medal on the wrong lapel. After eagle-eyed commentators spotted it was on his right lapel, and, after courtiers informed him of the correct etiquette, he switched it to the left before the ceremony began.
N is for Noise
When baby bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem peered over the balcony at Buckingham Palace she captured the heart of the nation.
The three-year, who is the daughter of Hugh van Cutstem and Lady Rose Astor and Prince William’s goddaughter, looked grumpy and covered her ears to try and block out the din as the fly-past went by. But she became an instant hit as her image appeared in almost every national newspaper.
O is for Order of the Garter
Inspired by King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and founded by King Edward III in 1348, the Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry.
So, as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, William wore its star and blue riband for the wedding ceremony. He attached his RAF wings and Golden Jubilee Medal but, luckily for Kate, didn’t wear a sword.
P is for Pretzel
Compared to a loo seat, pretzel and Turkey Twizzler, Princess Beatrice’s Philip Treacy hat was widely ridiculed and even had its own Facebook page.
The designer later revealed that he feared he would find his head ‘on a spike outside the Tower of London’. But Beatrice had the last laugh. A month after the wedding, she sold the headpiece for £81,000 and gave the money to charity.
Q is for The Queen
There was one wedding invitation that The Queen was always going to accept, that of her grandson and heir Prince William.
She wore a yellow dress and matching coat by her dresser Angela Kelly, together with a flat-topped hat, white gloves and neutral accessories. But it was her brooch that was most significant: she re-wore the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot brooch that she donned for her sister Princess Margaret’s wedding.
R is for Reception
Queen Elizabeth II hosted a lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace after the Royal wedding for the happy couple and 650 guests, who were served Pol Roger NV Brut Réserve Champagne.
Canapés included Cornish Crab Salad on Lemon Blini; Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney; Roulade of Goats Cheese with Caramelised Walnuts; Scottish Smoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini; Miniature Watercress and Asparagus Tart; Poached Asparagus spears with Hollandaise Sauce for Dipping; Scottish Langoustines with Lemon Mayonnaise; Pressed Confit of Pork Belly with Crayfish and Crackling; and Bubble and Squeak with Confit Shoulder of Lamb.
S is State Landau
The couple arrived at Buckingham Palace in the 1902 Stage Landau.
The largest and most-splendid horse-drawn carriage used by the sovereign, it was built by Messrs Hooper for the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria. It is upholstered in crimson satin and laces and its door panels, back and front panels, bear the Royal Arms.
T is for Tribute
New York’s Empire State Building paid a special tribute to William and Kate on the day of their marriage ceremony.
That evening the iconic building was illuminated in red, white and blue, the colours of the British flag, to honour the couple. ‘The Empire State Building celebrates many cultures and causes in the world community with iconic lightings,’ its website said.
U is for Uniform
Both William and his best man, Prince Harry, wore uniforms for the wedding ceremony.
William chose the full-dress uniform of the Irish Guards after being appointed colonel two months earlier. Harry wore the uniform of a captain in the Blues and Royals – the Royal Horse Guards and 1stDragoons. Designer Russell Kashket worked with the Princes to modify the uniforms, choosing a special material to cope with the heat of the Abbey and fixing a special pocket to Harry’s uniform so that he would not lose Kate’s wedding ring.
V is for Queen Victoria.
The Princess of Wales referenced William’s great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who was inspired by floriography – the language of flowers – when she chose her wedding bouquet.
As well as lily-of-the-valley, which signalled ‘happiness’, hyacinth, which represents ‘the constancy of love’ and sweet William, ‘gallantry’ – a nod to her groom – her bouquet, which was designed by florist Shane Connolly, included a spring of myrtle from the same plant chosen for the late Queen’s wedding bouquet. The tradition dates back to Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter Princess Victoria, who included a spring of myrtle in her bouquet when she married in 1858.
W is for Westminster Abbey
When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, they followed in illustrious footsteps: the Abbey had been the setting for every Coronation since William I in 1066 and had hosted 16 royal weddings including those of William’s great-grandfather George VI and the Queen.
The ceremony ran smoothly but there was a tiny blip – when William struggled to place the Welsh gold wedding band on his bride’s finger. The couple was pronounced man and wife at precisely 11.20am by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
X is for X-rated
One of the most X-rated scenes at the Royal wedding was the arrival of Pippa Middleton, in her figure-hugging bridesmaid’s dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
It lit up social media, earned her the title ‘Her Royal Hotness’ and catapulted her to ‘the most eligible woman in the world’. She later admitted at a dinner at the Savoy Hotel that ‘in retrospect maybe it fitted a little too well’.
Y is for Your Song
When William and Kate chose the music for their first dance, they opted for the Elton John hit Your Song.
But it was singer songwriter Ellie Goulding who serenaded the pair. ‘Talk about scary,’ she told Australian Vogue. ‘I was so nervous that my hands were shaking. The British star was later reunited with the Royals backstage at William’s Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston in 2022.
Z is for Zara Tindall
Almost three months to the day, after William and Kate’s wedding, another member of the Royal family walked up the aisle: William’s cousin Zara Phillips had got engaged before William and Kate but waited until after the Cambridges to tie the knot at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, with a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – the late monarch’s official home in Scotland, afterwards.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
