It was the April 29, 2011 when the prince William, eldest son and therefore heir to the throne (today we all know that the reserve is called «Spare»), and the commoner (now princess and moreover of Wales, Diana’s title) Kate Middleton looked out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the first time as husband and wife. In front of them were a million people and almost two billion on live TV. This is how the first public kiss took place, shortly after the solemn Westminster ceremony, defined by Queen Elizabeth herself as a “masterpiece”.
Kate Middleton and William, 13 years of marriage united by illness and by the hope of saving the British monarchy
The Princes of Wales celebrate the anniversary with a different spirit (and away from the spotlight), always representing the true pillars that support the Windsors
Thirteen years later Kate and William are still here. A miracle for the royal couples of the House of Windsor. The two celebrate in private, away from the spotlight and public events, after the most difficult months: Kate’s operation, then the diagnosis they didn’t expect, the public announcement of the disease (“I have cancer, I’m undergoing chemotherapy preventive”, the words of the princess), and the request for privacy.
Kate and William, always together, always united also for their three children: George, Charlotte and Louis. The Princes of Wales are now campaigning in Norfolk, and that is where they are celebrating the anniversary. And to celebrate the anniversary with them, we brought out a series of curiosities from that April 29, 2011 that perhaps you don’t remember:
1. No wedding ring for William
The prince does not wear a wedding ring on his finger by personal choice (he does not like jewellery), only Kate wears a beautiful and precious ring made with gold extracted from the mines of Wales.
2. The wedding car
The newlyweds left Buckingham Palace in an Aston Martin that Prince Charles received as a gift for his twenty-first birthday. William and Kate’s friends decorated the car with balloons, ribbons and the “Ju5t Married” license plate.
3. The trees of the nave of Westminster
The nave of the Abbey was decorated with English maples which later found a home in Prince Charles’ holiday home in Wales.
4. William and Harry’s uniforms
William and his brother Harry had the uniforms they wore for the wedding tailor-made. With breathable fabric. The emotion, as we know, was great.
5. The honeymoon
William kept Kate (and the paparazzi) in the dark until the end. It later became known that the newlyweds spent two weeks in a private villa in the Seychelles.
6. Something old, something new
As per tradition, Kate wore something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Some of the lace on the dress, designed by Alexander McQueen, was antique. The earrings, however, were new, a wedding gift from her parents. The tiara holding the veil was a precious loan from Queen Elizabeth. And a small blue bow was sewn into the folds of the train.
7. The baby bridesmaids
The flower crowns worn by the bridesmaids were a replica of the one worn by Carole Middleton on her wedding day in 1980.
