It is part of tradition that the groom
should be the last person to set eyes on his bride on their wedding
day, and on April 29, 2011, Prince William was no exception. Although
her every move was being broadcast to billions of people around the
world, he would not get a glimpse of Catherine Middleton until she
joined him in the altar in Westminster Abbey.
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The bride's wedding gown was created by Sarah
Burton for Alexander McQueen. This Victorian
inspired wedding gown boasts of cinches waist,
padded hips, and a bustle at the top of the train,
with emphasis on hand crafted details such as the
58-buttons covered in silk tulle and satin gazar
running up the back. The sleeves and bodice are
covered by six types of appliqued lace incorporating
all the national emblems of the UK. Composed of
ivory satin gazar layered with white satin, the gown
had a train measuring in at a restrained but regal
three metres.
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The wait was well worth it. When she
arrived at his side in her elegant white gown, Kate was lovelier than
he had ever seen her. “You're so beautiful,”a blushing William
whispered, as she beamed at him.
It had been three decades since
Britain's wedding of a future king. But while many had expected an
event as extravagant as over-the-top as the July 1981 wedding of
Williams parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the reality
proved less grand but perhaps more moving.
Their role in the monarchy not
withstanding, William and Kate are also like any young couple in love
and wanted their wedding to be a reflection of their personalities.
Thus although the ceremony was steeped in the pomp and pageantry
dictated by the groom's status as second in line to the throne, it
was also thoroughly contemporary and romantic like the couples
themselves.
A Modern Love Story
William and Kate dated for eight years
and even lived together before he asked her to marry him, something
that wouldn't have been accepted in previous generations of royal
courtship. Yet the couple wouldn't have had it in any way.
The courtship's length did not stem
from the lack of conviction that their love would go the distance.
Friends first they have been all but inseparable as first-year
students at the University of St. Andrews in 2011. (“I knew there
was something special with her,” William said later.) It was just
that they didn't want to rush the most important decision of their
lives—especially as it meant pushing Kate, who comes from a quiet
upper-middle class family, still farther into the public eye. “I
just wanted to give her the best chance to settle in,” he said.
By the time William proposed with his
late mother's sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring on a romantic
vacation in Kenya, he and Kate were prepared as perhaps to other
royal couple before them for what their future would hold—starting
of course with the wedding the world had been waiting for.
Making History
William and Kate's marriage was one of
the most anticipated events in living history, a fact not lost in the
couple. “The affection shown to us by so many people during our
engagement has been incredibly moving and has touched both deeply,”
they wrote in their wedding program.
More than two billion people watched
the spectacle on television, 400 million more tuned in online, and
it's estimated that at least one million people lined the streets of
London. As was the case with previous royal weddings, many camped
out—some for five days—to stake out a spot. A few lucky
spectators were even able to get close to the bride and groom on the
eve of the wedding. A relaxed William and Kate—he in his London
residence, Clarence House, she at the Goring Hotel—embarked on an
impromptu walkabout so they could meet and greet their royal fans.
Neither seemed at all nervous. “All I've got to do is get the lines
right,” said the prince.
By thing point, and after numerous
rehearsals, the schedule of the day was down to a science. The palace
had announced the plans for a wedding luncheon for 600—instead of
the traditional breakfast—hosted by Queen Elizabeth and Prince
Philip.
Revelry would continue that night with
Prince Charles hosting a reception for 300 at the palace. Every last
detail was taken care of and publicized. The only mystery? What the
bride would be wearing.
Glowing Bride
When Kate exited her hotel on what
turned out to be a gloriously sunny April day, it felt as if the
world stopped. We had never seen her more beautiful. Her gown by
Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen reflected Kate's modern tastes (as
shown by the deep V-neckline and cinched waist) while adhering to
tradition with its long sleeves, lace and the crisp white colour that
Queen Victoria made fashionable ago. The BBC called it a “cathedral
worthy dress” and Vogue deemed
it “pure and yet conveying the grandeur of its importance.”
It had
been an early morning for the bride but you couldn't tell. She was
glowing from inside out, her natural make-up by her own hand and her
hair a simple demi-chignon of cascading curl. (Kate's only
stipulation to her hairdresser, Richard Ward, was that William must
be able to recognize her at the altar). On her head was her
“something borrowed,” the 1936 Cartier halo tiara loaned to her
by the Queen. Her new earrings—diamond oak leaves—were a wedding
present from her parents based on their new coast of arms.
Regal,
smiling and waiving delicately to the crowd, Kate—who rode to the
abbey with her father Michael, in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI—showed
no sign of nerves as she passed the throngs gathered along her route.
Her composure would no doubt have drawn admiration from her royal
predecessors.
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The Queen loaned Kate the
iconic Cartier Halo tiara for her wedding day. The tiara
was commissioned by the
future King George V in 1936,
and later gifted it to Queen
Elizabeth II on her 18th
birthday. The tiara is made of
platinum, encrusted with 739
brilliant-cut diamonds and
149-cut Baguette diamonds.
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Already
assembled under the church's spires were her wedding party: sister
and made of honour Pippa, then 27: bridesmaids Eliza Lopes, 3, Grace
van Cutsem, 3, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, 7 and the Hon.
Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 8; and pageboys Tom Pettifer, 8, and
William Lowther-Pinkerton, 10.
A
serious-looking William and his brother, best man, Prince Harry, had
made their way earlier over Westminster Abbey. The two had eaten a
hearty breakfast with Kate's brother, James, 24—who would give the
reading during the ceremony—before dressing and heading to the
church. William, an honorary colonel of the Irish Guards, wore its
iconic read uniform.
Before
he left, the Queen declared him His Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus. Kate was
about to become a duchess.
“A
Small Family Affair”
It
takes about four minutes to walk from the west door to the altar of
the historic abbey, and the vision of Kate sweeping along on the arm
of her father to the tune of “I was Glad When they Said Unto Me”
by Sir Hubert Perry, a song played at the coronation of King Edward
VII in 1902 will be forever etched in the memories of the viewers.
Graceful
and elegant, she joined a canon of royal brides—including Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother—who wed at the abbey. The venue was
carefully chosen by the couple for its intimacy; it holds just half
the guests of Saint Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents were
married.
Live
maple and hornbeam trees lining the nave added to the day's simple,
natural feel—although the star-studded congregation certainly upped
the glamor factor. Some 1,900 dignitaries and royals were present,
including Prince Albert of Monaco and soon-to-be wife Charlene
Wittstock, and Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain. (“We
were supposed to have just a small family affair,” William joked to
his father-in-law.)
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In preparation for the wedding, the Lord Chamberlain
sent-out 1,900 gold-embossed invitations, decorated with gold script and bevelled , gilded edges. |
Celebrity
friends such as David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, Sir Elton John
and his Canadian husband, David Furnish, and director Guy Ritchie
could be seen in the pews. And in another modern twist, there were
more humble guests, too: Kate's family friends from Bucklebury
included the butcher, mailman and pub owner.
As she
walked up the aisle, Kate smiled at the guests but for the most part,
her eyes were up ahead on her waiting prince. William had kept his
back to her as she approached but Harry couldn't help sneaking a look
at his soon-to-be sister-in-law, whispering to his brother, “Wait
'til you see her.”
It's
said that the sun poked out of the cloudy spring sky the moment Kate
arrived at William's side. “When the sun just came out as Kate
reached the alter, we knew it was Diana,” said one onlooker.
Like
William's late mother, Kate didn't promise to obey her husband, but
rather vowed to “love him, comfort him, honour him.” William for
his part couldn't tear his eyes from Kate. They shared smile after
smile as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, performed
the service which included a prayer they wrote together. “God our
Father, we thank you for our families, for the love that we share and
for the joy of our marriage.”
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The iconic sapphire-diamond
engagement ring was once owned by the late Princess of
Wales, which she chose as her
engagement ring in 1981. It was made by Garrard Jewellers. |
Finally,
William placed the ring of Welsh gold on his bride's finger. It was
as they predicted in their wedding program, one of the happiest
moments of their lives.
Sealed
with a Kiss
For
the crowd, the best part of the day was the couple's kiss on the
balcony at Buckingham Palace, a tradition started by the prince's
parents 30 years ago. “Oh, wow!” said Kate when she beheld the
sea of people chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss.” Asked William, “Kate,
shall we?” He then leaned toward her with a smiled and kissed her
not once but twice as the 500,000-strong crowd roared its approval.
The
public portion of the celebrations were winding down—but William
and Kate had one more surprise up their sleeve. For the return to
Clarence House, the newly weds hopped into Prince Charles' blue Aston
Martin Volante, decorated by an enthusiastic Prince Harry with a
“JUST WEDDED” license plate and balloons. He drove off, grinning
with Kate smiling from the passenger seat.
It was
a fitting image of a couple who have approached the ups and downs of
life together for the past decade. And now that they're happily
married, they'll continue to face the world side by side.
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Article written by Carli White for Hello! Royal Special, The World's
Greatest Royal Weddings: A Collection of Magical Love Stories,
published 2011.
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