Prince William & Kate Middleton Celebrate 11th Wedding Anniversary — A Look At Their Fairytale Love Story

Apr 29, 2022 by apost team

The entire world watched on April 29, 2011, when Prince William and Catherine Middleton wed in a beautiful ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London. The heavily publicized wedding prompted all kinds of celebrations including street parties across England, William and Kate merchandise and plenty of speculation about how the royal couple would navigate their roles as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

The couple is particularly prominent in the royal family given that William is second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles, the Duke of Wales. At the time of their marriage, the couple had been together for eight years, after they started dating when they were both students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where the two completed their undergraduate degrees. 

A lot has happened since those days, including the couple's official engagement announcement on Nov. 16, 2010, followed by their wedding, which took place 11 years ago today. Last year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated one decade of marriage, which they honored by releasing unseen photos of themselves from their time as a married couple. 

Since their special day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been busy building a family, which includes the future king, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6 and Prince Louis, 4. The couple has been very prominent in their native United Kingdom, where they are full-time working royals, while they also contribute philanthropically through their official charity fund. Let's take a look at their stunning wedding day from 11 years ago.

According to Town & Country, Middleton met William at the University of St. Andrew's, where the two enrolled in 2001. In one of the most famous stories from their university days, the prince famously watched a charity fashion show that featured none other than Middleton herself. 

The relationship moved fairly quickly and the two moved in together in a shared apartment, however it wasn't until 2004 that their relationship was out in the open. It was then that someone from the press snapped a photo of the two together while they were on a ski trip, which led to widespread knowledge of their once private relationship.

It might seem hard to imagine now but there was a time when the couple actually separated for a brief period in 2007, as reported by Town & Country. Middleton opened up about the split in a television interview, as reported by The Guardian. She said:

"At the time I wasn't very happy about it, but it made me a stronger person ... You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized, I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me (the months apart) although I didn't think it at the time."

But the couple was meant to be, and it wasn't too long before they got back together. One year after their break up, the duo was spotted on another ski trip, and just two years later, they announced their engagement. In a bittersweet touch, the engagement ring that William proposed to Middleton with was his late mother, Princess Diana's ring.

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By the time the big day came around, the public was incredibly curious about the dress that Middleton would wear, as she had already become well known for her sense of style. She didn't disappoint when she stepped out in a custom gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Since shoulders and arms have to be covered in the church according to royal protocol, Middleton went with a long-sleeved lace dress that was inspired partially by Grace Kelly's wedding dress from 1956. The public was blown away by the duchess' wedding gown and many bridal shops soon sold knock-offs of the dress. 

Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth II lent Middleton a Cartier "halo" tiara that was made especially for her in 1936, on the occasion of her 18th birthday. Compared to her sapphire engagement ring that had once belonged to Diana, Middleton's wedding ring was quite simple, and made out of Welsh gold, just like all royal wedding rings in the past century. 

In a notable moment from the ceremony, William had quite a hard time putting the ring on his wife's finger but eventually managed to do so. The prince himself, however, chose not to wear a wedding ring as he isn’t into wearing jewelry.

The Cambridge's wedding was nothing short of fairytale perfection. Even today, 11 years on, photos and memories of the event are a testament to how impressive their special day was. Just like their incredibly elegant wedding, the couple has proven to be a graceful image of the royal family.

We wish the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a very happy 11th wedding anniversary, and many more in the years to come!

Do you remember when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got married 11 years ago? What is your favorite memory of the day? Let us know, then pass this on so others can read about it too!