Today, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and her husband, Prince William, celebrate their wedding anniversary. The royal couple got married 11 years ago in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the same historic venue in which the Queen and Prince Philip said “I do” over 75 years prior. Kate and William’s wedding had been long-awaited by the public, given the couple’s 10-year courtship.
When their engagement was finally announced, wedding details became the subject of speculation.
And fans across the world wanted in on one big secret, who would design Kate’s wedding dress.
Similar to many brides, the Duchess wanted to keep the designer and style of her dress a secret until she walked down the aisle.
However, two months before the royal nuptials, The Sunday Times revealed that Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen would be designing the gown.
According to Katie Nicholl, author of ‘The Making of A Royal Romance’, the spilled secret had Kate “in tears”.
Speaking on Dynasty, Vanity Fair’s royal podcast, Ms Nicholl said: “The secrecy surrounding it… I remember trying so hard to find out who the designer was — every journalist on the planet was.
“And I think hats off to The Sunday Times who revealed it was Sarah Burton for McQueen ahead of the big day, which apparently had Kate in tears behind the scenes, which perhaps hints at some of the stress that she went through in the run up to the Royal Wedding.
“And on the day itself, it didn’t really matter, she stepped out of the car and she looked absolutely beautiful.”
The 19th century style lace used on the bodice and skirt was Kate’s ‘something old’ whilst a blue ribbon was sewn inside the dress for her ‘something blue’.
The bride’s ‘something borrowed’ was her Cartier tiara, loaned to her by the Queen.
With handmade lace applique and a nearly nine-foot long train, the dress was a show-stopper and joined the ranks of most famous royal wedding dresses in history.
A few months after the wedding, Kate’s dress was featured in an exhibit at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke and Duchess’ wedding has gone down in history as one of the most magnificent events in modern royal history.
Kate and William got married in front of a congregation of 1,900 and a television audience of 27 million.
The special day was made a bank holiday in the UK, giving Brits the chance to watch and join in the royal celebrations.
While the Cambridges tend to celebrate their wedding anniversary in private, last year they released a home video on a seaside outing with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted candid footage of their family on the official Kensington Royal social media accounts, writing, “Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary.
“We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W&C.”
