Prince William and Princess Kate are celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary on April 29. The couple’s relationship gained public interest after Netflix dramatized their early dating life on The Crown. They met at St. Andrew’s University in 2001 and began dating in 2004. Following a brief separation in 2007, William proposed to Kate in Kenya in 2010, and their engagement was officially announced later that year. Their wedding was the biggest royal event in Britain since William’s parents, King Charles III and Princess Diana, married in 1981. The ceremony was watched by over 160 million people globally.
The royal wedding took place at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. As a future king and queen, William and Kate’s wedding was attended by members of the world’s royal families along with personal friends and extended family. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harold V of Norway, and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands were among the crowned heads present. The ceremony saw Prince William and Prince Harry waiting at the altar as Kate made her entrance. Kate arrived at the abbey in an elegant ivory gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
Once inside the abbey, Kate, accompanied by her father and bridesmaids, walked down the aisle to Hubert Parry’s coronation anthem “I Was Glad.” The bride and groom exchanged smiles at the altar before exchanging their vows, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. After signing the marriage register, William offered a bow to Queen Elizabeth II, and Kate performed her first curtsy as a royal family member. The couple then enjoyed a carriage ride from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, waving to well-wishers along the route.
At Buckingham Palace, William and Kate made their first balcony appearance, delighting fans with two kisses. The couple then left for Clarence House, where they prepared for the evening celebrations. They drove in an Aston Martin Volante, loaned by King Charles, to Buckingham Palace for the evening reception. Kate wore her second wedding dress, also designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, which was a simpler white silk gown with a diamante-embellished belt. The festivities continued into the evening with the couple and members of the royal family celebrating the newlyweds.
As they celebrate their 13th anniversary, Prince William and Princess Kate continue to captivate royal enthusiasts worldwide with their enduring love story and dedication to their roles within the royal family. Their wedding day, filled with traditional pomp and ceremony, marked the beginning of a new chapter for the couple, who have since welcomed three children and embraced their royal duties with grace and poise. Whether attending official engagements or supporting charitable causes, William and Kate remain a beloved royal couple admired by many for their commitment to each other and to serving the people of the United Kingdom.
