Franklin Dean
The wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The service began at 11 am and ended at 12.15 pm. The ceremony was attended by nearly 1,900 guests, including foreign royals, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. The occasion was marked by events across the Commonwealth and was viewed by tens of millions of people worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 April 2011 |
| Day | Friday |
| Time | 11:00 am |
| Duration | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Location | Westminster Abbey, London, England |
| Bride | Catherine Middleton |
| Groom | Prince William |
| Officiants | Dean of Westminster, Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop of London |
| Best Man | Prince Harry |
| Maid of Honour | Pippa Middleton |
| Guests | 1,900 |
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What You'll Learn
The ceremony lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes
The wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton lasted for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The couple, who first met in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews, tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in London, England, on Friday, 29 April 2011. The service began at 11 am and ended at 12.15 pm.
The day was declared a public holiday in the United Kingdom, and the ceremony was watched by an estimated billion people worldwide, with tens of millions of viewers tuning in live. The event attracted much media attention, with the media dubbing it the "wedding of the century".
The ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. The bride's bouquet included myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William, ivy, and hyacinth. The groom's best man was his brother, Prince Harry, while the bride's sister, Pippa, was the maid of honour.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, travelled in a horse-drawn carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, where they made a traditional appearance on the balcony. The Abbey's bells rang for three hours after the ceremony, a practice reserved for special occasions.
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The wedding date and location
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The couple had been in a relationship since 2003, having first met in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews.
Westminster Abbey has been the venue for most royal weddings over the last century, including those of William's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, in 1947, William's great-aunt Princess Margaret in 1960, and William's uncle Prince Andrew in 1986. The Abbey has been the church of choice for royal weddings since the 20th century, with most royal weddings taking place in royal chapels before this time.
The wedding date of 29 April was confirmed seven months after the couple announced their engagement in October 2010. Clarence House formally announced the engagement on 16 November 2010. The wedding ceremony began at 11 am, with Prince William and his best man, Prince Harry, arriving at the Abbey at 10.15 am. The bridal party left for the ceremony at 10.52 am, with the service finishing at 12.15 pm.
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The wedding's public holiday status
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was declared a public holiday in the United Kingdom. The ceremony, which took place on Friday, 29 April 2011, attracted much media attention and was compared in many ways to the wedding of William's parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in 1981.
The day was marked by celebrations across the Commonwealth, with organisations and hotels holding events in Canada, over 5,000 street parties taking place throughout the United Kingdom, and about a million people lining the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions of people around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube alone. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with 36.7 million watching at least part of the coverage.
The public nature of the wedding extended beyond the declaration of a public holiday and the extensive media coverage. The ceremony itself incorporated various ceremonial aspects, including the use of state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. The newlyweds also made a traditional appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they were greeted by members of the public and treated to an RAF flypast.
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was a significant event that brought people together in celebration, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. The public holiday status of the wedding reflects the importance placed on this occasion by the British public and government, and the desire to involve the wider community in the royal festivities.
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The couple's procession to Buckingham Palace
The wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. After the ceremony, the newly married couple, now titled the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, travelled in a procession to Buckingham Palace.
The couple departed Westminster Abbey to the sound of the Abbey bells and cheers from the crowds. The Abbey's Company of Ringers rang a full peal of 5,000 changes, lasting three hours.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travelled in the 1902 State Landau, a horse-drawn carriage, along the Processional Route to Buckingham Palace. There were five carriages in the procession, drawn from the Royal Mews, which houses 30 carriage horses and has 38 staff, including liveried helpers and coachmen.
The couple was followed by Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall, among other members of the royal family and the wedding party. The procession was greeted along the streets by members of the public.
Upon their arrival at Buckingham Palace, the Queen hosted a reception for the couple and their guests. The newlyweds appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a tradition for royal weddings, and were greeted by an RAF flypast and cheers from the crowd.
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The bride and groom's arrival times
On the morning of Friday, 29 April 2011, Prince William and his best man and brother, Prince Harry, left Clarence House at 10.10 am in a Bentley State Limousine. They arrived at Westminster Abbey at 10.18 am and were escorted inside to wait in St Edmund's Chapel for the start of the ceremony.
At 10.20 am, members of foreign royal families started to arrive, closely followed by Catherine's mother, Carol Middleton, and her brother, James. The Middleton family was seated by the High Altar.
At 10.48 am, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the abbey, as is tradition, being the last members of the Royal Family to leave Buckingham Palace.
The bridal party, which had spent the night at the Goring Hotel, left for Westminster Abbey at 10.52 am in the former number one state Rolls-Royce Phantom VI. The service began at 11.00 am.
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Frequently asked questions
The wedding ceremony lasted for about an hour and a quarter. The service started at 11 am and ended at 12.15 pm.
The couple got married at Westminster Abbey in London, England.
The ceremony was attended by the bride and groom's families, members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. There were nearly 1,900 guests.
The newlyweds travelled to Buckingham Palace in the 1902 State Landau. They then appeared on the balcony of the palace, where they shared two kisses during an RAF flypast.
