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Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales, got married on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The couple, who first met in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews, got engaged in October 2010 while on a private holiday in Kenya. The wedding ceremony was attended by the couple's families, members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and their chosen personal guests. The guest list was approximately 1,900 people long and included friends, family, and official dignitaries. The marriage was a highly anticipated event, with international media coverage, and it marked a significant moment in the history of the British royal family.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Wedding | 29 April 2011 |
| Location | Westminster Abbey, London |
| Bride | Catherine Elizabeth Middleton (now Princess of Wales) |
| Groom | Prince William (now Prince of Wales) |
| Bride's Title After Wedding | Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge |
| Groom's Title After Wedding | Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus |
| Guest List | Approximately 1,900 people, including friends, family, and official dignitaries |
| Wedding Cake | An eight-tier fruit cake decorated with Lambeth-piped sugar paste flowers |
| Wedding Ring | Made from Welsh gold from the Clogau Gold Mine |
| Wedding Cost | Estimated at £23.7 million, with £32 million for security |
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What You'll Learn
Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding date and location
Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, got married on Friday, April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London. The wedding ceremony was attended by approximately 1,900 guests, including friends and family members, as well as official dignitaries such as Commonwealth leaders, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities. The reception was held at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen, with about 600 guests in attendance, while an evening dinner was hosted by the Prince of Wales for around 300 guests.
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was a grand affair, with an estimated cost of £23.7 million, including £32 million for security and £800,000 for flowers. The couple also established a charitable gift fund, encouraging donations to charities in place of traditional wedding gifts. The fund supported various organisations, including the New Zealand Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Zoological Society of London.
The wedding ceremony held at Westminster Abbey featured an avenue of 20-foot-tall trees, including six field maples and two hornbeams, arranged on either side of the main aisle. Prince William's brother, Prince Harry, served as the best man, while Catherine's sister, Pippa Middleton, was the maid of honour. Catherine's wedding gown, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, featured a nine-foot-long train and handmade lace. The bride's "something borrowed" was the Cartier halo tiara loaned to her by the Queen.
The wedding menu, kept secret for several years, was eventually revealed and included South Uist salmon, Lyme Bay crab, Hebridean langoustines, and a fresh herb salad. The main cake was an eight-tier fruit cake decorated with Lambeth-piped sugar paste flowers, designed by Fiona Cairns. The couple's wedding day was marked by a public holiday, with 23 million people watching the ceremony live on television.
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The wedding's cost and media coverage
The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
Prince William and Catherine "Kate" Middleton got married on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The wedding was a grand and romantic event attended by approximately 1,900 guests at the abbey, with a further two billion watching across the globe.
The Wedding Cost
The overall cost of the wedding was estimated to be £23.7 million. The Australian newspaper Herald Sun estimated A$32 million for security and A$800,000 for flowers. The costs of the wedding itself were paid for by the Royal Family and the Middletons, while the costs of security and transport were covered by Her Majesty's Treasury. The wedding was also estimated to have cost the economy between £1.2 billion and £6 billion due to the extra public holiday.
Media Coverage
The wedding attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways to the wedding of William's parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, in 1981. The occasion was marked by a public holiday in the United Kingdom, with events held across the Commonwealth. The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with 36.7 million watching at least part of the coverage.
In the lead-up to the wedding, TV programmes in the UK provided insights into the couple's relationship and backgrounds, including "When Kate Met William" and "Channel 4's Meet the Middletons". The wedding also sparked interest in Kate's fashion choices, with the public eager to replicate her style.
Following the wedding, the couple has continued to attract media attention, especially with their more personal approach to social media. They have shared intimate updates on their health and family life, marking a new era of authenticity in royal communication.
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The couple's engagement and ring
Prince William and Catherine Middleton announced their engagement on 16 November 2010. The couple got engaged while on holiday in Kenya. The prince proposed to Catherine with the engagement ring worn by his mother, Princess Diana. The ring was made by crown jeweller Garrard and features a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire set in white gold and surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds. It was reportedly inspired by a brooch created in 1840 for Prince Albert as a wedding present for Queen Victoria.
Catherine's wedding ring was made from Welsh gold that had been presented to Queen Elizabeth II and kept in the royal vaults. The gold was mined from the Clogau Gold Mine in the mountains of North Wales. Prince William, on the other hand, chose not to receive a wedding ring.
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales, took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. The ceremony was attended by approximately 1,900 people, including friends and family members of the couple, as well as official dignitaries such as Commonwealth leaders, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities. The couple's wedding sparked an international media frenzy, with 23 million people watching the ceremony live on television.
The wedding reportedly cost close to $34 million, with $32 million spent on security. The couple also established a charitable gift fund, encouraging donations to charities in place of traditional wedding gifts. The overall cost of the event, including security and flowers, was estimated to be around $40 million.
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Wedding guests and attendees
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, London. The guest list was extensive, with approximately 1,900 people attending the ceremony in the abbey. The guest list was divided into three sections. The first section, consisting of about 1,900 people, attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The second section was made up of approximately 600 people who were invited to the luncheon reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen. The final section was made up of about 300 names for the evening dinner, hosted by the Prince of Wales.
More than half of the wedding guests were family and friends of the couple. There was also a significant number of Commonwealth leaders, including governors-general who represent the Queen in Commonwealth realms other than the UK, prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms, and heads of government of other Commonwealth countries. Members of religious organisations, the diplomatic corps, several military officials, members of the British Royal Household, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities and others with whom he has worked on official business were also in attendance.
Some notable guests included:
- Elton John
- David and Victoria Beckham
- The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the groom's paternal grandparents
- The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk
- The Duke and Duchess of Westminster (the Duchess is one of Prince William's godmothers)
- Sir Donald Gosling, co-founder of National Car Parks, with Gabriella Di Nora, Princess Diana's former personal shopper
- Count Tibor Kálnoky de Kőröspatak, a Hungarian nobleman and landlord who manages Prince Charles's properties in Transylvania
- Sir John Madejski, Chairman of Reading Football Club
- Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and first cousin of Prince William
- Thomas Pettifer, godson of Prince William
- The Baroness Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, and his wife, Laureen Harper
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Wedding party and attire
Prince William and Catherine Middleton got married in 2011. The wedding was held at Westminster Abbey in London, with a guest list of approximately 1,900 people. The wedding party included both friends and family members of the couple, as well as official dignitaries such as Commonwealth leaders, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities.
The bride, Catherine Middleton, wore a bespoke wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The dress featured a nine-foot-long train and handmade lace made by the Royal School of Needlework. She also wore the Cartier halo tiara on loan from the Queen, along with earrings by Robinson Pelham, which were a gift from her parents. Middleton's something blue was a blue ribbon sewn into the interior of her wedding dress. Her bouquet included lily of the valley, sweet William, hyacinth, ivy, and a sprig of myrtle.
Catherine's sister, Pippa Middleton, served as her maid of honour. There were four bridesmaids: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Grace Van Cutsem, and Eliza Lopes. The two page boys were William Lowther-Pinkerton and Tom Pettifer, the godson of Prince William.
The groom, Prince William, wore the frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals. He chose not to receive a wedding ring. His best man was his brother, Prince Harry.
The wedding breakfast menu included South Uist salmon, Lyme Bay crab, Hebridean langoustines, and a fresh herb salad. The main course was North Highland organic lamb from Prince Charles's organic farm, served with spring vegetables, English asparagus, Jersey Royal potatoes, and sauce Windsor. The dessert was Berkshire honey ice cream, sherry trifle, and chocolate parfait, accompanied by Laurent-Perrier Rosé champagne.
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Frequently asked questions
Prince William got married to Catherine Middleton in 2011.
The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey, London.
Catherine Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
Prince Harry was the best man at the wedding, a break from royal tradition, which usually has the groom accompanied by two supporters.
The wedding reception menu included South Uist salmon, Lyme Bay crab, Hebridean langoustines, and a fresh herb salad.
