- Date:
- April 29, 2011
- Location:
- London
- United Kingdom
- England
Prince William and Catherine Middleton: The Royal Wedding of 2011
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Who are Prince William and Catherine Middleton?
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, born on June 21, 1982, is the elder son of Charles III and Princess Diana, and is the heir apparent to the British throne. Catherine Middleton, now Princess of Wales, was born to Michael and Carole Middleton and has two siblings, Philippa and James.
William and Catherine met at the University of St. Andrews. They married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London. Together, they have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
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When and where did Prince William and Catherine Middleton get married?
Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London. The wedding ceremony occurred at 11:00 am local time on the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena.
The royal family released details about the wedding in the weeks leading up to the event, which the media called the "wedding of the century." Nearly 1,900 guests attended, including heads of state, crown royals, and friends and family. On the day of the wedding, Queen Elizabeth II gave William the title Duke of Cambridge and Catherine the title Duchess of Cambridge.
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Why was their wedding significant in the United Kingdom?
The wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011, was a significant event in the United Kingdom for several reasons:
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National Holiday Prime Minister David Cameron declared the day a national holiday.
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Global Spectacle Watched by over 2 billion people worldwide, the wedding was a global affair.
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Royal Tradition The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey, a location with deep royal connections, having hosted the weddings of Williamâs grandparents and the funeral of his mother.
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Modernity and Tradition The wedding combined royal tradition with modern elements, such as the brideâs dress designed by Sarah Burton.
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Public Interest Dubbed the "wedding of the century" by the media, the event captured public curiosity, with the royal family releasing details in the weeks leading up to it.
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What traditions were followed during their royal wedding ceremony?
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011, was a blend of royal tradition and modern elements. The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey, where royal weddings and funerals had been held previously.
Catherine's bridal bouquet contained a sprig of myrtle from a bush grown from myrtle in Queen Victoria's 1840 bouquet. It also held hyacinth, lily of the valley, ivy, and Sweet William. Following custom, the bouquet was placed on the grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey. Catherine wore a Cartier halo diamond tiara made in 1936 and a dress designed by Sarah Burton that combined tradition with modernity.
Breaking with protocol, Prince William chose his brother Harry as his best man. William also broke with tradition and chose not to wear a wedding band. The couple asked that wedding gifts be sent as donations to the Royal Wedding Charity Fund.
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Who were some important guests and participants at the royal wedding?
The April 29, 2011, royal wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton saw nearly 1,900 guests in attendance, including heads of state from the Commonwealth and crown royals from around the world, as well as friends and family of the bride and groom.
The officiants for the ceremony included the dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend John Hall, who conducted the wedding service; the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Rowan Williams, who married the couple; and the bishop of London, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. Richard Chartres, who gave the address. Prince William broke with royal tradition and asked his brother, Harry, to serve as his best man. Catherine's maid of honor was her sister, Pippa.
The wedding was not a formal state occasion because William was not the sovereign or direct heir to the throne. The media dubbed the occasion the "wedding of the century".
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How did the royal wedding of 2011 influence British culture and the public's view of the royal family?
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011, sparked immense public interest and lavish preparations in the United Kingdom. Prime Minister David Cameron declared the day a national holiday. Watched by over 2 billion people globally, the event was a semi-state wedding held at Westminster Abbey.
Catherine's dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, combined tradition and modernity. The wedding also included a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Queen and a dinner dance hosted by Prince Charles. The couple requested that gifts be sent as donations to the Royal Wedding Charity Fund. The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was considered the "wedding of the century" by the media.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
The wedding on April 29, 2011, of Prince William of Wales to his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Middleton, prompted lavish preparations in the United Kingdom. Though many of the finer details surrounding the wedding were closely guarded by the British royal family, especially so that the couple could maintain some privacy and preserve a few elements of surprise, public curiosity prompted the royal family, in the weeks leading up to the event, to release a number of facts about the eagerly anticipated nuptials, which the media dubbed the âwedding of the century.â In this special feature, Britannica profiles the couple and their courtship and provides some key facts of that day, notably the route of the royal procession and the family tree of the house of Windsor, as well as excerpts from Britannicaâs past coverage of British royal nuptials.
The couple
Prince William of Wales
William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor was born on June 21, 1982, in Paddington, London, the elder son of Charles, prince of Wales, and Diana, princess of Wales, and second in line (after Charles) to the British throne. William received his early education at Wetherby School in London and later attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire (1990â95) and Eton College in Windsor (1995â2000). The following year he spent traveling before enrolling at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he would study art history, social anthropology, and geography. Having been exposed to charitable activities early in his life, he devoted the year to volunteering in Chile, working at a British dairy farm, and visiting Belize and various African countries. In 2005 William graduated from St. Andrews with a degree in geography, and the following year he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; he received his commission in the Household Cavalry in 2006.
Despite his willingness to join British forces in Iraq, military officials suggested that neither William nor his younger brother, Harry, should serve, because they could become specific targets of attack, thereby putting their fellow soldiers at risk. (Harry briefly served in Afghanistan, however). In 2008 William went on attachment to the Royal Air Force and then to the Royal Navy, so that he could gain experience in all three major branches of the armed services. In 2010 he completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the RAF Search and Rescue Force and began a tour of duty in Wales.
William ranks among the most popular figures of the royal family. Much like his father, William is an avid sportsman. He was admired for his public poise and grace following his motherâs death in a car crash in Paris in 1997, and 10 years later William and Harry organized a London memorial service to mark the anniversary of her death.
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born on January 9, 1982, in Reading, Berkshire, England, the eldest of three children of Michael and Carole Middleton. Her siblings include a sister, Philippa (Pippa), and a brother, James. Her parents met while working as flight attendants at British Airways, and in 1987 they founded a mail-order business selling supplies for childrenâs parties. The success of that venture, along with a family inheritance, allowed them to send Catherine to a prep school and then to the prestigious Marlborough College in Wiltshire, England. At Marlborough, Catherine (by then called Kate) was known as a serious, levelheaded student, excelling in both athleticsâshe captained the schoolâs field hockey teamâand academics. In 2001 Kate went on to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she studied art history. After graduating from St. Andrews in 2005, she briefly worked as an accessories buyer for a clothing retailer, and she later assumed various roles at her parentsâ company while also performing a host of charity work.
The courtship
Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton met in 2001 while art history students at the University of St. Andrews. In 2002 William reportedly paid ÂŁ200 (about $300) to reserve a front-row seat at a charity fashion show at which Kate modeled a sheer black lace dress. At the beginning of their sophomore year at university, they shared a four-bedroom Edwardian townhouse in Fife with two other students, though Middleton was then dating another student. William and Kate were often seen in the company of friends socializing and drinking at their favourite pubs. In 2003 the four friends rented a cottage outside town, and by Christmas of that year the couple was romantically linked. In March 2004 they were photographed together waiting in line for a ski lift at a Swiss resort, thus appearing to confirm their relationship. The following year they enjoyed holidays together abroad and also spent time alone on weekends at a cottage on Queen Elizabethâs Balmoral estate. The couple remained cautious around the paparazzi, though they were reportedly hounded, and they were photographed kissing in January 2006. In 2007 the coupleâs relationship took a brief (AprilâJune) hiatus. In April 2008 Kate attended the ceremony at which William received his wings as a qualified RAF pilot. In March 2010 Prince William moved into a cottage in northern Wales, which was near his RAF Valley post on Anglesey; Kate moved into the cottage that June.
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The engagement
Following several years of intense speculation from the British media about the coupleâs marriage plansâduring which time Kate was dubbed âWaity Katieââit was announced in November 2010 that the two were engaged. In October 2010 William proposed to Kate while on holiday in Kenya. (Following her engagement, she reverted to the more formal Catherine.) On November 16, 2010, Clarence House (the official residence of the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, duchess of Cornwall [formerly Camilla Parker Bowles]) confirmed the engagement. The ring bestowed to Catherine was the 18-carat white gold engagement ring that includes a large oval sapphire surrounded by 14 round diamonds that was first worn by Williamâs mother, Princess Diana. It had been created by then royal jeweler Garrard. Catherineâs blue engagement dress mirrored the colour of the ring, and identical dresses sold out at Londonâs Harvey Nichols department store in a matter of hours.