The wedding

Prince William and Catherine Middleton: The Royal Wedding of 2011

Written by

Karen Sparks

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

The ceremony took place in London at 11:00 am local time on April 29, the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena.
Prince William and Catherine, duke and duchess of CambridgePrince William and his bride, Catherine, leaving Westminster Abbey after their wedding, April 29, 2011.
Prime Minister David Cameron proclaimed the day to be a national holiday.
The venue was Westminster Abbey, where William’s grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married (November 20, 1947) and where his mother’s funeral service was held (1997).
The officiants of 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.
The occasion was dubbed a “semi-state wedding” rather than a formal state occasion because William was neither the sovereign nor the direct heir to the throne.
Nearly 1,900 guests attended the ceremony, including heads of state of the Commonwealth, crown royals from around the world, and friends and family of the bride and groom.
On the eve of the wedding, Catherine and her immediate family stayed overnight at the Goring Hotel near Buckingham Palace.
The couple rode in the royal carriage used by William’s parents at their 1981 nuptials.
Sarah Burton, who took over as creative director of Alexander McQueen (a part of PPR) after the designer’s suicide in 2010, designed a floor-length ivory dress for the bride that combined tradition with modernity. The long-sleeved dress, which narrowed at the waist and was padded at the hip (a signature of McQueen’s design), was made of white satin gazar and featured a lace-applique bodice that was handmade, along with the skirt, by the Royal School of Needlework. The skirt of ivory silk tulle incorporated the symbolic rose of England, thistle of Scotland, daffodil of Wales, and shamrock of Ireland. The bride wore a Cartier halo diamond tiara that was made in 1936 and given to Queen Elizabeth by her mother and a full veil made of Chantilly lace. Her train measured 9 feet (2.7 metres). The wedding dress and the name of its designer had remained shrouded in secrecy until the day of the wedding.
In accordance with tradition, the bride’s bouquet contained a sprig of myrtle from the bush grown from the myrtle included in the bouquet carried by Queen Victoria during her 1840 nuptials. The bouquet also featured fragrant white hyacinth, lily of the valley, ivy, and sweet William. Per custom, the bouquet was later placed on the grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.
Prince William broke with protocol and asked his brother, Harry, to serve as his best man. (When the groom is of royal birth, he usually has a “supporter” rather than a best man.) Two pages (honorary attendants) were also selected: (1) William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton, who was the 10-year-old son of James (Jamie) Lowther-Pinkerton (Jamie served as William and Harry’s part-time private secretary) and Susannah Lowther-Pinkerton (née Richards), and (2) Tom Pettifer, who was the eight-year-old son of Charles Pettifer and Alexandra (“Tiggy”) Pettifer (née Legge-Bourke) and was William’s godson.
Catherine’s maid of honour was her sister, Pippa. Catherine selected four additional bridesmaids: (1) Lady Louise Windsor, who was the seven-year-old daughter of the earl and countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and Sophie, (2) the Honourable Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the eight-year-old daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley, (3) Grace van Cutsem, who was the three-year-old daughter of Hugh and Emilie van Cutsem and was William’s goddaughter, and (4) Eliza Lopes, who was the three-year-old daughter of Harry Lopes and Laura Lopes (née Parker Bowles) and granddaughter of the duchess of Cornwall.
Royal weddingCatherine Middleton (left) sharing a smile with her sister, maid of honor Pippa Middleton, as she prepares to enter Westminster Abbey, London, for her wedding to Prince William, April 29, 2011; both dresses were designed by Sarah Burton.
A reception for about 600 guests—who enjoyed wine, champagne, and canapés—was hosted by the queen at Buckingham Palace and was followed a few hours later by a dinner dance hosted by Prince Charles for 300 guests.
For the reception, Catherine wore a dress that, like her wedding dress, was designed by Sarah Burton. The all-white strapless satin gown featured a sweetheart neckline, a circle skirt, and a diamanté-embroidered detail around the waist. It was paired with a white angora bolero cardigan.
The wedding cake was a multitiered fruitcake created by English pastry chef and entrepreneur Fiona Cairns. A chocolate biscuit (cookie) cake made by McVitie’s Cake Company was also served.
The couple asked that all gifts be sent in the form of donations to the Royal Wedding Charity Fund, a subset of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry, which was established in September 2009.
On the day of the wedding, Queen Elizabeth gave William the title duke of Cambridge (in keeping with his status as second in line to the throne). In addition, he was named earl of Strathearn (a Scottish title) and Baron Carrickfergus. Catherine was given the title duchess of Cambridge. (If the queen had not conferred a new title, Catherine would have been known as Princess William.)
Catherine wore a wedding band made of traditional Welsh gold that is owned by the royal family. William, however, broke with tradition and decided to forego wearing a wedding band entirely, because of his personal distaste for jewelry.
The day prior to the wedding, it was reported that Prince William and Catherine had invited British singer Ellie Goulding to perform at their wedding reception.

Karen Sparks