It’s exactly 11 years ago today that Prince William and Kate Middleton married in a huge ceremony at Westminster Abbey that had the world watching – so do you remember these details from the big day in 2011?
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Prince William and Kate at the age at Royal Wedding in 2011
Exactly 11 years ago today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge captivated the world with their fairytale wedding.
After 10 years of on/off dating, Prince William and Kate finally tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in a lavish ceremony.
The bride looked stunning in a beautiful Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen bridal gown, which she paired with the jaw-dropping Cartier Halo tiara.
And the couple sent the crowds wild when they kissed not just once, but twice on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
To mark their 11th wedding anniversary, we look at some of the secrets of the big day – how many do you remember?
Kate’s emotional words to dad
Kate makes her way to Westminster Abbey with her dad Michael
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Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Kate spent the night before the wedding with her family at the luxurious Goring Hotel close to Buckingham Palace. On the big day itself, she made the short journey from the hotel to Westminster Abbey in a car with her dad Michael, who later walked her down the aisle
And as they made their way to the wedding venue, the Express reports Kate had some very emotional words for her dad.
Royal author Katie Nicholl explained: “When her father looked as though he might falter on their journey to the Abbey, Kate had begged, ‘Please, Daddy, don’t cry. It will set me off, too.’
“She had managed only a bite of toast that morning and had been up since six, but Kate did not once let her emotion get the better of her.”
Prince Harry’s warning
Prince Harry was the best man
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Image:
AFP/Getty Images)
The couple enjoy a kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony
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wire image)
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Waiting at Westminster Abbey was of course William and his younger brother of Prince Harry, who had the role of best man.
As Kate glided William stuck to tradition and faced ahead as his bride approached.
However, Harry was on hand to tell his brother just how beautiful his bride looked.
According to the 2013 book Kate: A Biography, Harry told William: “Right, she is here now.”
He then said of his sister-in-law: “Well, she looks beautiful, I can tell you that.”
Finally, when Kate reached William, it seems he wholeheartedly agreed with this brother.
He told his wife: “You look beautiful.”
Queen’s verdict
The Queen with Carole Middleton and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at William and Kate’s wedding in 2011
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(Getty Images)
Watching on as William tied the knot were his proud grandparents the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
Fortunately, the day went perfectly, and Her Majesty was impressed, turning to her husband after the ceremony to say “it was excellent,” a lip reader said.
However, there was one element of the day that she wasn’t a fan of after a lip reader confirmed her disapproving remarks to her husband.
“I wanted them to take the smaller carriage,” she said, according to CBS News, before Camilla jumped in and said: “It all went very well.”
The Queen replied: “Very well.”
Prince William’s handbrake horror
Kate Middleton and Prince William leave the Palace in an Aston Martin on their wedding day
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Image:
Mike Moore)
One of the highlights of the day was seeing William and Kate drive down the Mall in Prince Charles’s prized Aston Martin.
But it seems William’s nerves on the big day led to him making a driving blunder.
I t later emerged he forgot to take off the car’s handbrake before setting off and had it on for the whole journey between Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
Prince Harry’s cheeky speech
The royal couple enjoyed a carriage ride on their big day
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Image:
Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock)
At the reception, as is tradition as best man, Prince Harry entertained guests with a speech about the happy couple.
However, his then girlfriend Chelsy Davy reportedly made him cut a line in his speech about Kate’s “killer legs” to avoid embarrassment.
Wearing a fez, he said William didn’t have “a romantic bone in his body” until he met Kate – and did an impression of him calling her “Babykins”.
The speech was a hit, with Kate weeping.
Unusual cake
Kate in the dress she wore for the evening reception
Not content with one traditional wedding cake, William also chose a second creation – his favorite chocolate biscuit cake for the wedding reception.
William asked specially for the unbaked cake, alongside a more traditional tiered fruit cake by luxury baker Fiona Cairns.
It was created by biscuit maker McVitie’s to a secret royal recipe, with ingredients including 1,700 crushed Rich Tea biscuits and nearly 40lb of dark chocolate.
Reception sing-a-long
Kate wore a second Alexander McQueen dress for the evening do hosted by Charles at Buckingham Palace – where she and William danced to Grease classic You’re The One That I Want.
“Everyone was cheering wildly,” said one guest.
The first dance to Ellie Goulding’s rendition of Elton John’s Your Song lasted 30 seconds after William reportedly asked her to switch to a faster number.
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