Happy 10th Anniversary! A New Video, New Photos & A Look Back at The Wedding

Happy Tenth Anniversary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! We begin with a look at a video released today to mark the event. 

Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary. We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W & C

? @will_warr pic.twitter.com/eWNw1E8FLB

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 29, 2021

Will Warr, a London-based filmmaker, shot the video last autumn.  It looks like most of it was shot the same day as the family’s 2020 Christmas card photo, as everyone is wearing the same outfits as those seen in the picture used for the card.

In case you missed yesterday’s post, new photos of the couple were released in conjunction with the anniversary. 

I include them here to ensure everyone has a chance to see them. Both were taken by Chris Floyd, a London-based photographer known for his celebrity portraits.  

In the images, the Duchess is wearing the ‘Avery’ dress by Ghost and a new pendant that is not yet identified. (Full details here.) 

Now for our look back at the big day.  We begin with this picture of the bride as she leaves the Goring Hotel. 

Here she is with her father, Michael Middleton, as they head to Westminster Abbey.

The expression on Michael Middleton’s face is terrific.

A closer look at the father of the bride. 

Kate looked radiant beneath her veil.

In this photo, it almost looked like Kate was having a few ‘cleansing breaths,’ although she actually appeared very calm and composed the entire day.

Younger members of the wedding party as they arrived at the Abbey, including Lady Louise Windsor, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Tom Pettifer, and William Lowther-Pinkerton.

I like this image of Prince William as he arrived.

With his best man, Prince Harry.

You can see the entire Order of Service here.

HM, Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales, and Duchess of Cornwall as they were escorted to their seats. 

By this point, the news had been released the gown was by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. From The Telegraph’s coverage that day:

The design was fabulous, fashionable and fairytale, perfectly in tune with Ms Middleton’s desire that it should combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Britain’s most famous fashion label, established by the late Lee Alexander McQueen, in 1994.

The train on Kate’s gown was just under nine feet. That expanse of fabric was well handled by Maid of Honour Pippa Middleton.

A look back at the enormous crowds.

Along with a wave and a smile.

Another angle. 

A quick note about how photos and video were done inside the Abbey.

Cameras were placed as discreetly as possible.  

More than 8000 journalists were accredited to cover the event, and it was estimated more than a billion people watched the wedding broadcast.

Final adjustments by Sarah Burton.

A better look at precisely what Ms. Burton was arranging.

Another view. 

Then it was time to head up the aisle. Michael Middleton’s face spoke volumes.

A wide shot. 

You get a sense of how long the aisle is in this photo.

Mr. Middleton appeared calm throughout the day.

A lovely three-shot.

The Middleton family during the service after the father of the bride was seated.

Here you get another sense of the fabric volume in the train.

Zooming in on that shot also shows the great expression on William’s face.

The bride during one of the hymns. 

The couple laughed after a little hiccup when William struggled to get Kate’s wedding band on her finger.  It was made of Welsh gold by Wartski, an upscale jeweler and antiques firm located in Mayfair. The ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold given to the couple by the Queen.

The Very Reverend Dr. John Hall, Dean of Westminster, conducted the service, and the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury (below),  married the couple.

There was one element of the service that was not televised.  More from Westminster Abbey: “The signing of the wedding register in the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor was the only part of the ceremony not to be televised, allowing the royal couple a private moment with their families before departing the Abbey.” Below, a scenic shot of the Chapel.

The couple and Pippa Middleton exiting the Chapel.

Another view. 

In this photo, you see the couple as they bow/curtsy to HM before heading back down the aisle.

A wide shot as they pass the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. 

Just moments before they saw the throngs of people and heard the delighted roar from the crowd.

Then it was time for the carriage procession to Buckingham Palace.

Fortunately, the rain held off. 

As the couple passed the Cenotaph in Whitehall, Kate bowed her head, and William saluted; that little lift of Kate’s veil from the wind and the expression on her face make this another favorite.

The couple looked very much in sync during the ride.

The crowds were enormous.

This isolated image of Kate beaming is one I have always liked.

The look on the Duchess’s face in this picture also resonated.

A view as the carriage arrives at Buckingham Palace.

Here you have another look at the train. 

Younger members of the bridal party.

There were not loads of photos from inside the reception. In this photo, you see her speaking with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

This provides a good view of the dress.

After the reception, it was time to step out on the iconic Buckingham Palace balcony.

The crowds remained huge.

Many will remember that little Grace van Cutsem was underwhelmed by the flypast.

Another view.

Everyone wanted to see a kiss. 

A different angle.

One of my favorite photos of the day.

A glance back just before going inside. 

The two looked just elated as they drove Prince Charles’s Aston Martin from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House.

Another view of the ride to Clarence House.

The license plate.

In yesterday’s post, we looked at preps for the wedding cakes served at the reception. From Fiona Cairns’ site:   

The cake was very carefully driven down the M1 to Buckingham Palace! We were given a room above the kitchens in Buckingham Palace to assemble the cakes. It took a team of 6 people three days to complete.

Here you see Ms. Cairns and her team working on the cake the day before the wedding.

The result. 

There were actually two cakes, one that was cut and served to wedding guests and the cake used for display. Pieces were also preserved for future use, including the three Cambridge children’s christenings.   

We also showed you some of the preps for the wedding cake Prince William requested; it is a chocolate cake made with McVitie’s biscuits. Here is a photo of the cake via Mr. Colenso’s Facebook page. 

Royal chef Darren McGrady has the recipe used in the royal kitchen for the cake here. With thanks to Bonnie for the tip, there is also a YouTube video with Mr. McGrady showing how to make the cake. In addition, Fiona Cairns, who created the primary cake, shared the recipe with ABC News for a smaller version of the cake. 

Now for our look at what Kate wore.

We’ll begin at the top, with the tiara. As many readers remember, the Duchess wore the Cartier Halo Tiara, created by Cartier in 1936 of platinum and diamonds.

The shot on the left is from the Kensington Palace exhibit showcasing the wedding apparel and accessories.

If wondering how the piece was secured to the head, there was a velvet-covered headband, and it was also sewn on, in a manner of speaking.

The Duchess wore earrings that were a gift from her parents. They were created by Robinson Pelham and were said to be inspired by the Middleton family’s new coat of arms, which includes oak leaves and acorns.

The bride’s bouquet was all white.

Hello reported that “Kate’s bouquet when she married Prince William was a combination of the Middletons’ and the royal family’s favourite stems. Each flower was symbolic: lilies, for the return of happiness; hyacinths, for steady love; ivy, for fidelity and friendship; and myrtle, the emblem of matrimony.”  Per tradition, the bouquet was laid at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior inside Westminster Abbey after the ceremony.

A replica was used in the Buckingham Palace exhibit.

The embroidery was done by artisans from the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. (The majority of the lace was made in France at the historic Sophie Hallette factory, then affixed to the dress by Royal School personnel.)

From the Palace news release:

“Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

A closer look at the lace on the veil.

Now to the dress itself, preceded by more of The Telegraph’s article. 

It featured a strapless,Victorian-style corset, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips – long a signature of the late couturier – underneath a high-necked, long-sleeved, sculpted bodice in intricate lacework, handmade by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace, and incorporating individual, hand-cut and embroidered flowers representing the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock. The English Cluny lace was handworked in the Carrickmacross tradition, which originated in Ireland in the 1820’s, and was mixed with French Chantilly lace.

The dress’s skirt was designed to look like an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats that then pooled in the nine-foot train. Here is a full-length shot of the gown as displayed in the July exhibit.

More from a People story featuring embroiderer Chloe Savage, who worked on the gown. 

“Kate had her final fitting at (Alexander McQueen designer) Sarah Burton’s salon early in the morning the day before her wedding,” embroiderer Chloe Savage recalls….

“We were all sitting around the studio at about nine o’clock waiting for the dress to come back with any final adjustments,” Chloe continues. “We hadn’t finalized the lace down the seams yet. We had most of it on the dress but had left the lace loose in the seam to accommodate for that final fitting.”

Thankfully for Chloe and the other members of the 50-strong team that secretly toiled away for months ahead of the wedding, Kate’s Chantilly lace dress needed very few last-minute alterations.

This image is also from the exhibit.

Here you see some of the hand-cut lace.

From a story in today’s Telegraph by Georgina Lucas. 

Nearly 200 years of British royal history and the heritage of the Arts and Crafts tradition were incorporated into the gown. Its exquisite hand-embroidered and appliquéd lace, and emphasis on ‘best of British’ materials, recalled Queen Victoria’s decision in 1840 that her bridal gown should promote the nation’s skills.

A better view of the lace on the front of the skirt. 

The Duchess was in shoes by Alexander McQueen.

That evening there was a private reception at Buckingham Palace.

The Duchess wore another Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen creation. The strapless ivory satin gown showcased a sweetheart neckline, circle skirt, and embellished waist.   

The Duchess also wore a bolero-style angora shrug. Below, the couple as they left Clarence House and drove to Buckingham Palace.

Another view. 

We’ll wrap up with one of my favorite photos from the day.

And what were you doing ten years ago today? I remember sitting in bed watching wedding coverage starting about 4am EDT and madly posting on social media and emailing friends and chatting on the phone. 

If you would like to watch the wedding again, this is the Royal Family’s YouTube version. 
You can watch the wedding on the Royal Family’s YouTube channel. 

 If interested in a longer version with the morning’s coverage, this runs 3+ hours. 

And if you have a big block of time, this BBC video offers more than 5 hours of coverage.