Prince William and Catherine Middleton: The Royal Wedding of 2011

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Quick Facts
Date:
April 29, 2011
Location:
London
United Kingdom
England

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 “wedding of the century.” 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 Britannica’s 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 (1990–95) and Eton College in Windsor (1995–2000). 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 mother’s 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 children’s 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 athletics—she captained the school’s field hockey team—and 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 parents’ 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 £200 (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 Elizabeth’s 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 couple’s relationship took a brief (April–June) 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 couple’s marriage plans—during which time Kate was dubbed “Waity Katie”—it 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 William’s mother, Princess Diana. It had been created by then royal jeweler Garrard. Catherine’s blue engagement dress mirrored the colour of the ring, and identical dresses sold out at London’s Harvey Nichols department store in a matter of hours.