Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary

The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrate their wedding anniversary today.

Thirteen years ago the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton were married at Westminister Abbey. William and Kate now have three children Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (8), and Prince Louis (6).

To celebrate their anniversary, the couple has shared a new image of their wedding day on social media. The black and white image is captioned simply as "13 years ago today!" and shows the Prince and Princess posing and smiling at the camera. 

13 years ago today!

📸 Millie Pilkington pic.twitter.com/lzK6GRT7Ak

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 29, 2024

Prince William and Kate Middleton's story began in the hallowed halls of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Both enrolled in the prestigious institution and crossed paths in 2001 while studying Art History. Their wedding came in 2011 after a ten-year relationship. 

Their wedding on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey was watched by millions worldwide and marked a joyous celebration of love and tradition.

The wedding was an unforgettable day for both the royals and the country, with all eyes on Kate, who wore a now iconic wedding dress and some incredible jewellery. She chose to wear a Cartier "halo" tiara, which was given to her by the late HM Queen Elizabeth II, and Robinson Pelham oak leaf pear-cut earrings, which were given to her by her parents.

Kate's wedding dress was designed by the British designer, Sarah Burton, the Creative Director of the fashion house Alexander McQueen.

The pattern used on the sleeves of the gown is known as "Kate's lace". The bodice contains soft, satin pleats. The bodice, made of ivory satin, was inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry, an Alexander McQueen hallmark. The bodice also incorporated floral motifs cut from machine-made lace, which were then appliquéd on to silk net (tulle) by workers from the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace.

Up the back, there were 58 buttons, made with gazar and organza while the skirt, underskirt trim and bridal train (which measured 270 cm—110in) also incorporated lace appliquéd in a similar manner.  The full skirt was designed to echo an opening flower, with soft pleats that unfolded to the floor, forming a Victorian-style semi-bustle at the back, and finishing in a short train measuring just under three meters in length.

To partially fulfill the "something blue" portion of the British wedding tradition, a blue ribbon was sewn inside the dress. The design for the bodice of the dress featuring lace in the style of the 19th-century was the "something old".

Happy anniversary to the Prince and Princess of Wales!