It’s been ten years since college sweethearts Prince William and Kate Middleton exchanged vows in a fairy-tale royal wedding. The Duchess of Cambridge did not disappoint for the big occasion on April 29, 2011. The bride wowed fashion and royal watchers as she made her way up the aisle at London’s Westminster Abbey in a timeless gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Following the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth hosted a reception for the newlyweds and their guests at Buckingham Palace. Later in the evening, Prince Charles threw a private dinner, during which William reportedly delivered an emotional speech calling his new wife his “rock.”
In the years that have followed, it’s clear that the pair continue to serve as each other’s rocks as they navigate royal duties and parenthood. “I’m very lucky in the support I have from Catherine, she’s an amazing mother and a fantastic wife,” William said in a 2016 interview on Talk Vietnam. “But I’ve struggled at times. The alteration from being a single independent man to going into marriage and then having children is life-changing.”
In honor of the Duke and Duchess’ tenth wedding anniversary, see how the couple’s love story has blossomed since their spectacular nuptials…
2012: Happy newlyweds
After a year of marriage, the couple still appeared to be in their honeymoon stage sharing a rare moment of PDA during the 2012 Olympics in London. Following their wedding in 2011, the Duchess admitted, “I‘m very, very lucky. [William] looks after me as much as possible.”
2013: And then there were three!
Two years after their wedding, the Duke and Duchess became parents with the arrival of their son Prince George in July 2013. Fatherhood has admittedly made William more emotional. “I never used to get too wound up or worried about things. But now the smallest little things, you well up a little more, you get affected by the sort of things that happen around the world or whatever a lot more, I think, as a father,” the Duke said on the 2016 documentary When Ant and Dec Met The Prince: 40 Years of the Prince‘s Trust. “Just because you realize how precious life is and it puts it all in perspective.”
2014: Doting parents
William and Kate have proven to be hands-on parents. The Duchess, pictured with son George during a visit to the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, penned in an open letter in 2018: “Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life and for me, as a mother, it is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish.”
2015: A new family member!
The couple added daughter Princess Charlotte to their family in May of 2015. After the little Princess’ birth, William told the press that he was “very happy.”
2016: Family holiday
The Duke and Duchess enjoyed a family ski break in the French Alps with their young son and daughter.
2017: Off-duty mom and dad
After nearly six years of marriage and two kids later, the couple showed that they still know how to have fun. The Duke’s playful side was on display as he blew an air horn at his wife and planted a kiss on Kate’s head during the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon.
2018: Cambridge party of five!
Prince Louis entered the picture in 2018. The couple’s baby boy joined big sister Charlotte and brother George.
2019: Proud parents
William and Kate could not have looked prouder as they accompanied their daughter Princess Charlotte and Prince George on their first day of school in 2019. The Duke told GQ in 2017, “I could not do my job without the stability of the family. Stability at home is so important to me. I want to bring up my children in a happy, stable, secure world and that is so important to both of us as parents.”
2020: Picture perfect family
The royals showed their support for NHS workers during the COVID-19 pandemic coordinating in blue outside their home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk. A few months prior, the Duchess revealed that she’s happiest when she is with her “family outside in the countryside and we’re all filthy dirty.”
To the next ten!
Happy anniversary, Prince William and Kate!
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