Kate and William: A relationship in pictures
On the royal couple’s tenth wedding anniversary, we take a look back at their relationship in pictures
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William on 29 April 2011 was the event of the century for fans of the royals, who celebrated it as a modern-day fairytale.
While Prince William was born and bred into royalty, Kate Middleton was presented as the quintessential girl-next-door, despite her family’s aristocratic background and close ties to the royal family.
The royal couple met in 2001 whilst studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, before marrying ten years later at Westminster Abbey.
The event was watched by 17.6 million people in the UK and two billion worldwide.
In honour of their ten-year wedding anniversary, the BBC has announced it will air an hour-long documentary called Royal Wedding: A Day to Remember on 30 April.
We take a look back at the couple’s relationship milestones in pictures.
One of the earliest public pictures of the pair together, this candid shot from 18 June 2005 shows Kate and Prince William together at the Beaufort Polo Club.
The pair began studying at St Andrews University in 2001, where they became close friends. Kate studied art history, while Prince William studied geography. His interest in her was famously piqued after watching her walk down the runway in a charity fashion show, and the pair ended up living together with two more friends in their second year.
“When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her. I knew there was possibly something that I wanted to explore there,” he said later.
“We ended up being friends for a while, and that just sort of was a good foundation. Because I do generally believe now that being friends with one another is a massive advantage. And it just went from there,” he said.
Kate and Prince William attend the England versus Italy rugby union match at Twickenham on 10 February 2007.
The year before this, the pair both attended the wedding of Camilla Parker-Bowles’ daughter, prompting speculation about the couple’s future together. And later that year, Kate watched Prince William graduate from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, an event attended by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement to marry, St James Palace, 16 November 2010.
Prince William had proposed to Kate while the couple were on holiday in Kenya using Princess Diana’s ring. “We had a little private time away together with some friends, and I just decided it was the right time really,” he said.
“We'd been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn't a massively big surprise, but I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya.”
Kate said: “It was very romantic. There’s a true romantic in there.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton – now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – kiss following their wedding ceremony on 29 April 2011.
Millions of people from around the world watched the historic wedding which took place at Westminster Abbey. Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton, and the Queen loaned her the Cartier Scroll Tiara for her big day.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Calgary Stampede, Canada, on 8 July 2011, as part of their Royal Tour.
Just a few months after their royal wedding, the couple set off on their first royal tour together through the US and Canada. The event marked Kate’s very first visit to North America.
Kate and Prince William at the 2012 London Olympic Games on 2 August 2012.
London hosted the UK Summer Olympics in 2012, where the couple were snapped looking happy and very much in love as they cheered for the British competitors.
The happy parents are seen leaving St Mary’s Hospital with their first child, newborn son Prince George, on 23 July 2013.
Prince George becomes third in line to the throne, making his birth a huge event across the Commonwealth. He was baptised in October 2013.
The young family visit the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum, 2 July 2014.
Ahead of Prince George’s first birthday on 22 July, the Cambridge’s released this image to the public.
Kate gives birth to her second child, Princess Charlotte, on 2 May 2015.
Princess Charlotte becomes the first princess to be born in the royal family in more than 25 years. She is christened in July 2015.
William and Kate attend Royal Ascot 2017 at Ascot Racecourse on 20 June 2017.
They were accompanied by other members of the Royal Family including, Princess Beatrice, Princess Anne, Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall.
Kate gives birth to her third child, Prince Louis, on 23 April 2018.
“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz,” Kensington Palace announced on the day of the birth.
“The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the 72nd British Academy Film Awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 10 February 2019.
Showing that the couple can still put on the glam, the royal couple dressed up for the Bafta celebrations.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London on 8 June 2019.
The couple share a joke at the annual ceremony to mark the Queen’s official birthday.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Pakistan on 17 October 2019.
Prince William and Kate visit Badshahi Mosque in Lahore as part of a five-day royal tour of the country.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge make their first official Royal visit to Ireland, 5 March 2020.
Kate has a go at the Irish sport of hurling as William watches on.
They visit Queen Elizabeth Hospital as part of the NHS birthday celebrations, 5 July 2020.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the royal couple has continued to conduct their official duties. These have happened both virtually and in-person, where guidelines have permitted.
William and Kate embark on a three-day royal tour to thank frontline workers across the country, 6 December 2020.
They completed the tour of the UK aboard the Royal train.
The Cambridge family’s Christmas card, 16 December 2020.
The family assemble for their annual Christmas card shot at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
The couple support one another at the funeral of Prince William’s grandfather, Prince Philip on 17 April 2021.
Prince Philip’s was the first Royal funeral Kate had attended.
They visit people with additional needs who are supported by the Cheesy Waffles Project on 27 April 2021 in Durham.
Royal duties have continued through the pandemic and resumed following a brief pause after the death of Prince Philip on 7 April.
On 29 April 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a new image to mark their 10th wedding anniversary.
It was captured at Kensington Palace, where they have lived since 2013.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments