Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in 2011, after several years of dating. The royal wedding of the future king and his bride was a grand affair. It took place at Westminster Abbey, the same church where Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married decades earlier. Nearly 2,000 guests were in attendance while tens of thousands around the world tuned in to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge‘s nuptials.
Everything appeared to go off without a hitch and the couple was all smiles that day. However, a royal author has revealed that leading up to the wedding was a different story as a secret got out that really upset Kate and actually had her in tears before her big day.
The secret that got out and left Kate in tears
Kate was like other royal brides in wanting to keep the details of her wedding dress top secret and she managed to do that for quite a while. However, just two months before she and the prince were to walk down the aisle, the question royal fans had on their minds about who was designing the dress was leaked.
The Sunday Times reported that Sarah Burton, creative director at Alexander McQueen, was designing the gown. According to Katie Nicholl, author of The Making of A Royal Romance, that secret getting out upset the future duchess so much so that she was “in tears” over it.
“The secrecy surrounding it … I remember trying so hard to find out who the designer was — every journalist on the planet was,” Nicholl said on Dynasty, Vanity Fair’s podcast, (per Express). “And I think hats off to The Sunday Times who revealed it was Sarah Burton for McQueen ahead of the big day, which apparently had Kate in tears behind the scenes, which perhaps hints at some of the stress that she went through in the run-up to the royal wedding.”
Nicholl added: “On the day itself, it didn’t really matter. [Kate] stepped out of the car and she looked absolutely beautiful.”
Kate’s wedding dress is still a favorite among royal fans
Prince William’s wife is a fan of many British designers including Jenny Packham and L.K. Bennett, but she chose to wear a McQueen number for one of the biggest days of her life.
On why Kate made that decision, a statement from the Palace said, “Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen’s work. The dress epitomizes timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom.”
Today, Kate’s wedding gown is regarded as one of the most beautiful and iconic worn by a royal bride.
Where is the duchess’s dress now?
Just a few months after Will and Kate’s said “I do,” the wedding gown was put on display for members of the public to view.
The dress was featured in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace during the annual summer opening exhibition from July through October 2011. The exhibit was a huge success with around 600,000 tickets being sold to see the gown in person. Along with her gown the duchess’s tiara, earrings, and wedding shoes were on display as well.
It hasn’t been confirmed where Kate’s dress was taken after that but many royal experts agree it’s likely in a secure storage at either Buckingham or Kensington Palace.
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