Prince William and Princess Kate's fairytale wedding day has become the subject of a new viral video, with footage from the couple's walk down the aisle resurfacing online ahead of their 13th wedding anniversary.
William and Kate married in a largescale ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011. Brits were given a national holiday to celebrate the marriage of the future king and queen, with the nuptials viewed by an estimated global audience of over 160 million.
Interest in the prince and princess has spiked since the beginning of 2024 as Kate stepped out of the public eye, firstly to recover from abdominal surgery and then to recuperate following a cancer diagnosis while undergoing a round of preventative chemotherapy.
Now, with no new appearances expected for some time, fans of the royal have taken to social media to reflect on favored past events and engagements, sharing clips and videos that have collectively gained millions of views.
Uploaded to TikTok by user europeanroyals_ on April 16, footage of Kate and William walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey after exchanging their wedding vows has been viewed over 450,000 times so far.
In the clip, Kate is seen wearing her celebrated wedding dress, which was designed by one of her favored style advisors and designers in Sarah Burton, who at the time was creative director of Alexander McQueen.
@europeanroyals_ Kate and William walking out of the church after getting married🤍 #foryou #royals #wedding #katemiddleton #princewilliam #williamandkate ♬ Thank You for Being You - OctaSounds
For the historic event, Queen Elizabeth II loaned her new granddaughter-in-law a glittering diamond tiara from her personal collection. Known as the Cartier Halo Tiara, the jewel had been given to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1936 by King George VI as a wedding anniversary present. It was given to their daughter, Elizabeth II, as an 18th birthday present and was her first tiara.
On the day, William wore his uniform as the Colonel of the Irish Guards with a scarlet red tunic, standing out next to the ivory white dress worn by Kate.
The couple walked down the aisle to the doors of the abbey to the tune of the "Crown Imperial" march, which was composed by William Walton for the coronation of George VI.
The viral video underscores the footage with the song "Thank You for Being You" by OctaSounds, and also features the moment when Kate offered her first curtsy as a member of the royal family.
Before passing Queen Elizabeth II in the abbey, Kate offered a deep curtsy as a mark of respect to the monarch, while William offered the customary bow. In the years since her marriage Kate's curtsy has won her repeated praise when spotted at official engagements.
Captioned "Kate and William walking out of the church after getting married," the viral video has received in excess of 20,000 likes and over 200 comments, many of which have praised the royal couple.
"They couldn't stop smiling ❤️," wrote one TikTok user.
"A quintessential fairytale wedding ❣️," posted another, with a further comment reading: "Aww, simply beautiful and so elegant 💕 Well wishes to Princess Kate ❤️."
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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