Even though your wedding day is ultimately about you and your partner, it can be difficult to find a moment for just the two of you amidst the celebration. Between spending time with loved ones, listening to toasts, and hitting the dance floor, you’re constantly surrounded by friends and family. As a result, you may opt to do a first look—or ride in the car together on the way to your reception. That was the case for Kate Middleton and Prince William on their big day in 2011. Adhering to royal tradition, the married duo climbed into a carriage after saying “I do” and shared a moment of reflection while on their way to greet the crowds at Buckingham Palace.
According to Tina Lannin, a professional lip reader, as the two rode in the wedding carriage, the prince helped guide his new wife through royal protocol. “I don’t think you should bow quite yet,” he reportedly said. “I think you should just bow your head, okay?” Later on in the ride, William remarked on the size of the crowds and the celebration that surrounded them. “I hope I remember… It’s mad, it’s mad!,” he said, according to Lannin. “Oh my goodness it … really loudly here…these people are clapping.” Moments later, after taking in the excitement, Middleton remarked on how joyful her new husband looked. “You look happy,” she reportedly said to him, according to Lannin. The carriage ride eventually ended at Buckingham Palace, where the couple shared a kiss on the balcony in front of thousands of people, in adherence to the royal tradition started by then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana. However, in a departure from the norm, the prince then asked his wife for another kiss, much to the delight of those gathered below. The request also seemed to spur a laugh from Middleton.
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After celebrating the couple’s new marital status with the public, Charles hosted a reception in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace for the newlyweds. This gathering included fireworks, a performance from Ellie Goulding, and a surprise dance number by the newlyweds. Completing a rendition of “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease, William and Kate impressed their guests with their unexpected show, according to royal biographer Robert Jobson. “William and Catherine…began dancing around, pointing at each other, and mouthing the words with the style of the lead characters Danny and Sandy,” Jobson wrote in Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography. “It brought the house down.” Later on in the evening, the Middletons held a private after-party for 100 guests at the Goring Hotel that included a replica of Basil’s Bar, one of the family’s favorite spots in Mustique, an island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Other Caribbean-inspired elements completed the transformation of the English garden into a tropical gathering.