On April 29 2011, almost two billion people around the globe tuned in to watch as Prince William married his long term girlfriend, Kate Middleton – the first commoner to wed a future British king in 300 years.
Ten years on, The Day Will and Kate Got Married celebrates that momentous day through the memories of family, friends and insiders who played a part in it, including Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, speaking exclusively in his first ever TV interview, former Metropolitan Police commander Bob Broadhurst who was in charge of security on the day, royal historian Robert Lacey, plus the dress’s embroider, the cake-maker, choristers and Middleton family friends and neighbours.
The documentary casts a fresh eye over the couple’s courtship and relives the ritual and pageantry of the day – one that united a family, unaware of the future discord that would divide them.
As dawn broke over the capital on the 29th April 2011, 1900 guests were getting ready to head to Westminster Abbey to take part in the first royal wedding of the social media age. It was a welcome distraction for a nation blighted by recession, riots and unpopular government cuts. Foreign VIPs, celebrities and prime ministers stood shoulder to shoulder with people from the village where Kate grew up.
The ITV documentary will air on 7 April at 9pm: The Day Will and Kate Got Married
Robert Lacey is the author of Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult.