Kate Middleton and Prince William at Westminster Abbey, 2021.Aaron Chown/AP/Shutterstock
But there were also plenty of signs that served to say: This is not your nan’s royal wedding. The most obvious update to the House of Windsor—the bride herself.Kate Middletonwas a commoner and a confident, grown-up woman, not a 20-year-old member of Britain’s aristocracy, as William’s mother, Lady Diana Spencer, had been when she marriedPrince Charles. After dating William for nearly 10 years before they announced their engagement, Kate had no illusions about what her life as a royal would be and the down-to-earth tone she intended to bring to it.
Throughout the one-hour ceremony, Will and Kate appeared lighthearted, locking eyes and smiling, a united team of equals genuinely enjoying their day. The whole affair “felt like being at a family wedding, albeit quite a large one,” a guest and friend of the Middletons, Tim Hirst, told PEOPLE. “It was very intimate, very comfortable, very friendly—you had to keep pinching yourself to remember that this was the most amazing wedding of the future King and Queen.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton take their kids to the theater.Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty
Also inside this photo-filled issue: How the Middleton family has thrived in the spotlight that came when Kate married into royalty, how Kate has refined her style, and how becoming parents three times over changed the couple and refocused their commitments to making the world a better place. William has continued in his father’s environmentalist footsteps, hosting a Discovery+ documentary,A Planet for Us All. “We face a stark choice: Either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve,” said William when he unveiled a multimillion-dollar award for the best ideas tackling environmental challenges.
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Kate, meanwhile, has concentrated on early childhood development. Last year she announced a groundbreaking survey called the5 Big Questions on the Under Fives, which she launched with a 24-hour tour around the U.K. “I want to hear the key issues affecting our families and communities so I can focus my work on where it is needed most,” she said. She partnered with the charity Place2Be to kick off children’s mental health week, addressing parents in a video: “This is a hugely challenging time for us all, so please look after yourself too,” she said. “We really do need to be the very best versions of ourselves for the children in our care.”
PEOPLE’SWilliam & Kate: 10 Joyous Yearsis available nowon Amazon, and wherever magazines are sold.
source: people.com
