It was an historic royal wedding, watched by an estimated one billion people around the world.
On April 29, 2011, Prince William married his university sweetheart, Kate Middleton, in a traditional ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
While the main event was broadcast across the globe, details of their receptions remain largely undisclosed.
However, in her book Kate: The Future Queen, Katie Nicholl reveals what happened behind the scenes.
The couple celebrated with two receptions after their nuptials: the first, a grand affair at Buckingham Palace for 600 guests, hosted by Queen Elizabeth, and the second, a more intimate dinner and dance organised by Prince Charles.
In the evening, Kate swapped her iconic ivory lace gown for a sleek silk A-line dress paired with a delicate bolero, both designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, while William opted for a classic tuxedo.
Ms Nicholl describes how supper was served for 300 guests at 8pm, with the room illuminated by hundreds of candles at Kate’s request.
Each table was named after a place special to the couple, such as St Andrews, Lewa Downs and Tetbury, and elegantly set with 19th-century solid gold plates and cutlery dating back to the reign of King George III.
On April 29, 2011, Prince William married his university sweetheart, Kate Middleton (pictured with their pageboys and bridesmaids), in a traditional ceremony at Westminster Abbey
To encourage mingling, William and Kate mixed their guests, ensuring friends and family had the chance to get to know one another.
Their favourite chef, Anton Mosimann, prepared a menu featuring organically sourced Welsh crab and lamb from Highgrove, followed by a trio of miniature trifle, chocolate fondant and homemade ice cream.
Afterwards, Prince Harry, serving as master of ceremonies, delivered a ‘hilarious’ speech.
‘There were jokes about William’s bald patch and his long-standing inability to keep up with Harry during drinking games,’ Ms Nicholl writes.
He affectionately referred to the couple as the ‘dude and the duchess’ and even imitated his brother, calling Kate ‘baby’ to the amusement of guests.
However, the speech took a heartfelt turn when Harry ‘spoke movingly of his love for his sister-in-law and how lucky his brother was to have found a woman who loved him unconditionally’.
Emotions ran high again as William, in his own speech, described Kate as his ‘rock’ and shared ‘how much his mother would have loved her’.
Laughter soon replaced tears when Michael Middleton, the father of the bride, recounted the moment he realised William’s affection for Kate – when the Prince landed his Chinook helicopter in their back garden.
For the evening reception, Kate changed from her iconic ivory lace gown into a silk A-line number topped with a fluffy bolero, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
William and Kate’s evening reception was hosted by the then Prince Charles
During his father of the bride speech, Michael Middleton recounted the moment he realised William’s affection for Kate – when the Prince landed his Chinook helicopter in their back garden
Both William and Harry mentioned their late mother, Princess Diana, sharing how much she would have loved Kate
Following the speeches, guests were ushered into the throne room for a surprise arranged by Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton
Kate Middleton meets governors-general and prime ministers of the realm at Buckingham Palace after her wedding
William and Kate’s favourite chef, Anton Mosimann, prepared a menu featuring organically sourced Welsh crab and lamb from Highgrove, followed by a trio of miniature trifle, chocolate fondant and homemade ice cream
According to Ms Nicholl, he said: ‘I knew things were getting serious when I found a helicopter in my garden.
‘I thought, “Gosh, he must like my daughter”. I did wonder how William was ever going to top this if they ever got engaged.
‘I just thought, “What will he do? You can’t get much better than that”, and we are certainly not used to princes landing helicopters in the garden!’
Michael went on to express his admiration for his ‘beautiful daughter’ and her composure as they walked down the aisle. He also thanked the Royal Family for their warm welcome.
The final speech of the evening, given by William’s friends Thomas van Straubenzee and James Meade, included a humorous anecdote about a night out when William ended up wearing a ladies’ thong.
Following the speeches, guests were ushered into the throne room for a surprise arranged by Harry and Kate’s sister, Pippa.
‘The priceless chandeliers had been covered up and in their place were strobe lights, glitter balls, and a giant dance floor, which dominated the 120ft-long room,’ Ms Nicholl says.
‘The dais, where the thrones usually had pride of place, had been replaced by a disco booth and a cocktail bar.’
Charles and Camilla took to the dance floor when British singer Ellie Goulding performed Elton John’s Your Song
Kate’s first dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, is arguably the most famous wedding gown of the 21st century
Chandeliers in the throne room were covered and replaced by strobe lights and glitter balls for the reception
William and Kate drove from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House in Prince Charles’s 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante, following their first wedding reception
The car was decorated with L plates, bunting, ribbons and balloons
To add a personal touch, Pippa arranged for the space to be scented with Kate’s favourite candles and placed bowls of Haribo sweets on the tables.
For their first dance, William and Kate asked Ellie Goulding to perform. The British singer sang her hit Starry Eyed, and also covered Elton John’s Your Song, prompting Charles and Camilla to take to the dance floor.
As the DJ took over, Kate’s mother Carole Middleton requested the 1986 hit We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Jermaine Stewart, before she and Michael called it a night.
Dancing continued until 2.30am, when guests were invited outside for a fireworks display.
‘Catherine wheels had been pinned to the trees, and the 20-second-long burst of red and white sparks could be seen from over the palace walls, although the crowds had long since dispersed,’ Ms Nicholl describes.
William and Kate then left in an open-topped RAF-personalised Fiat 500, crossing the courtyard to Buckingham Palace’s Belgian Suite, where they spent their wedding night.
But for Harry, the party wasn’t over yet.
Back in the throne room, he announced it was ‘time for some serious partying’ and the music was turned up for one last song.
Ms Nicholl writes: ‘Merry from the Crack Baby cocktails, Harry suddenly launched himself into the crowd.
‘It was certainly a party none of the guests would ever forget.’
