Prince and Princess of Wales: Looking back at the fairytale wedding the nation wanted - 15 years on

Friday, April 29, 2011, had it all – pomp, pageantry, spectacle, a radiant bride, a dashing groom, the occasional slip-up, moments of tenderness and above all a touch of the magical that only the most memorable royal occasions create.

The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was a worldwide sensation, with a global television audience of more than two billion in 190 countries, a million cheering, flag-waving well-wishers on the streets of London and countless more celebrating the newlyweds at street parties across Britain.

There were unforgettable moments, even by the standards of the great royal occasions of the past – William greeting his bride as she arrived at the altar with the words “You look beautiful” and the kiss they shared while appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the first time as a married couple.

It was a day that seemed to herald a new golden age for the monarchy.

Over the previous decade, its popularity had soared once more after slumping during the difficult 1990s with marital strife among Queen Elizabeth’s children and the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The emergence of William and his younger brother, Harry, as working members of the family had given the institution a huge boost, their vigour bringing a new energy to royal engagements.

There was delight when it was announced in November 2010 that William and Catherine had become engaged after a long – and on-off – courtship, begun in 2001 when both were students at St Andrew’s University, in Scotland.

And Catherine Elizabeth Middleton at 29 was a breath of fresh air in royal life.

In an archaic and even dismissive term, she was a “commoner” – not a member of the aristocracy, or plucked from an overseas dynasty as royal brides-to-be had historically been, but the daughter of a hard-working couple, Carole and Michael, who had built their own business.

For a Britain still in love with royalty but needing to see it adapt to reflect life in a new millennium, she was perfect; feisty, independent, self-assured and relatable.

That she was known affectionately as Kate to the public was a measure of how they had embraced her as one of their own, and today was the day when she would become a princess as the world watched.

It began at 8am, with the announcement from Buckingham Palace that the couple would become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the titles a personal gift from the Queen.

Soon afterwards, Westminster Abbey, decorated with trees and flowers, began to fill with 3,000 guests, among them representatives of the world’s royal houses, politicians and celebrities, among them Elton John and David and Victoria Beckham.

William and Harry, his best man, both in ceremonial uniform, were cheered by crowds lining route from the Palace as they drove to the Abbey.

If the groom was nervous, he showed few signs, greeting friends and guests gathered inside before he and his brother went into a side chapel to prepare for the service.

Shortly afterwards, their father and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived, and then 20 minutes before the wedding was due to begin, a huge roar went up from the crowds as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh left the Palace.

All eyes then turned to the Goring Hotel, where Kate had spent the previous night.

There had been endless speculation about her wedding dress, and now the world had its first sight as she emerged with her father, Michael.

It was designed by Sarah Burton of the House of Alexander McQueen, in close consultation with Kate, an ivory lace and satin creation with a 2.7m long train.

Fashion commentators on every continent were immediately ecstatic about its elegance, and unanimous in their verdict that it made the bride-to-be the essence of a modern fairytale princess.

On the short drive to the Abbey, her joy was obvious as she waved to well-wishers not with regal reserve, but with undisguised delight as her proud father beamed next to her.

She didn’t keep the groom waiting for long, arriving at the stroke of 11am as the bells rang out. Inside, guests craned their necks to catch a first glimpse as she entered through the Great West Door.

Kate’s bridesmaids spread the train of her gown as she stepped onto the red carpet that led to the altar as the choirs sang Psalm 22, I Was Glad.

She smiled ever more broadly as she approached. William kept his eyes front, but his brother turned his head to look, smiled and told the groom she was here.

As their eyes met, and William told Kate she looked beautiful, the ceremony got under way.

There was a touch of nervousness. William’s voice cracked slightly as he said “I will”, and he fumbled placing the ring on her finger, momentarily getting it stuck.

The crowds outside the Abbey, to whom the service was being broadcast, cheered even louder than ever as the couple were pronounced husband and wife, at which, just a few feet away from the newlyweds, the Queen smiled broadly.

The couple exchanged the most tender of glances as the service concluded with the singing of Jerusalem, followed by the National Anthem, before they proceeded through the nave, smiling and nodding to friends and family.

The cheers reached a new crescendo as they emerged from the Abbey, William putting on his cap and gloves before helping Kate into the 1902 State Landau that would take them to the Palace.

The weather had been dull and overcast all morning, but as the landau, under escort from mounted guardsmen, approached Buckingham Palace, passing a sea of waving Union Jacks, the clouds broke and the sun came through.

This was a day when the crowds demanded a grand finale, and they got it an hour later.

A cordon of smiling police officers holding the crowds back gradually allowed them to surge closer and closer to the Palace gates until every available square foot of space was full and every vantage point around the Victoria Monument occupied.

All eyes were turned upwards, and at 1.25pm William and Kate stepped out onto the balcony to the biggest cheer of the day.

The crowd wanted to a kiss, and two minutes later they got it, as he leaned in and she giggled. Seconds later, a fly-past roared overhead, with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight followed by two RAF Typhoons and two Tornados.

As the aircraft vanished into the distance, the crowd got their encore, as William and Kate kissed again, and then, with a final wave, left the balcony.

But there was to be a last glimpse on this happiest of days. A few minutes later, the smiling couple emerged from the Palace in a vintage Aston Martin, sporting a “Just Wed” numberplate, in which William drove his future Queen to Clarence House.

Fifteen years on, they have written many new chapters in the story that began that day.

Their marriage has been blessed with three children. The closeness of the two brothers who stood together at the Abbey’s altar is only a memory. Kate has shared her experience of confronting cancer to give others hope and courage.

Their ups and downs have reflected the lives of the well-wishers who cheered that day. The nation got the fairytale wedding it wanted. And in the years that have followed, it got the modern royal couple it needed.