The Prince and Princess of Wales will be celebrating 12 years since their lavish wedding this weekend. Twelve years is traditionally known as a 'silk' wedding anniversary.
The nation looked on in awe on April 29, 2011 as Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
In the months leading up to the special day fans were fascinated by every detail as excitement grew ahead of the grandest royal wedding in a generation.
Every snippet of information was greedily hoovered up and poured over by fans, the venue, the decorations, the reception, the guest list - but of course like with any wedding, it was the bride’s dress which aroused the most interest.
Kate, wishing to keep her dress designer a secret, did everything she could to keep the details out of the press.
But unfortunately there was a leak which reportedly caused “tears” ahead of Kate's big day.
The name of the designer - Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton - got out in the lead up to the wedding.
Speaking on Channel 5 documentary Secrets of the Royal Dressmakers, royal expert Katie Nicholl discussed how much this upset the future Duchess of Cambridge.
She said: "Behind the scenes I think that caused tears at the Palace because Kate had done everything she could to keep the wedding dress a secret."
At the time, The Sunday Times reported: "A fashion source said that the dress will be a combination of Middleton's own design ideas and Burton's deep knowledge and understanding of high fashion."
Burton, of course, denied any involvement until she was officially announced as the designer when Kate stepped out of the car in front of Westminster Abbey.
And the leak didn't seem to bother Kate on the big day. She was the most beautiful bride and she couldn't have looked happier to marry her prince.
Her dress - a stunning ivory gown with a satin bodice and lace sleeves - was a huge hit with fashion critics and fans around the world.
Burton attended the royal wedding and styled Kate's dress before she walked down the aisle, making sure everything was perfect.
Wedding dress designer Caroline Castigliano says the big reveal was still special, even though the designer had been leaked.
She said: "Everybody loved Kate’s dress. That excitement when she stepped out, it was just ‘wow’.
"Incredible. She looked sensational. Even now it gives me butterflies."
Burton used traditional Carrickmacross craftsmanship in making the dress, a technique which dates back to the 1800s, to represent 'something old'.
The attention to detail was breathtaking – from the hand-cut Chantilly lace of the sleeves, to the lace applique on the bodice and the individual lace roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks hand-engineered on to the ivory silk tulle.
The skirt was crafted with white satin gazar arches and pleats to echo an opening flower. And the weight of the silk tulle underskirt and 2.7m train ensured it glided along.
Kate's veil was also created at the Royal School of Needlework and crafted with hand-embroidered flowers, and on the back of her dress were 58 buttons of gazar and organza, which fastened by means of rouleau loops.
It has been reported that Kate first noticed Burton's work when attending the wedding of Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles in 2005, where she had designed the bride Sara Buys' gown.
