It’s been 15 years since Prince William and Princess Kate walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey. Their April 29, 2011 wedding was the biggest royal event since Prince Charles married Princess Diana 30 years prior, and although Kate Middleton looked perfectly calm and collected, she appeared to have one brief moment when the gravity of the day (and her new role) washed over her.
Lip reader Nicola Hickling frequently comments on royal events, and she told the Daily Mail that William and Kate shared a sweet exchange after getting settled into their carriage after the ceremony. Per Hickling, Princess Kate took in the crowds and said, “Look at everyone,” with William replying, “Yes, I can see, let's wave now as a married couple.”
The outlet continued that “a briefly overwhelmed Kate” took in his comment and said, “Oh gosh, we’re married.” It was likely the first time the term “married couple” took on its true significance for Kate as the future Queen, but Prince William took the moment in stride.
Per Hickling, William told his new wife, “Ah, we'll be alright. Wave to everybody.”
It's no wonder Princess Kate was bowled over by the crowds lining the streets of London, as it was reported that roughly one million people waited outside to get a glimpse of the couple's wedding procession.
In another exchange in the 1902 State Landau carriage, Prince William asked Kate—wearing a custom Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown—if she was “comfy,” while the princess wanted to know, “Are you happy?”
“I am to be fair,” Prince William replied, per Hickling. “You look wonderful.”
Fortunately, Kate remained cool throughout her wedding day, with author Tina Brown writing in The Palace Papers, “I am told that the bride's only anxiety on the wedding day itself was that her stomach rumbling might be picked up by a hot mic.”
