Kate Middleton and Prince William Lip-Synched to This Song at Their Wedding
Updated: Aug. 22, 2024
More than a decade after Kate and William tied the knot, a new book reveals juicy wedding details—including the catchy tune the two lip-synched to at their reception
It was the wedding of the century: On April 29, 2011, Prince William married Kate Middleton in a ceremony fit for a fairy tale. We could gush for hours about the tiniest royal wedding details, from Kate’s dreamy wedding gown (with a train just under 9 feet long) to William’s dashing red uniform. Our retelling would touch on Pippa Middleton, possibly the most stylish bridesmaid the British royals have ever seen, and the newlyweds’ two cute kisses on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. And we’d never overlook the A-list celebrities who showed up for the ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey, from the senior royals to Elton John to David and Victoria Beckham.
But just when we thought we knew everything about the royal wedding, Robert Jobson’s just-released book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, reveals even more details. Thanks to his biography, we now know the sweet song Kate and William sang to each other at their wedding reception.
Can’t wait to put the tune on your playlist? Read on to find out what the Prince and Princess of Wales sang, plus even more details about the royal wedding.
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Which song did William and Kate sing at their wedding?
After the official wedding ceremony was over, Kate and William partied the night away at two wedding receptions. There was the queen-hosted gathering of 650 guests, and then there was the private reception in the throne room at Buckingham Palace, hosted by then Prince Charles (now King Charles III). It was at this smaller party that the pair surprised their 300 guests with a fun interpretation of “You’re the One That I Want” from the hit musical Grease.
“They stood holding hands in the middle of the dance floor grinning […], then began dancing around, pointing at each other, and mouthing the words with the style of the lead characters, Danny and Sandy,” Jobson reveals in his book.
A who’s who of younger royals (including Prince Harry) and the couple’s closest friends witnessed the performance that, Jobson says, “brought the house down.” The musical number served as the grand finale before the couple drove off into their future together (though they stayed on-premises). By 3 a.m., all of their guests had left, and Kate and William called it a night.
Unfortunately, no video footage has leaked (yet), but at least we got to see Kate’s second wedding dress, which she wore when letting her hair down on the dance floor.
What other sweet details did the couple include in their celebration?
If the latest revelation makes you wonder what else you might have missed (or forgotten) about William and Kate’s wedding, we have you covered. Read on to learn about the special touches added to the royal ceremony in 2011.
Three different vehicles ferried them around
The vehicles that brought Kate and William to and from their wedding events were just as extravagant as the wedding itself. Kate rode to Westminster Abbey in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI car, a rather unusual choice for a future royal. Later, the pair made their way to Buckingham Palace in an open-top 1902 State Landau carriage—the same one Charles and Diana had used on their wedding day. Leaving the palace again, they opted for Charles’s dark-blue Aston Martin DB6, which was decorated with balloons and a back license plate reading “Just Wed.”
They danced to Elton John
While Kate and William shook it off to “You’re the One That I Want” at their intimate reception, they first danced to Elton John’s hit “Your Song.” Ellie Goulding, a close friend of the lovebirds, sang it live—an experience she found “scary,” Jobson writes. After “Your Song,” she went on to perform several more hits, including her own “Starry Eyed” and the Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.”
Fun fact: While Elton John attended Kate and William’s wedding ceremony, he did not sing. He did, however, take to the stage when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married.
Kate wore the queen’s tiara
Kate’s stunning ivory silk gown, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, blew us away. But her tiara was equally eye-catching.
The late Queen Elizabeth II received the Cartier Halo Tiara on her 18th birthday from her mother, and she loaned it to Kate on her wedding day—a clear sign of their close bond. Kate reportedly hadn’t planned to wear a tiara on her big day. But who could possibly say no to “something borrowed” from the queen herself?
The bouquet paid tribute to the prince
Remember Kate’s beautiful bouquet? It had a hidden meaning! Kate opted for a mix of myrtle (the traditional choice for royal brides since the 1850s), lily of the valley, ivy, hyacinth and lilac. But she cheekily snuck in a few sweet Williams, a cute nod to her husband-to-be.
Kate helped design the cake
A wedding wouldn’t be a wedding without a cake. And as Kate and William’s pastry chef, Fiona Cairns, revealed in Town & Country, the Princess of Wales designed the eight-tier fruitcake herself: “She knew very clearly what she wanted and did not want,” Cairns said. “The ideas came from her, we had meetings with her, and the brief was from Kate.”
Cairns wasn’t new to the British royals when the couple hired her. Charles and the late Princess Diana had been longtime fans of her cakes.
The night ended with fireworks
When the party was over—just before Kate and William headed to their wedding suite—there were fireworks exploding in the sky. Talk about the perfect ending to a fairy tale wedding.
What other royal details does the new book reveal?
As the story goes, Kate and William met while studying at the University of St. Andrews. But Jobson’s book hints at an earlier meeting between the prince and his future wife.
“They had known each other from school days, when they were both at private schools: he at Eaton and she at Marlborough,” he writes, revealing that the pupils of both schools regularly socialized, and “he invited her on a few things.” After getting “reacquainted” at college, the future Prince and Princess of Wales became friends, then dated.
Their relationship “remained shrouded in secrecy” until William’s ex, Carly Massy-Birch, spilled the beans. The truth came out at a private dinner party over a round of Never Have I Ever, a popular drinking game in which participants reveal their secrets.
It wasn’t happily ever after from there, though. Before they got engaged, William and Kate went through a short-lived breakup. What drew them back together? According to Jobson, mutual friend Sam Waley-Cohen, an amateur jockey, invited the then exes to a “Freakin’ Naughty”–themed costume party. The night ended with Kate and William kissing and rekindling their relationship.
Other new details that Catherine, the Princess of Wales reveals:
- Kate’s guilty pleasures include lentil curry, sticky toffee pudding and gin and tonic.
- When it comes to drinks, William will pick cider over beer every time.
- At her bachelorette party, Kate performed Cheryl Cole’s hit song “Fight for This Love” wearing a tight bodysuit.
- Kate’s favorite London spare-time activity is sneaking into galleries and art exhibitions unnoticed before doors officially open.
Considering Jobson has been reporting on the royal family for 35 years and his new book comes in at 320 pages, it’s safe to assume you’ll find plenty of other juicy details inside.
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Sources:
- Catherine, the Princess of Wales by Robert Jobson
- English Heritage: “The history of Osborne myrtle in royal weddings”
- Los Angeles Times: “The cars they drove”
- CBS News: “Kate to ride in ‘commoner’ car on wedding day”
- Rolling Stone: “Elton John performs at Royal Wedding Reception”
- Newsweek: “Princess Kate’s Glittering Wedding Tiara: Where Is It Now?”
- Woman & Home: “The Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding bouquet featured a flower called Sweet William and hinted at the couple they were to become years later”
- Town & Country: “Kate Middleton’s baker reveals what it’s really like to make a royal wedding cake”
Originally Published: August 22, 2024
