In 2011, Prince William, who was preparing to marry Princess Kate, experienced significant pre-wedding jitters. On Friday, April 29, 2011, at 11 o'clock, the Prince of Wales and Kate were married in Westminster Abbey. Before the service, Kate traveled with her father by car from the Goring Hotel down The Mall to Parliament Square.
The night before the wedding, Prince William was greeted outside Clarence House, where he spent the night with his best man and brother, Prince Harry. As he stepped out to cheers from a supportive crowd, William had a delightful exchange with one of the royal fans awaiting his big day.
In a brief conversation with a royal fan the evening before his wedding, Prince William said, "I hope I'm not too nervous tomorrow," sharing his wedding jitters just like many grooms before him, even if their weddings aren’t state affairs.
On the big day, a body language expert claimed that Prince William appeared quite nervous upon arriving at Westminster Abbey. However, with Kate’s arrival, he seemed to calm down.
Speaking to the Daily Express, body language expert Darren Stanton revealed, "When William arrived at Westminster Abbey, you could sense he was nervous as he was wringing his hands together. It’s quite a natural response for a wedding day, with most people feeling nervous or anxious. You could see his heart was racing and he was wringing his hands together, which are both gestures of feeling apprehensive."
Stanton praised Kate’s calm and collected demeanor, noting that her presence ultimately gave William the ability to proceed with the ceremony calmly.
"She was very similar to the confident Kate that we see now. As the ceremony went on, it was clear that she gave strength to William and built up his confidence. His emotions were initially quite high, and he was full of nerves, but he soon relaxed with Kate by his side," Stanton said.
As of April 2024, Prince William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, have been married for 13 years. They have three children: George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
