The Wedding of a Century

         The wedding of a century seemed to have come and gone in an instant. Prince William of the British Royal Family married his long-time girlfriend Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011. Prince William is second in line for the British Crown, after his father Prince Charles. It seems the wedding day could not have taken longer to get here. It may have taken the young prince almost ten years to pop the question, but better late than never. Indeed it was a sight to behold. From the engagement, to the ring, to finding out the dress, it seemed as though that day would take so long. So many were in attendance at the wedding. Prince William and, the newly dubbed, Princess Catherine had a very long and whirlwind romance, but now it seems their love has brought new hope and faith for themselves and for their country.

            Prince William and Princess Catherine met, while they were both studying at St. Andrew's University in Scotland. It was a surprise to those closest to the prince when they found out he was attending a university that does not reside in England. However, who could have known that this decision would mean him finding his future bride? It seemed to shock everyone even more when the young prince seemed to take an interest in a woman, who is in no way a part of the aristocracy. Yet, while others hoped this was a phase, the prince chose a bride he was actually in love with rather than a woman who was picked for him. The future princess caught William's eye when she walked down a catwalk in a very revealing dress. From that day forward the romance was a hot topic for almost ten years. There was a brief falling out in 2007, but the couple soon realized that they could not live without each other and got back together. Three years after their brief split, Prince William finally popped the question to Kate while on private holiday in Kenya in October of 2010. The Royal engagement was then announced to the world in November of 2010. The engagement ring, given to Kate by William, was Prince William's mother's engagement ring, the late Princess Diana, which was given to her by his father Prince Charles. Originally, the famous engagement ring was supposed to belong to Prince William's younger brother, Prince Harry. However, the brother-princes came up with a bet; the engagement ring to the brother who got engaged first.

            The wedding was held in London, England at Westminster Abbey Church. The nuptials took place on April 29, 2011 at 11:00 AM. Many people were in attendance that this beautiful wedding. Catherine Middleton wore a beautiful dress designed by Sarah Burton of the famous designer Alexander McQueen. So many people watched from all over the world holding their breath in anticipation of the monumental wedding. The wedding itself was much more relaxed than that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.  According to Sarah Mower, of Vogue Magazine, it seems that this wedding piloted a generational shift. The bride had a lot more power over her wedding than that of previous royal weddings.