The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrate 15 years of marriage

The Prince and Princess of Wales are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary today.

On 29 April 2011, around 1,900 guests attended the wedding ceremony of then-Prince William of Wales to Miss Catherine Middleton. The service captivated the world, attracting a global audience of millions. Since then, as Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine have proved they intend to do things their way to live a more “normal” life, not just for themselves but for their growing family as well.

Immediately post-wedding, the couple travelled on a ten-day private honeymoon on the North Island in the Seychelles. The two were afforded some of the last glimpses of privacy on the remote archipelago off the east coast of Africa. After returning, William went to work immediately.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they were then, had already been living together in a four-room farmhouse on the island of Anglesey in Wales since before their marriage. Prince William was stationed nearby at RAF Valley as a search and rescue pilot. This time can be almost equated with when Princess Elizabeth went with Philip when he was stationed in Malta. The parallels of the two couples being able to live ‘privately’ and being able to do most things on their own, such as shopping, were identical. William was involved in over 150 search-and-rescue operations working with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Their small time together came to an end when it was time to assume royal duties. The Duke and Duchess had moved into ‘Apartment 1A’ in Kensington Palace — a four-story 20-room residence that used to belong to Princess Margaret — which was the start of their royal lives. The newly renovated space was for a small family that was soon to come.

In December 2012, it was supposed to be happy news when St. James’ Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess were expecting their first child. The joy was filled with worry as Catherine was suffering from a form of severe morning sickness called ‘hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)’. The potentially life-threatening condition, affecting around 3.5 out of one thousand pregnant women, requires supplementary hydration, medication and nutrients. The Duchess became so ill that she needed to be taken to the King Edward VII Hospital in London. The move to the hospital meant the Royal Family was then forced to announce the Duchess’s pregnancy. She was still under the 12-week mark at that time.

Worry then subsided as Catherine gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Prince George, in July 2013. The Duke and Duchess decided that the private St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington was the ideal option for the future King. The couple stepped onto the steps of the iconic hospital, where William had also been born, to the massive media crowd outside.

George’s birth was indeed historic on multiple levels. The late Queen changed the British succession from male-preference primogeniture to absolute, meaning that any future royal children would follow birth order in line to the Crown. Previously, any Princes would supersede their sisters in the line of succession. Now, as with most monarchies today, it is, rightfully, up to birth order.

The Duke and Duchess then lived together with their first child at Kensington. Catherine later returned to work five weeks later, shorter than the expected maternity leave, in August that year.

Two years later, the Duchess gave birth to Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018. In the meantime, the Duke and Duchess moved their family home to a more private location at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. The future King and Queen undertook many engagements on behalf of the ageing Queen Elizabeth. Her Majesty had already given up foreign travel in 2015.

In 2016, the Cambridges visited Bhutan, where the Duke and Duchess met with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema. The trip to the mountainous Kingdom was highly regarded as the royals tracked the hills to Tiger Nest monastery, built in 1692.

The Duke and Duchess maintained a highly favourable rapport with the public, indeed they were always at the top of polls when asked about people’s opinion regarding the couple. William and Catherine’s down-to-earth demeanour, their loving family life, and their dedication to the institution they serve catapulted the public’s love for the two. Their stable family home, work-life balance and loving marriage offer an example to the increasingly divided society we live in today. Their stability, approachability, and authenticity are attributes that endear them to people; it is what has sustained their trust over the past fifteen years.

During the 2020 pandemic, William and Catherine were entrusted by Queen Elizabeth II to undertake a tour across Britain aboard the royal train to say ‘thank you’ ahead of Christmas to the many healthcare workers and volunteers who kept the country running as the world came to a standstill.

The early 2020s saw the Duke and Duchess undertake many more roles and engagements due to the dwindling number of royals in the family, the death of Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth vastly scaling back her duties.

In September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II — the U.K.’s longest-serving monarch — died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Prince William was on his way to Scotland, while Catherine stayed home at their new home in Windsor with the children. The new move was supposed to be a fresh start for the family, but plans completely changed the moment William became heir to the throne.

The day after the late Queen’s death, King Charles, the new sovereign, addressed the nation in mourning. The King spoke to a grieving people, and, in his words of comfort, bestowed the ancient title of ‘Prince of Wales’ upon William. The future King was named the new Prince of Wales with Catherine the new Princess of Wales alongside him.

As my Heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall which I have undertaken for more than five decades. Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given. — King Charles III, September 2022

As the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine began to carve out a new role for royals that had not been done before. Their dedication remained as steadfast, if not even greater, as when they first married.

2024 was not the easiest year for the Wales family by any stretch. In January, it was announced that the Princess was admitted to the hospital for major abdominal surgery. The undisclosed operation was serious enough to keep Catherine out of work until Easter, as Kensington Palace said at the time. What many didn’t know, including those in their own families, is that Catherine had cancer. The Princess was seeking treatment at the London Clinic for preventive chemotherapy.

Prince William later remarked in 2025 that,

We choose to communicate a lot more with our children … most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn’t work. Every family has its own difficulties and its own challenges. It’s very individual and sort of moment-dependent as to how you deal with those problems. But it’s always a balancing act. How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say it? There’s no manual for being a parent, you’ve just got to go with it. 

The Prince of Wales undertook as many engagements as he could in an attempt to balance a full schedule with home life. Catherine shared her cancer diagnosis in a video message recorded at Windsor, where she spoke of the “huge shock” that she and William had been trying to navigate for them and their children.

In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” said Kate, who is married to the heir to the British throne, Prince William. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment. — Princess of Wales, March 2024

The Princess of Wales, in news which brought relief to many across Britain and the world, announced that she was cancer-free in September 2024 after an “incredibly tough” and “scary” nine months. In January 2025, she shared that she was in remission with a visit to The Royal Marsden, where she herself sought treatment. The Prince and Princess also became joint Patrons of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, continuing the royal family’s long-term association with the hospital founded in 1851 by Dr William Marsden.

Since that period, the Prince and Princess have returned to a “normal” routine which they once lived, though with a newfound appreciation for the little things and life in general.

Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Today, in April 2026, the Prince and Princess of Wales are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. The time can be marked by their strong devotion to one another, the stability in their family home, and their dedication to the royal family. William and Catherine will one day ascend to the throne as King and Queen of the United Kingdom.