The 10th Wedding Anniversary of TRH, The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge

Every day this week, we’re looking back at the wedding of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Abbey ten years ago, on 29 April 2011.

In the days before the wedding, preparations inside the Abbey began in earnest. The nave aisle was transformed into an avenue of trees, with six field maples and two hornbeams brought in to line the route of the bride’s procession to the High Altar.

The Abbey was decorated with almost 30,000 flowers, mostly from the royal estates at Sandringham and Windsor, including azaleas, rhododendron, euphorbias, wisteria, beech and lilac. The choices reflected the couple’s love of the English countryside.

Then, as the day of the wedding dawned, Abbey staff were on hand to complete the last-minute preparations before the Great West Doors were opened to the 2,000 specially-invited guests.

The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

9th April 2021

#BREAKING 

A statement from Buckingham Palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

Philip and the Queen were married for more than 70 years.

The Duke of Edinburgh has died, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Philip, 99, was the longest-serving consort in British history.

The duke and the Queen were married for more than 70 years and Philip dedicated decades of his life to royal duty, serving the nation at the monarch’s side.

He officially retired from public engagements in the summer of 2017.

Further announcements will made in due course.

“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

The death of the duke comes in the midst of the worst public health crisis for generations as the UK and countries around the globe reel from the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Philip had returned to Windsor Castle on March 16 to be reunited with the Queen after spending a month in hospital – his longest ever stay.

He initially received care for an infection but then underwent heart surgery for a pre-existing condition.

The duke had looked gaunt as he was driven away from King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London, having been pushed in a wheelchair to the waiting car.

Philip – father to the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex – was just two months away from his 100th birthday in June.

He spent much of the Covid-19 crisis staying with the Queen at Windsor in HMS Bubble – the nickname given to the couple’s reduced household of devoted staff during lockdown.