The Prince and Princess of Wales were married on this day exactly 15 years ago – and to mark their crystal anniversary, the couple has shared a brand new family portrait
The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a brand new image of them and their children to mark exactly 15 years of marriage.
The couple were married on this day at Westminster Abbey in 2011 in a fairytale ceremony and to mark their wedding anniversary , William and Kate posted a new image of themselves with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
It shows them lying the grass barefoot alongside their pet dogs with the never-before-seen snap taken by photographer Matt Porteous during their family holiday to Cornwall over Easter. It is captioned: “Celebrating 15 years of marriage” with a heart emoji.
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In the image, Louis has his legs resting on Kate as the family of five – all in shorts apart from Kate – lie shoulder to shoulder in a row, with their black cocker spaniel Orla making an appearance next to William. Also pictured is the Waleses’ second dog, a brown spaniel, which the couple kept from a litter of Orla’s puppies last year.
The pair are celebrating their crystal anniversary today, while William’s father, the King, is in the midst of his state visit to the United States.
William and Kate first met more than 20 years ago at the University of St Andrews in Fife and became friends before embarking on a romance. Two years after their wedding, the couple had their first child, Prince George, then Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.
Much has changed since they tied the knot 15 years ago; not only have they welcomed their three children, but they’ve also seen their royal roles dramatically change after becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales upon the death of the late Queen in 2022.
They’ve also had to contend with William’s bitter rift with his brother Prince Harry, as well as a 2024 William described as ‘brutal’ following Kate’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent chemotherapy treatment.
Now, Kate is in remission, with the couple seemingly looking towards the future. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror: “As they celebrate 15 years of marriage – and some 25 years together — their relationship is looking more solid and loving than ever. Slowly, tentatively, I think William and Catherine are beginning to look to the future with confidence.
“As each year passes, and the trauma of the cancer diagnosis and treatment begins to fade, they must be feeling more reassured. Not that they will ever get over it — or the fear of it — and I’m sure it has changed them forever. As Catherine herself has said, cancer changes your perspective on everything in life.
“Perhaps the biggest change has been the proof that their love has simply become deeper as they battle the huge problems that have come their way: her cancer, the King’s simultaneous diagnosis, the bitter rift with Harry and Meghan and the intense pressure of the scandal surrounding Uncle Andrew.
“The worse the problems, the more we have seen William and Catherine standing shoulder to shoulder, often holding hands or giving one another a reassuring pat, facing the public and getting on with their work.”
And for Jennie, William and Kate working together as a team is what has really contributed to their successful marriage. She added: “I always remember William’s mother, Diana, telling me that she and Charles ‘would have made such a great team’. Well, I think her son and his wife are doing just that. Neither tries to overshadow the other, they are relaxed and informal on public duties and always seem to find something to laugh about together.
“They give the impression of being the very best of friends; and, of course, friendship – dating back to those early years at university – is the foundation on which their marriage is built.
