Kate Middleton and Prince William's Wedding Surprise That 'Brought the House Down' Revealed

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince William and Kate Middleton on their April 29, 2011 wedding day.Photo:Chris Jackson/Getty

Chris Jackson/Getty

Kate MiddletonandPrince William’s April 29, 2011nuptialswere one of the most watched royal weddings of all time, but after their televised ceremony at Westminster Abbey and double kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony, there were parts of the day the public didn’t see.

From left: Prince William, Kate Middleton and Michael Middleton at the couple’s April 29, 2011 wedding at Westminster Abbey.Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty

Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty

“William and Kate were in the middle, giving it their all,” a guest told PEOPLE back in 2011. “They really went for it. They were in the full party spirit and stayed until the last minute.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton on their wedding day on April 29, 2011.Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

For the evening’s finale, Prince William and Kate had a special surprise up their sleeves, Jobson reveals inCatherine, the Princess of Wales: “They stood holding hands in the middle of the dance floor grinning, then suddenly the opening bars of the song ‘You’re the One That I Want’ from the musicalGreasecame booming out,” Jobson writes. “William and Catherine then began dancing around, pointing at each other, and mouthing the words with the style of the lead characters Danny and Sandy. It brought the house down.”

PEOPLE reported back in 2011that guests were then asked to go out to the fine lawns behind the palace for another surprise. There, a Fiat, a classic Cinquecento model, had been decked out with “balloons all over it and an open top,” a guest said. “They squeezed into it, sat out on the roof, while one of the servants drove the car and drove off along the gravel paths. Then the fireworks went off. There were big ones, but it was only for two minutes.”

Kate Middleton in her wedding reception dress on April 29, 2011.John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty

John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty

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While Prince William and Kate drove away, they didn’t actually leave the premises, PEOPLE reported, and as their guests left at 3 a.m., it left “the newlyweds as the only guests at the palace,” Jobson continues.

source: people.com