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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Jenny Proudfoot

Kate Middleton broke this 350-year-old royal tradition on her wedding day

Prince William Kate Middleton.

The royal family is undoubtedly the most talked-about in the world, with the Mountbatten-Windsors making headline news on the regular.

This has been no exception this past month, from the release of The Crown's sixth season, to the publication of Endgame, an explosive royal book by Omid Scobie. 

One of the most popular members of the royal family is the Princess of Wales, praised for being a "pillar of strength" and credited as one of the leaders of the family

This is in part due to her determination to rip up the royal rulebook when necessary, with Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly paving the way to make the family more relatable - something they started on their wedding day. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot on 29 April 2011, breaking with tradition multiple times during their nuptials.

There was the fact that Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry were elected Maid of Honour and Best Man – two roles that are not supposed to exist in royal weddings. Not to mention, the double kiss that the newlyweds performed for the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony and of course choosing to spend their wedding night at Buckingham Palace rather than jetting off on their honeymoon immediately.

It recently emerged however that there was another tradition broken on the big day, and it’s all to do with Kate Middleton's hair.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By choosing to wear her hair down, Kate broke a 350-year-old tradition of royal brides wearing their hair up.

According to the documentary, William & Kate: The Journey, Kate was encouraged by royal officials to wear her hair up, something she fought against.

"Royal sources tell me that the royals indicated very strongly to Kate that they would prefer her to wear her hair up for this very special occasion," explained royal reporter Ashley Pearson.

"However, Kate had her heart set on wearing her hair down with long flowing curls, which is her favourite way to wear it, and actually William's favourite as well. They ended up compromising on her look."

The compromise - Kate wore her hair half up half down. And judging by the stunning results, it was certainly a good decision.

We will continue to update this story.

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