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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Amy Mackelden

Kate Middleton Refused to Abide by a 350-Year-Old Royal Tradition on Her Wedding Day

Kate Middleton rides in the carriage with Prince William on their wedding day in April 2011.

Princess Kate has been known to break royal protocol from time to time, and she apparently did so at her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011.

Kate Middleton married Prince William on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. During a documentary called William & Kate: The Journey, royal expert Ashley Pearson opened up about the incredibly old tradition the Princess of Wales broke on her wedding day.

"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," Pearson explained (via the Express). "Kate had her heart set on wearing her hair down with long flowing curls, which is her favorite way to wear it, and actually William's favorite as well." According to Pearson, "They ended up compromising on her look."

Impressively, Princess Kate was willing to stand up to centuries of tradition in order to wear her hair the way she wanted to on her wedding day.

Kate Middleton broke a 350-year-old royal wedding tradition at her nuptials. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the Mirror reported that Princess Kate was astounded by the scale of the crowd that had gathered outside of Buckingham Palace on her wedding day. When Kate and William appeared on the balcony to greet fans, they did so to people chanting, "We want Kate! We want Kate!" as well as the request, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" According to the outlet, Prince William turned to his wife and said, "Go on, a little kiss, go on."

Following their first, fairly brief, kiss, Prince William reportedly said to Kate, "Let's give them another one. I love you. One more kiss, one more kiss. Okay?"

Kate Middleton and Prince William kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day. (Image credit:  John Stillwell - WPA/Getty Images)

Since joining the Royal Family, Princess Kate has continually expressed herself, particularly when it comes to antiquated traditions she doesn't necessarily agree with. For instance, it was recently reported that Kate "put her foot down" when it came to her three kids—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—taking part in the Royal Family's "blooding" tradition during hunting.

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