The Unexpected Role Prince William Took On At His Wedding To Kate Middleton
Planning a wedding takes work no matter who you are, but when you're a royal, it becomes even more of an all-hands-on-deck situation. Such was the case for the wedding of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, in 2011. In addition to his role of "proud groom," William took on one more unexpected role during his big day: hairstylist's assistant.
Kate Middleton's hairdresser, Richard Ward, spoke to People in 2020 about the spontaneous moment he shared with the prince. Ward was refreshing Kate's hair for her slightly less formal (but still incredibly chic) reception look, but when the time came for him to show his now-royal client the back of her fancy blowout, all he could find was an incredibly heavy antique mirror.
"I was struggling to walk with this 500-year-old mirror, and [William] just said, 'Let me give you a hand,' and I said, 'No, no, honestly,' but he took one end, and I've got the other, and we're shuffling along with this mirror. He's great. He really is," Ward recalled.
Prince William got styling (and guest list) assistance from his grandmother
Prince William and Kate Middleton were the perfect vision of a modern fairy tale on their big day, thanks in no small part to the ensembles they wore during and after the wedding. Kate donned a stunning, high-collar lace gown with a sprawling train for her Westminster Abbey Ceremony, but she changed into a second wedding dress for the reception that featured a modern, bejeweled belt, sweetheart neckline, and chic white fur shrug.
William, on the other hand, remained in his distinctive, red Irish Guards uniform for the day — a stylistic choice influenced by his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. "I wanted to decide what to wear for the wedding," the prince later recalled to Robert Hardman, author of "Our Queen" (via Daily Mail). "I was given a categorical: 'No, you'll wear this.'" William had been appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards months before the ceremony, and the queen insisted that his nuptial attire reflect his military position.
Despite not being allowed to pick out his own wedding outfit, William told Hardman he was incredibly grateful for the queen's advice during the planning process, particularly when creating the guest list. "She made the point that there are certain times when you have to strike the right balance. It's advice like that which is really key when you know that she's seen and done it before."
The father of three has taken on a different kind of hair stylist role these days
William, Prince of Wales might've lent a helping hand to Catherine, Princess of Wales' hairdresser, Richard Ward, but it was ultimately Ward who kept Kate's locks looking gorgeous and voluminous on the royals' wedding day. These days, William is learning how to take a much more hands-on approach with hair care duties for the ladies in his life, including his only daughter, Charlotte.
During a 2019 visit to a playground in northern England, William confessed that his attempts to learn how to do his daughter's hair weren't going very well. "Never try to do a ponytail!" William jokingly said to a fellow father at the event. "Nightmare." The prince said he finally had to seek help from the internet, using YouTube tutorials to figure out how to gather his young toddler's hair into an updo. "That's about it," he admitted (via People). "I don't have enough hair to practice on!"
To William's credit, though, styling Charlotte's hair isn't always easy for Mom, either. On a different 2019 visit to northwest England, Kate stopped to speak to a young girl in French braids. "I tried to do a plait on Charlotte this morning, and it didn't really work very well," the princess said (via Harper's Bazaar). Styling snafus aside, at least Kate can rest assured her royal hubby is ready to lend a helping hand moving centuries-old mirrors if such a situation arises.