Kate Middleton and Prince William celebrate the second anniversary of their wedding today (Monday). And hasn't time flown? Here, we look back on an amazing 24 months, as transformative for the British royal family as they have been for the young woman at the center of it all: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Twenty-four months ago, Prince William, bestowed with the new title Duke of Cambridge, and his bride, Kate, journeyed by carriage procession to Buckingham Palace following their marriage at Westminster Abbey. The wedding of the second-in-line to the British throne was attended by 1,900 guests, including foreign royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of media representatives and well-wishers from around the world flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding.
The day after their wedding, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as they had been newly named by the Queen, walked hand in hand from Buckingham Palace to a waiting helicopter as they left for a private honeymoon in the Seychelles.
One of Kate and William's first big engagements as a couple was receiving President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace, on May 24, 2011. But the 24-hour demands that follow a U.S. president everywhere shadowed the London pomp, as Obama took time out of his visit to say he was "heartbroken" at the toll of vicious tornados that ripped across the U.S. Midwest, killing 116 people.
It wasn't until midsummer 2011 that Kate and William revisited the Buckingham Palace balcony, scene of their post-nuptial kiss, to observe a fly-past following the Trooping of the Color parade on June 11 (the Queen's official birthday—her actual birthday is on Apri 21l). More than 600 guardsmen and cavalry make up the parade, an annual exercise in royal and military paegantry.
Kate accompanies William as he inspects the 1st Battalion Irish Guards Regiment at Victoria Barracks in Windsor on June 25, 2011, before a medal parade.
Kate has always been sporty, so it was no surprise to see her on Centre Court to watch Britain's Andy Murray and France's Richard Gasquet at the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in south-west London, on June 27.
Kate's first official overseas trip as future Queen was a nine-day tour of Canada. Here, she and Prince William watch performers in the evening Canada Day show on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1, 2011
Kate shovels earth during a Tree Planting Ceremony as William looks on at Rideau Hall on July 2 in Ottawa, Canada. The tree that the Duke and Duchess planted stands next to the one planted by the Prince and the Princess of Wales in 1983.
Daenerys Targaryan, eat your heart out. Kate rows a dragon boat across Dalvay lake on July 4 in Charlottetown, Canada.
Kate's the hockey player in the marriage, so it was a surprise to see William with a hockey stick in his hand in Yellowknife as Kate looked on during a visit to the Somba K'e Civic Plaza on July 5.
Phil Noble, Pool / Getty Images
Kate and William don cowboy hats to watch a rodeo demonstration at the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta on July 7.
Kate and William share a laugh before they are shown how to save the life of a medical test mannequin at the University of Calgary's Ward of the 21st Century in Calgary, Alberta, July 7.
Kate's skirt billows in the wind as the glamorous royal couple arrive at Los Angeles International Airport on July 8.
Kate mingled with crowd members at the Service Nation: Mission Serve "Hiring Our Heroes Los Angeles" job fair event at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif., on July 10, after a nonstop weekend that included a few chukkas of polo and several events that raised millions for charity.
Kate and William chat with Jennifer Lopez at the "BAFTA Brits to Watch" event at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, California on July 9.
Kate checks the progress of Prince William as they paint pictures during a visit to Inner City Arts on July 10 in Los Angeles.
Kate with Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Prince William after attending the wedding of his cousin Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, and England rugby player Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, on July 30.
Kate and Wiliam arrive with Prince Charles and Camilla at a fund-raising concert hosted by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow at the Royal Albert Hall in London on December 6.
Kate looks on as William dances with teenager Vanessa Boateng during a reception at housing charity Centrepoint's Camberwell Foyer on December 21 in London.
Kate and William caught in a natural pose at the same event on December 21.
Kate shelters under an umbrella held by William as he arrives at the British premiere of the film African Cats in London on April 25. Their attendance at the premiere of African Cats was their first public engagement since William arrived back from his controversial deployment in the Falklands.
Kate, wisely, is nowhere to be seen as William holds a baby at a reception for the Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race at Goldsmiths Hall on April 26, 2012 in London. the picture led to a raft of speculation that Kate was pregnant.
Queen Elizabeth II, left, the Duchess of Cornwall (who Charles hopes will one day be Queen) and the Duchess of Cambridge, who will be Queen, looking at their hampers after being presented with gifts in Fortnum and Mason store in central London, Thursday, March 1, 2012. Kate has been welcomed into the royal family by her grandmother in a way that Diana never was.
More pregnancy speculation arose in September 2012, when Kate toasted the President of Singapore's wife Mary Tan at dinner on day 1 of their Diamond Jubilee tour of Singapore. The speculation wasn't too far wide of the mark: the two are thought to have coneived the baby on this trip.
the overseas tour was rudely interrupted, however, when French magazine Closer published long-lense photographs of Kate sunbathing topless in France. Here, French lawyer Aurelien Hamelle leaves court in Nanterre, France, after obtaining an injunction to prevent further dissemination of the images. A photographer and a magazine executive have since ben charged as part of a criminal investigation under France's strict privacy laws.
Back on tour, the royal couple tried to keep a brave face on mattters. Here, they travel in a special boat vehicle as they arrive at Honiara International Airport in Tuvalu.
In December, Kate was rushed to hospital with acute morning sickness. Tragically, nurse Jacintha Saldanha committed suicide after she was duped by a hoax call from Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and seeking information about the pregnant Duchess.
In January, Kate professed herself delighted by a newly-commissioned portrait by artist Paul Emsley. The rest of the world wasn't so sure.
Sang Tan/AP
Kate has showed a remarkable ability to connect with kids. here, she speaks to children during a visit to the Havelock Academy in Grimsby, northern England, on Tuesday March 5, 2013. As she has grown in confidence, Kate has taken on more and more engagements on her own.
For months, you could hardly tell kate was pregnant. Finally, on Thursday last week, she wore her first maternity dress, by Emilia wickstead, as she arrived at an evening reception to celebrate the work of The Art Room charity at The National Portrait Gallery.
Is this the cutest pic of the couple you've seen in a long time?
The last week has been a particularly busy one for Kate. On Friday, William and Kate, together with Prince Harry, paid a visit to the new Warner Bros. Studios in England. William got up on the Batpod while Kate looked on, giggling dutifully.
Ah, young love!
Chris Jackson/Getty
