Prince William's mistake on wedding day to Kate Middleton that could have cost King Charles his Aston Martin sports car
William and Kate have been married since 2011
King Charles had every reason to feel cautious when he lent Prince William his beloved Aston Martin on his wedding day.
On April 29, 2011, the future king married Kate Middleton in a globally watched ceremony. Prince William borrowed his father’s vintage 1969 Aston Martin Volante to drive his new bride away from Buckingham Palace.
But in all the excitement, William made a small but critical mistake most drivers would dread to think about.
Prince William’s mistake on wedding day
The royal slip-up was revealed by The Sun’s longtime royal photographer Arthur Edwards during an interview on BBC’s Desert Island Discs in 2011.
Recalling the moment, Arthur said: “I was talking to Prince Charles about that. I said, ‘Did you mind him borrowing your car?’ Because he loves that car. It was a birthday present from his mother on his 21st birthday.”
Charles reassured him that he had no issue with William taking the wheel.
“‘Oh, no. He asked me if he could use it,'” Charles reportedly said.
However, when Edwards mentioned that the car seemed to struggle slightly as the couple set off, Charles revealed the truth.
“‘Yes. Because he didn’t take the handbrake off.'”
Fortunately, no harm came to the vehicle. But it was a moment that could have ended very differently for the King’s treasured possession.
Read more: 8 times Kate Middleton defiantly shut down divorce rumours with Prince William
William’s special gesture to secure iconic wedding photos
Arthur Edwards also shared another insight into William’s character from that memorable day.
Originally, Arthur had been assigned to cover the wedding from outside Westminster Abbey. However, this position would not allow him to capture the all-important balcony kiss at Buckingham Palace, which is a historic and iconic tradition for royal weddings.
“I wanted a position outside the palace with a view of the balcony,” Arthur explained. “Because great things have happened there.”
Recognising the importance of the moment – and knowing that he and Kate would want those precious photos for themselves – Prince William personally intervened to ensure Edwards secured a prime spot at the palace.
“That was a pleasure to do that,” Arthur added with a smile.
Kate Middleton ‘in tears’ on wedding day
In another recent revelation from William and Kate’s 2011 wedding, Kate Middleton was reportedly left “in tears” after the secret of her wedding dress designer leaked to the press.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl revealed on Vanity Fair’s podcast Dynasty that intense media interest led The Sunday Times to break the news that Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, had designed Kate’s dress – something Kate had hoped to keep a surprise until the big day.
“Apparently, it had Kate in tears behind the scenes,” Katie said. “Which perhaps hints at some of the stress she went through in the run-up to the royal wedding.”
Despite the leak, Kate looked stunning when she stepped out of the car in her ivory, lace-appliqué gown.
The dress was complete with a nine-foot train and a Cartier halo tiara.
Kate had worked closely with Burton on the design, which featured floral emblems representing England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, stitched into the skirt by the Royal School of Needlework.
Read more: Kate Middleton broke tradition on her wedding day to Prince William with iconic look
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