03 May 2023 , 16:25
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Prince William and Kate celebrated their wedding anniversary over the weekend - 12 years after tying the knot in a lavish ceremony watched by millions.
Royal fans around the world tuned in to watch the future king finally marry his university girlfriend at Westminster Abbey.
The couple shared two kisses on Buckingham Palace's balcony, drawing loud cheers from onlookers.
Brits were also given an extra Bank Holiday as a mark of celebration for the unforgettable occasion, with thousands hosting street parties to enjoy the day together.
And it wasn't just royal well-wishers who were left overjoyed by the big day - apparently the late Queen was too.
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Prince William and Kate greeting well-wishers from Buckingham Palace (WireImage)The late monarch turned to Prince Philip after the ceremony and said: "It was excellent", a professional lipreader told CBS News.
Previously, royal biographer Andrew Morton revealed how Elizabeth II was "positively playful" on her grandson's wedding day.
He wrote: "The Queen was positively playful on the day of her grandson’s nuptials, ‘practically skipping’ according to one observer, absolutely thrilled at the way the public had reacted to the royal newlyweds.
"She had a sense that the future of the Royal Family, her family, was now secure. The monarchy was once again held in admiration and affection by the masses."
The late Queen and her husband riding in a carriage procession following William and Kate's wedding (Getty Images)And now, 12 years later, both Kate and William's royal responsibilities have increased markedly.
The couple made a two-day trip to Wales last week, where they met local mountain rescue volunteers and enjoyed an action-packed afternoon of abseiling down a quarry.
They then took part in a mock rescue with Kate venturing out with a team to save a pretend casualty who had slipped on rocks.
William and Kate later met the owners of the Little Dragon Pizza Van, where Kate shared some new information about her engagement ring after it was complimented by a royal well-wisher.
The Princess of Wales said: "It's the same ring and it was exactly the same size when I tried it on."
Prince William and Kate issued a new photo to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary (Matt Porteous)The next day, William and Kate travelled to Aberfan to pay their respects to the 116 children and 28 adults who tragically died in 1966.
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Locals gathered in the street to greet them and one survivor of the disaster, David Davies, a pupil at the school at the time, showed them around the garden.
They met trustees from the Aberfan Memorial Trust who are involved in ensuring the maintenance of the garden, alongside some of the Aberfan Wives group who lost relatives in the disaster.
They later bowed their heads to pay their respects to the victims and left a floral tribute, which simply read: "In loving memory."
The memorial garden, opened by the late Queen in 1974, stands on the site of the former school and commemorates the victims of the disaster.
William's late grandmother visited Aberfan eight days after the tragedy and shortly after a mass funeral had taken place.
Her decision not to visit sooner was said to have been one of the greatest regrets of her reign.