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Kate Middleton and Prince William had an imaginative decorative touch at their wedding in 2011
A tree-lined avenue lined part of the aisle at Westminster Abbey and reflected their love of the countryside
The trees are now growing tall in Wales
WhenPrince WilliamandKate Middletonwalked down the aisle at Westminster Abbeyfor their weddingin 2011, the royal couple caught the world's imagination.
As they started a new royal era, Kate's gown made Sarah Burton, then of Alexander McQueen, a star and introduced her bridesmaid sister Pippa Middleton into the public consciousness.
But the couple had also added some imaginative touches to the wedding day, including a woodland theme that saw part of the aisle lined with trees.
Six field maples and two hornbeamsproudly stood along their routein and out of their marriage service. The greenery, towering 20 feet above the congregation, brought scents of the forest into the Abbey, and it was said at the time to reflect the couple's love of the countryside.
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The man behind the floral and wooded designs, Shane Connolly, was recommended by William's father,King Charles.
In keeping with a sustainable ethos, the trees were replanted on royal estates. After initially being taken to Charles' country home of Highgrove, the BBC says, six of the trees from the ceremony are now standing tall in a Welsh farmhouse called Llwynywermod, near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire.
Charles had the home at the time of the wedding, but it isnow owned by William, as head of the Duchy of Cornwall, who has decided to rent it out.
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On Jan. 13, Connolly wasback in a royal residence when he was handed his MBE honorat Windsor Castle by Princess Anne. It reflected a long career as a key provider of sustainable flowers for use by the family. (He also designed the floral tributes for the futureKing CharlesandQueen Camilla's wedding blessing at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2005 and curated the florals for theirMay 2023 coronation, a job he called the "commission of a lifetime.")
The use of trees at William and Kate's wedding ceremony is something that has been partially re-created by Kate every Christmas when she imports fir treesfrom the royal estatesfor use in decorating Westminster Abbey at her annual carol service. They are thendistributed to charities(including ahomeless center visited by Williamand the couple's sonPrince George, 12) for use during the festive period.
Describing his wedding day ethos, Connolly told theBBCat the time, "The aim is that the Abbey looks unpretentious and simple and natural and that it reflects the fact that Catherine is a country girl at heart and that the couple are the best of British."
"The trees are field maples, which is a very English native tree and the field maples symbolize reserve and humility. The hornbeams represent a resilience in the language of flowers, so we hope that the couple's life is full of resilience and full of strong love."
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Not only did the trees on their wedding day mirror William and Kate's love for the countryside and, perhaps, Kate's own upbringing in rural Berkshire (acornswere included in her sectionon the couple's coat of arms), but they also heralded a long-term message of the Princess.
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Being in nature and especially under and around trees and woodland has been an ongoing theme of Princess Kate's messaging about wellbeing and, importantly, healing and recovery since her cancer diagnosis in 2024.
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