Kate Middleton has left behind her commoner roots and her name to become Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince William was given a dukedom – the highest rank in British peerage – on his wedding day by his grandmother the Queen, and will be known from now on as the Duke of Cambridge.

He also became the Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus and Kate will become the Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus – though the titles are expected to be used only rarely, mainly in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

[sources: zimbio and daily mail]

On her father’s arm, Kate walked up the aisle as a commoner to the sounds of the coronation anthem, Parry’s ‘I Was Glad’.

When they arrived at the altar Prince William apparently cracked a joke to his father-in-law, according to a lip-reader, saying: ‘We’re supposed to have just a small family affair.’

Moments earlier, William’s best man Prince Harry apparently told his brother: ‘Right she is here now.’

As her groom waited, Kate moved along the red carpet, around the south side of the poppy-lined Grave of the Unknown Warrior – the only gravestone in the abbey over which it is not permitted to walk.

[sources: zimbio and daily mail]

The veil – made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers – fell to her waist, framing her naturally beautiful face.

The dress was made with Individual flowers hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design – incorporating the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

The matching wedding shoes were also hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen and are made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered.

Congratulation to the beautiful couple!

More to come 🙂