More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
People across Kent came together to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.
Here Charlie Harman looks back on the royal moment and how it was marked across the county.
Will and Kate were seemingly all anyone could talk about in the lead-up to the wedding, which took place on April 29, 2011.
The capital was packed with well-wishers, and everyone questioned whether best man Prince Harry and maid of honour Pippa would be the next royal romance.
But away from the capital, Kent was celebrating the special public holiday with a range of street parties and gatherings.
People were celebrating everywhere on what proved to be a very sunny day, whether they were in hospital, in a pub or just in their gardens.
In fact, the county had the highest number of celebratory street parties, with at least 66 roads officially closed for the occasion.
While quiet roads and cul-de-sacs could get the closures for free, some roads were charged up to £1,000 for the bunting-filled events.
Dover really got into the swing of things, with the giant screen on Market Square broadcasting the event and a special Dover Priory to London bus service whisking away jubilant well-wishers.
However Canterbury residents didn't seem quite so eager to have such street parties, with the district's residents only submitting one application for a road closure.
Parties also happened off the county's streets, with places like Eastwell Manor in Ashford and Leeds Castle near Maidstone offering tickets to screenings of the ceremony.
Possibly Kent's largest celebration on the day was in Gravesend, where about 450 school pupils paraded through the town on the morning of the wedding.
One mother-and-daughter duo had to get into the royal wedding mood extra early, as they were tasked with making the bridesmaids' dresses.
Based in Goudhurst, Charlotte and Nicki Macfarlane had to operate secretly as they crafted the outfits worn by the likes of Prince Edward's daughter Lady Louise Windsor and the Earl of Snowdon's daughter, Margarita Armstrong-Jones.
Some people may have had an even better reason to celebrate the occasion, as Kent features very heavily in Princess Kate's extended family tree.
Also one of the eight trumpet players selected to perform at the wedding was Adam Smith from Rochester.
It's now 10 years on, and Will and Kate's popularity has been largely unaffected despite the recent fracas caused by the explosive departure from The Firm of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - who married in 2018.
Interestingly, Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding drew much fewer street party applications across Kent - less than a tenth - than that of Will and Kate.
Since 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge has gone on to hold more than 20 patronages of charitable and military organisations.
She also created the 'Heads Together' mental health awareness campaign, launched in April 2016 with her husband and brother-in-law.
In 2012 and 2013, she was also named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The fact that about two billion people watched the Will and Kate's wedding 10 years ago means a number of events are planned to celebrate their decade of happy marriage.
Beaverbrooks has a fantastic offer on Thursday, in that the first customer to prove they have the same name as one of the royals gets a £100 gift card.
The jewellery company, which has a store at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe, is asking potential winners to bring along valid ID as proof.
You can also mark the occasion without having to get off your sofa.
Will and Kate are set to celebrate the special anniversary with their family, and Covid means there shan't be any large gatherings as might have been expected.
However royal fans will get a chance to rewatch highlights of the day, as well as hear from attendees and staff.
The BBC is running a special documentary entitled 'Royal Wedding: A Day to Remember' on Friday.
The hour-long programme will begin on BBC One at 7.30pm.
