Kate Middleton Cried When a Major Royal Wedding Secret Was Leaked to the Press

The palace couldn't stop the secret getting out.

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Prince William & Kate Middleton Royal Wedding
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  • Kate Middleton was "in tears" when the secret of her wedding dress designer, Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton, was leaked to the press ahead of the big day.
  • "Kate had done everything she could to keep the wedding dress a secret," royal expert Katie Nicholl said.
  • Kate reportedly chose Burton for her "her quirky elegance, discretion and low profile."

Ahead of Kate Middleton and Prince William's royal wedding on April 29, 2011, speculation ran rampant about who would design Kate's dress, and until the month before the wedding, the palace managed to keep the secret. But the identity of Kate's designer—Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen—was leaked to the press, with the Sunday Times publishing the scoop on March 6. Kate, insiders say, was devastated when the secret got out.

According to the Mirror, royal expert Katie Nicholl spoke about the leak in documentary Secrets of the Royal Dressmakers. "Behind the scenes I think that caused tears at the Palace because Kate had done everything she could to keep the wedding dress a secret," Nicholl shared.

At the time, the Sunday Times reported that Burton "was selected by Middleton, who is making increasing efforts to develop her own style, on grounds of her quirky elegance, discretion and low profile." An insider told the newspaper that the dress would "be a combination of Middleton's own design ideas and Burton's deep knowledge and understanding of high fashion."

Indeed, Burton demonstrated that discretion after the news got out, with Alexander McQueen denying the brand's involvement to the press, as the Guardian reports. Clarence House, meanwhile, confirmed Kate's desire to keep the details under wraps: In a statement, a representative for the royals said, "We're not commenting on the specific designer for the dress because Catherine Middleton wishes to keep the designer a secret until the wedding day."

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Emily Dixon
Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.