5 Strict Rules Kate Middleton Had to Follow Before She Could Marry Prince William

Before Kate Middleton became a Princess, she was just another commoner getting through life. She was dating Prince William, finishing her studies, and slowly finding herself at the center of royal attention. But becoming his wife was never going to be as simple as walking down the aisle. There were expectations around her relationship, her place within the family, and even her future role.

Kate and William’s engagement came with one very formal box to tick, and that was the reigning monarch's approval. Since William was second in line to the throne, he needed his grandmother’s consent before the marriage could go ahead. Queen Elizabeth gave that approval ahead of their April 2011 wedding, making it an official part of the process. For Kate, it was one of those slightly surreal realities of marrying into the royal family, where even saying “yes” to William came with paperwork.

Kate had already been baptized in the Church of England as a baby, but she was not confirmed until just weeks before her wedding to William. On March 10, 2011, she had a private confirmation service at St James’s Palace, conducted by the Bishop of London and attended by her family and William. Clarence House said she chose to be confirmed as part of her marriage preparations. Although it was not a formal requirement, it was a natural step before marrying the future Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Kate had to wait until she was married to William before officially joining the royal family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. The royal family traditionally kept Christmas Day fairly exclusive, with unmarried partners usually spending the holidays with their own families. However, the Princess of Wales actually made history of sorts when she was invited in 2006 but chose to stay with her family instead (via The Standard). Her first Christmas at Sandringham as part of the royal family came after her 2011 wedding.

One of the stranger claims about Kate’s preparations for marriage came from royal author Tom Quinn. In Gilded Youth, he wrote (via Marie Claire), “These are always carried out to ensure a future queen is able to have children. If Kate had not been fertile, there is little doubt the marriage would have been off.” Quinn also claimed Princess Diana went through similar tests before marrying Charles. However, there has never been any official confirmation from the palace regarding this alleged tradition.

Once Kate became engaged to William, round-the-clock protection was simply part of the deal. She had spent years moving around London without a permanent security detail, but that changed as her relationship with the future king became official. Protection officers were assigned to her and accompanied her as she went about her daily life, whether she was working, travelling, or meeting friends. There was really no opting out of it; marrying into William’s world meant giving up that level of privacy.