Months before their own wedding, Zara Tindall (nee Phillips) and her husband Mike attended the Prince and Princess of Wales' nuptials.
Part of the celebrations included a pre-wedding dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park on 28 April 2011, where guests dressed to the nines in black tie. Oozing glamour, Zara kept it classic in an elegant black floor-length gown featuring a figure-hugging silhouette and a one-shouldered neckline.
© Danny MartindaleA patent leather clutch, gold platform heels and sparkly drop earrings were the royal's chosen accessories, ensuring they didn't outshine her bold beauty look. While Zara's makeup was classic, with pink lips and dark eyes, she chose a more daring hairstyle that channelled her mother Princess Anne.
© Danny MartindaleZara fastened her blonde locks in a French twist with the added volume of a beehive at the crown of her head. The Princess Royal has remained a loyal fan of the beehive through the decades, with Claudia Harrison (who plays Princess Anne in The Crown) telling Marie Claire: "It's like armour."
Hosted by the Queen’s cousin Lady Elizabeth Shakerley, the pre-wedding event was also attended by British royals and Heads of State such as then-Prince Charles and Queen Letizia, who went on to witness Prince William and Princess Kate's wedding on 29 April.
The guests of honour were not present, however, as they were enjoying a private evening before walking down the aisle in front of the eyes of the world. Kate spent the night at the five-star Goring Hotel in the Royal Apartment, which boasted a four-poster bed, a grand piano and a walk-in shower following a £150,000 makeover. The bathroom also reportedly had a flat-screen TV where the Princess-to-be could watch the build-up to the royal wedding from the bath.
Meanwhile, William had a less relaxing start to his nuptials, according to his brother Prince Harry. The Duke of Sussex claimed in his book Spare that William struggled to sleep the night before his big day, so turned to rum to calm his nerves.
© Getty"I was stunned when I went to pick him up in the morning and saw his haggard face and red eyes; It seemed that he had not slept at all," Harry wrote.
The couple tied the knot at Westminster Abbey before the newlyweds and 650 guests headed to a lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
© GettyThe guest list was then reduced to 300 close friends and family for the evening reception at the Palace, which saw everyone change into evening attire, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Lady Kitty Spencer, William van Cutsem and Chelsy Davy.
Three months later, members of the royal family gathered for another important occasion - Zara and Mike's nuptials. The couple travelled to Canongate Kirk in Scotland for their wedding in July 2011, with the location thought to be chosen because Zara had fond memories of spending time at Balmoral with her late grandmother.
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