Why Watching William And Kate's Royal Wedding 10 Years Later Actually Makes Us Sad

It's been a decade since the world watched Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange their vows to one another, and in celebration of the pair's milestone anniversary, people from all over the world are sending their love to the royal couple on their joyous day. Queen Elizabeth even shared a collection of then-and-now photos of William and Kate on the royal family's official Instagram account on April 29, 2021, politely captioning the tribute, "Wishing The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a very happy wedding anniversary. Today marks ten years since Their Royal Highnesses exchanged vows at Westminster Abbey."

William and Kate – who had a rocky start to their relationship — also took to Instagram to share photos and a rare family video to celebrate the momentous occasion, thanking friends, fans, and family members for wishing them a happy anniversary. "Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary," the caption read. "We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W & C."

A lot can (and will) happen in a decade, and unless you've been living under a rock for the past ten years, you'll know that the royals have been entangled in a lot of drama recently. From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's exit from the royal family in 2020 (via BBC) to their jaw-dropping bombshell tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey — in which Markle admitted to having suicidal thoughts while performing her royal duties — tension in the royal family has been at all-time high, and things just aren't quite what they used to be.

As a result of the years of royal drama, Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship is strained, to say the least (via Us Weekly). Watching Prince Harry stand next to his brother as his best man on one of the most important days of his life (via YouTube) is heart-wrenching, and watching them laugh and smile together in front of hundreds of family members, friends, and other esteemed public figures from all over the world is a punch straight to the gut.

Despite their strained relationship, though, Entertainment Weekly reported that Harry and Meghan privately wished the couple a happy anniversary — which may be a sign that the brothers are interested in mending their broken relationship.

Not only was Prince Harry in good spirits attending his brother's wedding in 2011, but the siblings' grandfather, Prince Philip, was also there to witness one of his eight grandchildren tie the knot. Prince Philip died less than a month before he could wish William and Kate Middleton a happy tenth anniversary, though (via BBC), which further added to the sadness surrounding what should be a celebratory occasion.

Not all fans of the royal couple felt sad or indifferent about Prince William and Kate Middleton's ten-year anniversary, though, as many social media users congratulated the couple on reaching the ten-year mark. "Happy 10th wedding Anniversary to William & Kate, and thank you for sharing a lovely family video, such a lovely happy natural family who are devoted to each other, so lovely to watch xx," one fan wrote, while another added, "These lovely photos of William & Kate must fill the Queen with happiness knowing that the Crown will be safe in their hands when their time comes. Congratulations to them on their 10th wedding anniversary!"