Prince William and Kate Middleton's anniversary photograph—the subtle details you may have missed

Prince William and Kate Middleton have released a new set of photographs to the public in celebration of their ten-year wedding anniversary. 

• The two never-before-seen photographs show the couple looking happy and relaxed in a garden setting in the grounds of Kensington Palace. 

• Prince William and Kate Middleton's photos have been widely shared, but you may have missed some of the hidden details.

• In other royal news, see the heartfelt way Princess Diana was included in Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding day.

Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated their 10-year milestone on 29th April 2021. To mark the occasion, the royal couple released a selection of never-before-seen images with their fans. 

In both images, Kate and William are laughing and holding each other in a loose embrace. The first post was simply captioned, “10 years” with a selection of emojis depicting a bride and a groom. They both seem relaxed and at ease, but many people have missed some of the subtle, yet, sweet, details from these images. 

The time on William's watch 

Eagle-eyed fans spotted that William's Omega Seamaster Diver watch showed the time the picture was taken—11:39am. Prince William and Kate Middleton's little ones would have been at school or nursery at this time, leaving mum and dad to have some quiet time away from the kids and take part in the shoot alone. 

Prince Louis recently started at Willcocks Nursery School, while George and Charlotte are enrolled at the private primary school Thomas's Battersea in South West London. William and Kate also released an anniversary video to celebrate their big day, which shows the family enjoying what looks to be an idyllic existence in the Norfolk countryside before they returned to busy city life.

A sneak peek at Kensington Palace 

The photographs also give us a clue as to the family's movements, as the backdrop in the second photograph posted would suggest the royal couple have now returned from their country home in Anmer Hall, giving us a behind-the-scenes peek at the grounds of the magnificent Kensington Palace. 

It's no surprise that the couple has relocated from their country estate, as the kids will now be beginning their summer term at school. Chris Floyd, who shot the photography, confirmed that this was indeed the location for the photographs, writing alongside the image, "I recently visited Cambridge for the first time in my life. 

"That same day, by an astonishing coincidence, was also the day I was asked to photograph The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their tenth wedding anniversary. It was a thrill to spend some time with them at Kensington Palace, especially as The Duchess is a rather keen photographer. Happy anniversary!"

The significance of blue

Another touching detail is that the royal couple both wore shades of blue in their photoshoot. Kate wore a pale blue dress, while William wore shades of dark blue with a shirt and jumper combination. 

Matching outfits often come into play when it comes to couples' photography, but what you may have missed is the special significance that the color blue holds for the couple.

Duchess Catherine's engagement ring is a striking blue sapphire, surrounded by diamonds. This iconic piece was originally part of Princess Diana's jewelry collection, which gives the piece even more significance. Kate's engagement ring was actually left to Prince Harry originally, while Prince William inherited her Cartier watch. Harry famously gave up the engagement ring to his brother when he revealed he was thinking of proposing to Catherine.

Blue is also the color worn by both the Duchess of Cambridge and her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana for their respective engagement photographs. Catherine's iconic Issa wrap dress was the first time we truly saw the 'Kate-effect' in action, with the dress quickly selling out everywhere. At the time, it was considered that her choice of outfit was a nod towards William's mother, Princess Diana. 

The Duchess of Cambridge is no stranger to a significant sartorial choice. Kate was pictured at Prince Philip's funeral wearing a special piece of jewelry gifted to her by the Queen—a string of delicate pearls with a diamond clasp that was originally given to Her Majesty by the Japanese government.

Of course, the color blue is associated with weddings generally, with the phrase 'something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue' a familiar idiom. Perhaps this added another level of meaning to the couples' outfit choices to celebrate ten years of marriage.