Once Kate Middleton and Prince William made their marriage official at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, they had the privilege of attending two different wedding receptions that the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III hosted. At the second party, 300 close family and friends gathered to celebrate the newlyweds at the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace—and according to royal biographer Robert Jobson’s new book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, the duo had a few surprises up their sleeve. One, in particular, made quite the impression on guests.
In his biography on the Princess of Wales’ life, Jobson says after Ellie Goulding serenaded the newlyweds with several of her hit tracks, Kate and William put on their own performance. “They stood holding hands in the middle of the dance floor, grinning,” he writes. “Then, suddenly, the opening bars of the song, ‘You’re the One That I Want,’ from the musical Grease came booming out. William and Catherine then began dancing around, pointing at each other, and mouthing the words with the style of the lead characters Danny and Sandy. It brought the house down.”
While the couple’s surprise production was definitely a standout moment, there were many other aspects of the soirée that coined it “the most magical party imaginable,” as one guest put it, per Jobson’s book. To kick off the entertainment of the evening, Goulding belted out a cover of Elton John’s “Your Song” for Kate and William’s first dance—an experience that the artist described as “scary.” Then, she sang “Starry Eyed” and her rendition of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, one of the couple of honor’s favorite songs, according to Jobson. “William and Kate were in the middle, giving it their all,” a source told People at the time. “They really went for it. They were in the full party spirit and stayed until the last minute.”
After the newlyweds channeled their inner Sandy and Danny, guests headed out to the lawn behind the palace for another surprise: fireworks. According to People, as the crew assembled outside, Kate and William sat on the roof of a Fiat, which was decorated with balloons, as a servant drove them away (although they didn’t leave the premises). Then, the show began, which an insider explained was grand yet quick—it reportedly lasted only two minutes. At 3 a.m., the party died down, which left “the newlyweds as the only guests at the palace,” Jobson says.
Not only has Jobson given readers a deeper look at Kate and William’s wedding, but he’s also revealed other unknown tidbits about their relationship. Before the couple got engaged, shortly after they graduated from college at St. Andrews, William allegedly broke up with Kate because he wasn’t ready to get engaged. After the Prince of Wales cancelled his New Year’s plans with his girlfriend, he proceeded to call her to end things, explaining that they needed “a bit of space” to “find our own way,” according to Jobson. “In an emotionally charged 30-minute conversation, they both acknowledged they were on ‘different pages,’” Jobson says in his book. “It was a devastating blow to Catherine, who felt double let down at being dumped over the phone.” Eventually, William realized he had made a mistake, so after reuniting with Kate at a costume party, they moved in together and got engaged.