Lip Reader Reveals Elizabeth's 3-Word Verdict After William and Kate's Wedding: 'It Was...'

Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011; (inset) Queen Elizabeth at the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 2, 2022 in London.
April 18 2025, Published 10:41 a.m. ET
The late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly had a sweet three-word response following Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton's lavish royal wedding. As the ceremonies wrapped, the Queen, seated beside her husband Prince Philip, at the grand celebration, seemed content.
Analyzing the footage from the day, lip reader Tina Lannin revealed the secret conversations at the wedding, which weren't picked up by the microphones. As reported by CBS News, she claimed that during the ceremony, the late Queen smiled and turned to her husband Philip and said, "It was excellent.” Although the Queen was content with the events of the day, one thing disappointed her. Standing outside Westminster Abbey, the Queen allegedly voiced to Philip that she wasn't very keen about the carriage the happy couple chose to ride away on. As per the Daily Mail, she reportedly said, "I wanted them to take the smaller carriage," to which Camilla replied, "It all went very well."
William and Middleton got married in the presence of 2,000 guests, with Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, officiating the ceremony, as reported by the Daily Express. Sources close to the royal family have shared that the Queen was 'practically skipping' on the couple’s wedding day, finding comfort in the certainty that William, as heir, now had a wife. The Queen likely saw many qualities in Middleton that reminded her of herself. As reported by People magazine, Elizabeth’s biographer, Sally Bedell, said, "Catherine has learned by observing. She knows what resonates. She will have absorbed a lot from this Queen." An insider also noted about Middleton, "Hearing from the Queen that you're doing a really good job, along with getting support from your husband, you grow in confidence."
Both Middleton and the late Queen chose strong partners in life. Middleton has expressed feeling secure with William, while the Queen described her late husband, Philip, as her 'strength and stay'. In her post-engagement interview, Middleton shared that her first meeting with the late Queen took place at Peter Phillips's wedding to Autumn Kelly in 2008. As reported by Harper's Bazaar, Middleton said, "Well, I first met her at Peter and Autumn's wedding and again it was in amongst a lot of other guests and she was very friendly."
William also spoke about this first meeting and said, "She was very welcoming, she knew it was a big day and everything was going on with Peter and Autumn, she had wanted to meet Kate for a while, so it was very nice for her to come over and say hello, we had a little chat and got on very well." Later, in July 2011, Middleton accompanied the Queen to Buckingham Palace for the unveiling of an exhibition featuring her iconic Alexander McQueen bridal gown. As the two admired the dress together, their warm and easy connection was obvious to the public.