William and Kate celebrate 13 years of marriage with black and white portrait | British Royal Family

On April 29, 2011, the world (almost) stopped to watch the union of Prince William and commoner Kate Middleton. This Monday, the Princes of Wales did not let their 13th anniversary go unnoticed and shared a never-before-seen photograph of their wedding day. The Internet was quick to criticize: why did they share a black and white photo?

“I almost passed out,” writes one user on Instagram. And another concludes: “When a person has a health problem, black and white photographs are not published.” There are even those who criticize the couple’s public relations team for creating “unnecessary alarm signals”.

On the opposite side, other followers criticize the alarmism generated by the comments and argue that the black and white image does not hide a second meaning. “Is it against the law or something for a couple to publish a black and white photo of their wedding? I’ve seen this many times”, argues one user.

The criticism alludes to the state of health of Kate Middleton, who has been away from royal duties since the beginning of this year. The Princess of Wales is undergoing preventative chemotherapy following her diagnosis of cancer and will only return to work when “she is well enough”, Kensington Palace has said.

Since announcing her illness, Kate has not appeared in public again. The photograph released on this occasion was captured on the wedding day by the photographer responsible for the behind-the-scenes images, Millie Pilkington. In the black and white portrait, the couple appears smiling with the princess in the foreground holding the bouquet with branches of myrtle — symbolizing innocence. “13 years ago,” says the caption.

The photographer also shared the image with a congratulatory message for Kate and William. “I can’t believe it was 13 years ago that I took this portrait. I’m very excited and honored that they want to share it”, celebrates Millie Pilkington, who has photographed the Princes of Wales and their children on several occasions. Recently, she was also the author of the portrait of Charles III and Camilla that Buckingham Palace used to announce the king’s return to work. The monarch is also being treated for cancer.

Aside from the mystery surrounding Kate Middleton’s health earlier this year, the future kings’ marriage has been scandal-free. The two met in 2003 at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, but only became engaged in November 2010, when William gave Kate the sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds that had belonged to Princess Diana. The delay in the request was such that Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was known by the British press as “Waity Katie”.

The big yes took place on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey, in London, and with half the world watching the wedding of the “perfect prince” on television. The bride was the protagonist with one of the most iconic dresses of this millennium, a creation by Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen’s successor.

The marriage was sealed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, in front of an emotional crowd — an estimated one million people were in London to watch the royal wedding procession. Thirteen years later, Kate and William are parents to three children: George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 6.