Princess Charlotte will be grateful Kate Middleton made this unique change to her wedding vows - and she was only the second royal ever to ditch tradition

Kate Middleton was only the second royal in history to make a unique change to her wedding vows when she married Prince William - and the simple alteration set a brilliant example for the couple's daughter Princess Charlotte.

Even 13 years after the ceremony, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding still sticks in the minds of royal fans and experts alike. 

The happy couple tied the knot back in 2011 at the historic Westminster Abbey in London, with a whopping 26 million people tuning in to watch the next in line to the throne in the royal line of succession wed his future Queen of England.

Over the years, as we've learnt more surprising facts about Kate, we've also come to learn more about the details of their wedding ceremony. Sure, we all watched it, but there were some elements that slipped through the cracks as we focused on Kate's stunning dress and the romantic way she and William gazed at each other throughout the ceremony. 

Of course, we've had insight from Prince Harry who wrote about the marriage in his memoir Spare, in one particularly poignant sentence saying that he thought his brother was ‘gone forever’ after his marriage, but another, sweeter detail has now come to light. 

During her vows, Kate changed the wording of the traditional religious proceedings, opting to drop the word 'obey' in favour of something that would allow her to be her husband's 'equal.'

Selecting a different prayer book and ditching the royal protocol previously followed by royals including the late Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and the Princess Royal among others, Kate promised to "love, comfort, honour and keep," her husband as she spoke her vows. 

Kate wasn't the first royal to do this. Her mother-in-law Princess Diana did the same before her at her wedding to King Charles back in 1981 and Meghan Markle followed suit when she married Prince Harry in 2018. 

Just as Diana inadvertently did during her nuptials for daughters-in-law Kate and Meghan, Kate's decision to drop 'obey' from her vows sets a brilliant example for her daughter Princess Charlotte, making sure she sees herself as an equal in her marriage from the get-go. 

At the time of the wedding, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said of Kate's vows and the importance of the wording, "I've been very struck by the way in which William and Catherine have approached this great event. They've thought through what they want for themselves, but also what they want to say. 

"They have a very simple, very direct picture of what really matters about this event. The couple are believed to have ditched tradition and the word 'obey' because after knowing each other for a decade - first at university - they treat each other very much as equals."

In other royal news, when did Prince William and Kate Middleton meet? Here's their full relationship timeline. Plus, Kate Middleton is enjoying ‘precious’ family time with her kids as she recovers from ‘preventative’ cancer treatment. And, Prince George, Charlotte and Prince Louis will skip iconic royal event this year - but the reason why is completely understandable.