Prince William and Princess Kate’s Wedding Cake Baker Recalls Their ‘Secret’ Meetings

Prince William and Kate Middleton at their royal wedding in 2011
(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • British baker Fiona Cairns has opened up about her "secret" planning sessions with Princess Kate ahead of the 2011 royal wedding in a recent interview with Country Life.
  • Describing the event as "quite stressful" given the stakes, Cairns recalled getting a phone call from the future Queen on the day itself thanking her for "taking part in such a special [occasion].”
  • The Prince and Princess of Wales will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary on Wednesday 29 April 2026.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been front and centre this season. And with the future King and Queen celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary next week, that shows no signs of slowing down.

In fact, in the days leading up to the milestone anniversary, royal employees and wedding guests have been sharing behind the scenes anecdotes and details from the historic wedding.

Fiona Cairns with the royal wedding cake

(Image credit: JOHN STILLWELL/AFP via Getty Images)

It was the royal couple's eight-tiered wedding cake that got the world talking recently, with the iconic display, created by British baker Fiona Cairns, standing at over three feet tall and wide.

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This is something Cairns herself opened up about in a recent interview with Country Life, detailing its creation and "secret" planning sessions with Kate Middleton.

"I get goosebumps thinking about that phone call," Cairns recalled to the publication of her "career-defining" moment.

"The couple actually did reach out to us," she continued. "We went to Clarence House and had a meeting with the princess and we had a cup of tea. Three days later we received the phone call, and I will never, ever forget that.

"The Prince and Princess of Wales asked for a classic fruit cake, which is the cake used for all the royal weddings since Queen Victoria’s day," Cairns added, noting that her creation served 600 guests and weighed 70 kilos.

"The wedding did feel like a family wedding but on a huge global scale," Cairns reflected, noting that it was "quite stressful, particularly when the queen is coming to visit you".

"On the day of the wedding, all that mattered to myself, my husband, the team was, ‘what did the couple think of the cake?’," she continued, before revealing that she received a personal phone call from Princess Kate herself.

"My mobile rang [on the wedding day] and it was actually the princess," Cairns recalled. "She was just thanking us all for taking part in such a special day."

Well, that's lovely.

Jenny Proudfoot
Contributing Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.