The baker behind Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding cake has recalled having to remove an entrance door at Buckingham Palace to get the creation safely inside.
Appearing on ITV’s new documentary, The Day Will and Kate Got Married, Fiona Cairns reveals how the Queen remarked on the ‘dismantling’ of her house ahead of the couple’s big day.
The programme airs tonight at 9pm to mark 10 years since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding day on 29 April 2011, and sees the baker recall the struggles she had with the duo’s eight-tiered, 3ft-tall fruit cake design.
‘I can remember [the Queen] saying, “I hear that you’ve been dismantling my house”, and I said to her “Well, we had to take a door down from the room below for the trolley to go through with the cake,” said Fiona.
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The baker (pictured) behind Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding cake has recalled having to remove an entrance door at Buckingham Palace to get the creation safely inside
Appearing on ITV’s new documentary, The Day Will and Kate Got Married, Fiona Cairns reveals how the Queen remarked on the ‘dismantling’ of her house ahead of the couple’s big day. Pictured, the couple’s cake
Fondly known as the Queen of Cakes, Fiona was responsible for baking the most famous cake in recent history – for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011 at Westminster Abbey.
The spectacular eight-tiered, 3ft-tall creation weighed nearly 16st and took Fiona and her team six weeks to make.
Recalling the moment the cake was brought in from her bakery to Buckingham Palace, Fiona said: ‘I was told that Her Majesty would be coming through the door at the top of the picture gallery to chat at midday.
‘So no pressure, of course, never having built this cake,’ admitted the designer, who has also baked creations for bands Pink Floyd and Simply Red in the past.
The programme airs tonight at 9pm to mark 10 years since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding day on 29 April 2011 (pictured), and sees the baker recall the struggles she had with the duo’s eight-tiered, 3ft-tall fruit cake design
!['I can remember [the Queen] saying, "I hear that you've been dismantling my house", and I said to her "Well, we had to take a door down from the room below for the trolley to go through with the cake," said Fiona. Pictured, the wedding cake](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/04/07/10/41441948-9444395-image-a-11_1617789340770.jpg)
‘I can remember [the Queen] saying, “I hear that you’ve been dismantling my house”, and I said to her “Well, we had to take a door down from the room below for the trolley to go through with the cake,” said Fiona. Pictured, the wedding cake
Fondly known as the Queen of Cakes, Fiona was responsible for baking the most famous cake (pictured) in recent history – for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011 at Westminster Abbey
The spectacular eight-tiered, 3ft-tall creation (pictured) weighed nearly 16st and took Fiona and her team six weeks to make
Fiona continued: ‘When the Queen came to see us, the cake wasn’t completely finished.
‘I can remember her saying, “I hear that you’ve been dismantling my house”, and I said to her “Well, we had to take a door down from the room below for the trolley to go through with the cake.” But it was all put back so in the end it was fine.’
The cake’s design featured delicate scrollwork, leaves, sprigs and sprays based on the language of flowers (which explains the symbolic meaning behind different blooms), and even mirrored the intricate lacework of Kate’s wedding dress.
Some 4,000 slices of William and Kate’s cake – which consisted of 17 fruitcakes with 900 hand-crafted sugar paste flowers – were sent out as gifts, while the couple also served the creation at each of their children’s christenings.
A garland design around the middle of the cake matched the architectural garlands that feature in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, the room where the cake was displayed during the wedding.
Recalling the moment the cake was brought in from her bakery to Buckingham Palace, Fiona (pictured centre, with her team) said: ‘I was told that Her Majesty would be coming through the door at the top of the picture gallery to chat at midday’
‘So no pressure, of course, never having built this cake,’ admitted the designer (pictured right), who has also baked creations for bands Pink Floyd and Simply Red in the past.
The cake’s design (pictured) featured delicate scrollwork, leaves, sprigs and sprays based on the language of flowers (which explains the symbolic meaning behind different blooms), and even mirrored the intricate lacework of Kate’s wedding dress
It comes as the Middleton family’s pub landlord has revealed how he had to apologise to the Queen after making a faux pas on Kate and William’s wedding day.
John Haley, landlord of the Old Boot Inn pub in Stanford Dingley, has been a close friend of the family for years, and was invited to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tie the knot at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
Appearing on Lorraine today, he recalled looking the ‘wrong way’ while Kate and William were leaving the church and turning around to find Her Majesty ‘staring at him two or three feet away’ .
He also explained how he bagged a seat on the front row of the Abbey – reserved for high-ranking officials – after befriending a dignitary from Clarence House before the ceremony.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge invited the Middleton family’s pub landlord to watch them tie the knot at Westminster Abbey in 2011
Appearing on Lorraine today, the landlord of the Old Boot Inn pub in Stanford Dingley revealed how he had to apolagise to the Queen after making a faux pas on the day
John explained: ‘When Kate and William were coming down the aisle, when they’d finished and they had got married, they were walking towards the the door and I was watching them right down the aisle and I was the only one watching them.
‘I realised everyone was looking right and as I looked right, there was the Queen – two or three feet from me, staring at me because I was looking the wrong way.
‘So I said “Sorry ma’am!”. It was quite funny.’
He went on to share the story of how he upgraded his seat from the third row to the first, admitting it was ‘absolutely marvellous’ to be moved.
He recalled looking the ‘wrong way’ while Kate and William were leaving the church and how he turned around to find Her Majesty staring at him ‘two or three feet away’
‘I couldn’t believe it, I was so happy’, said John, ‘I got to the Abbey very early and I met a chap from Clarence House. We got to the Abbey and I was on the third row and this gentleman was on the front row and there was a spare seat, it was for all the dignitaries.
‘But he said “John come sit here”, and I was on the front row of the Abbey and it was absolutely marvellous.’
The Duke and Duchess regularly enjoy visits to the Old Boot Inn, near the Duchess’ hometown, and will usually bring their children – George, seven, Charlotte, five and Louis, two – with them to play in the garden.
Kate’s parents Carole and Michael and her sister Pippa, are also reported to be regulars at the pub – with Carole, 64, said to pop in twice a week for a glass of Pinot Noir.
The Old Boot Inn (pictured), in Bucklebury welcomes the Cambridges and their children with open arms
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will pop to the local pub in Bucklebury, near where Kate grew up. Pictured during 2019’s Trooping the Colour with Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louis, two
Speaking this morning, John said: ‘I’ve known the Middleton’s for some 25 years, I’ve seen Kate grow up from a young girl.
‘I’ve known Carol and Mike, they used to come in and have a drink, have a meal. I’ve known them many years and what a great family, fabulous family and a fabulous story’.
John will appear in ITV documentary The Day Will and Kate Got Married, which will explore the day Kate, 39, married William, 38, tied the knot, through the memories of family, friends and insiders, ten years on.
The Day Will and Kate Got Married is on tonight at 9pm on ITV.