Prince William turned to Queen for wedding advice

Prince William turned to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, for advice as he began making preparations for his lavish wedding earlier this year (11).

The royal married Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in London in April (11) and the ceremony was watched by millions across the globe.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, has now revealed his most famous relative was a massive help when he was planning the nuptials.

In an interview for new book, The Queen, William tells author Robert Hardman, "I was given this official list of 777 names (to invite to the ceremony)... dignitaries, governors, all sorts of people. And not one person I knew...

"I rang her (the Queen) up the next day and said: 'Do we need to be doing this?' And she said: 'No. Start with your friends first and then go from there.' And she told me to (throw out) the list. She made the point that there are certain times when you have to strike the right balance. And it's advice like that, which is really key, when you know that she's seen and done it before."

However, the monarch was less flexible when it came to her grandson's wedding outfit, insisting he wear his military uniform for his big day: "I was given a categorical: 'No, you'll wear this!'... So you don't always get what you want, put it that way... But I knew perfectly well that it was for the best. That 'no' is a very good no. So you just do as you're told!"

He adds, "I say to people, 'She's my grandmother to me first and then she's the Queen. Words that come from her, I take very personally and I really appreciate... My relationship with my grandmother has gone from strength to strength...

"As a shy, younger man it could be harder to talk about weighty matters. As I've got older, she's become an even more important part of my life, so it's much easier. And obviously, with the wedding, she was a massive help... She won't necessarily force advice on you... She'll let you work it out for yourself. She's always there for a question or two, for whatever it is you might need."