Ahead of Kate Middleton and Prince William's royal wedding on April 29, 2011 (opens in new tab), there was much speculation as to who would design Kate's dress. However, the identity of Kate's designer, Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton, was leaked to the press, and The Sunday Times published a scoop on March 6. According to sources, Kate was devastated that the secret was leaked.

According to the Mirror (opens in new tab), royal expert Katie Nicole spoke about the leak in the documentary Secrets of the Royal Dressmakers. Nicole said, "Behind the scenes, I think there were tears at the palace because Kate was doing everything she could to keep the wedding dress secret."

At the time, The Sunday Times reported (opens in new tab) that Burton "was chosen for her quirky elegance, discretion and modesty by Middleton, who is working hard to establish her own style." A source told the paper that the dress will be "a combination of Middleton's own design ideas and Burton's deep knowledge and understanding of high fashion."

Indeed, as the Guardian reports, Burton showed his discretion after Alexander McQueen denied the brand's involvement to the press (opens in new tab). Meanwhile, Clarence House admitted that Kate wanted to keep the details under wraps: in a statement, a representative of the royal family said, "We will not comment on the specific designer of the dress as Catherine Middleton wishes to keep the designer a secret until the wedding day."