World wowed by fairytale wedding
The royal bride and groom tied the knot in a ceremony both intimate and touching that ushered in a new era for the British monarchy.
About one million people turned out to celebrate the wedding and those who flocked to witness their Buckingham Palace balcony appearance were treated to not one, but two kisses from the couple.
In an unexpected move that delighted the crowds, William and Kate left the palace for Clarence House in the Prince of Wales’s blue Aston Martin with the groom at the wheel.
The sports car was decorated with red, white and blue ribbons, with balloons tied to the back and a rear number plate which read “JU5T WED,” thanks to best man Prince Harry and other family and friends.
The former Ms Middleton had started the day a commoner but by its end had become her royal highness the Duchess of Cambridge — as William was made a duke by the queen.
The service was flawless but there was a tiny moment of drama as the prince struggled to place the ring on Kate’s finger.
After the couple said their vows, in which the modern-thinking bride did not promise to obey William, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, declared: “I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
Kate wore a stunning ivory gown with lace applique floral detail designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.
A congregation of 1,900 and up to two billion people saw their vows as they were beamed live around world.
The service took place in the presence of the queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton and other guests in the abbey.
Celebrity invitees included David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John, Madonna’s ex-husband Guy Ritchie, Rowan Atkinson and Joss Stone.
The wedding day became a magical public spectacle when the bride and groom left Westminster Abbey and climbed into the 1902 State Landau for a procession through central London.
Crowds who had been gathering since early morning cheered and waved at the couple as they passed by in the Captain’s Escort with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
Sunlight fell across the Mall as the radiant bride and her handsome prince laughed and smiled.
On the balcony William and Kate’s initial fleeting embrace sent the already ecstatic well-wishers wild. A second kiss brought ever-louder cheers.
During their lunchtime wedding reception the couple cut the wedding cake and at its end said goodbye to the queen and her husband, who did not attend the evening reception at the palace. The intimate affair is for 300 of William and Kate’s closest friends and family.
