Following the wedding, the couple intend to continue residing on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, where Prince William is based as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.
Engagement announcement
On 16 November 2010, Clarence House announced that Prince William, elder son of the Prince of Wales, was to marry his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton "in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London".They were engaged in October 2010 while on a private holiday in Kenya; William gave Middleton the same engagement ring that his father had given to William's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales—an 18-carat white gold ring with a 12-carat oval sapphire and 14 round diamonds. It was announced at approximately the same time that, after their marriage, the couple will live on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where Prince William is based with the Royal Air Force.
Following the announcement the couple gave an exclusive interview to ITV News political editor Tom Bradby and hosted a photocall at St. James's Palace.On 12 December 2010, Buckingham Palace issued the official engagement photographs; these were taken on 25 November, in the state apartments at St. James's Palace, by photographer Mario Testino.
The original engagement announcement stated simply that the wedding will be "in the spring or summer of 2011". On 23 November 2010 the date of Friday 29 April 2011 was confirmed. It was later announced that the day will be declared a public holiday throughout the United Kingdom,formal confirmation being made by the Queen in Council on 15 December 2010.The wedding date has also been declared an official public holiday in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, the Falkland Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos.
As 29 April falls six days before elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Alternative Vote referendum, this has attracted political comment.John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, stated for the Scottish elections that the date was "unfortunate" and was "likely to see the Royal Family getting caught up in political debate".
Wedding Couple
Catherine "Kate" Middleton is the eldest of three children born to Michael and Carole Middleton. She was educated at St Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Marlborough College, and the University of St Andrews.After graduating, she worked in retail and then as an accessories buyer/catalogue photographer at her parents' business.She is primarily of English descent, but with a few distant Scottish and French Huguenot ancestors.Her paternal family came from Leeds, West Yorkshire,while her mother's maternal family, the Harrisons, were working-class labourers and miners from County Durham.
The couple met while undergraduates at the University of St Andrews, where they both lived at St Salvator's Hall during their first year, after which they shared accommodation in the town for two years.They are fifteenth cousins—having Sir Thomas Fairfax and his wife, Agnes, as common ancestors—and are possibly twelfth cousins once removed, circumstantial evidence suggesting that they are both descended from Sir Thomas Leighton and Elizabeth Knollys.
Planning
- Note: All times are in British Summer Time (UTC+01)
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| Westminster Abbey is the place of coronations and many royal weddings. |
It was also announced that the costs of the wedding itself will be met by the Royal Family and the Middletons themselves, while the costs of security and transport will be covered by the British treasury. The couple have also asked that donations be made to charities in place of traditional wedding gifts; to that end, they established The Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton Charitable Gift Fund, which focuses on assisting charities such as the New Zealand Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the Zoological Society of London.
Timings
The route of the couple
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| Route of the bride and groom to and from the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey |
Wedding service
St James's Palace announced on 5 January that the ceremony was to start at 11:00 local time and that the bride would arrive at the abbey by car rather than by carriage (the latter is the traditional transport for royal brides.) The route was along The Mall, through Horse Guards Parade, and down Whitehall to the abbey. After the ceremony, the bridal couple returned along the same route by carriage to a reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales is to host a private dinner in the evening.In a break with royal tradition, the groom had a best man—his brother, Prince Harry—rather than a supporter, while the bride chose her sister, Pippa, as maid of honour. There were four bridesmaids—Lady Louise Windsor, the seven-year old daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex; The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the eight-year old daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley; Grace van Cutsem, the three-year old daughter of the couple's friend Hugh van Cutsem; and Eliza Lopes, the three-year old granddaughter of The Duchess of Cornwall. Two page boys participated: William Lowther-Pinkerton, the ten-year old son of William's private secretary Major Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, and Tom Pettifer, the eight-year old son of Princes William and Harry's former nanny, "Tiggy" Pettifer.
The Dean of Westminster officiated for most of the service, with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, conducting the marriage ceremony itself and Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, giving the sermon. It has long been traditional for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England's most senior bishop, to officiate at the weddings of England's monarchs and future monarchs, but as Chartres is a close friend of the Prince of Wales, he was invited to take part in the ceremony.
Wedding Bridal dress
The bridal train measured 270 cm (110 in), and along with the lace, all other fabrics used in the creation of the dress were sourced from and supplied by British companies. The lace motifs were pinned, "framed up" and applied with stab stitching every 2–3 mm around each one. Workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.Burton said creating the royal wedding dress had been the "experience of a lifetime".
Bridal tiara and veil
The veil is held in place by a Cartier Halo Tiara, made in 1936 and lent to Miss Middleton by the Queen. It was purchased by the Queen's father, the Duke of York (subsequently King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother) three weeks before succeeding his brother Edward VIII (Duke of Windsor) as King. Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) received the tiara from her mother on her 18th birthday.Designed by Shane Connolly, the bride's shield-shaped wired bouquet contained myrtle, Lily of the Valley, Sweet William and hyacinth.
Liturgy and bridal vow
Kate did not promise to "obey" her new husband in her vows but instead to "love, comfort, honour and keep" him. The bridal couple are using the the Series One (1966) Book of Common Prayer ceremony.The Lesson from the New Testament, Romans Chapter 12, verses 1–2 and 9–18, was read by the bride's brother, James Middleton.
Music
Two choirs, one orchestra and a fanfare team performed the music at the wedding service of Prince William and Middleton at Westminster Abbey. These were the Westminster Abbey Choir, Chapel Royal Choir and London Chamber Orchestra, and a fanfare team of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.
The choirs were directed by James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. The Abbey’s Sub Organist, Robert Quinney, will play the organ. The Organist, Choir Master and Composer at Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal is Andrew Gant. The London Chamber Orchestra was conducted by Christopher Warren-Green, who is its Music Director and Principal conductor.
The fanfares were performed under the direction of Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs,whose own composition, Valiant and Brave, was performed as the royal couple signed the wedding register. "Valiant and Brave" is the motto of 22 Squadron, in which Prince William is serving as a search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley in North Wales.
Hymns
William and Kate chose three of their favourite hymns: "Jerusalem", and two others with a strong association with Wales. The first was the rousing "Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer". It is also known as the Welsh rugby anthem "Bread of Heaven," and the Duke of Cambridge is the vice-royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union. It was sung at the funeral of Princess Diana, and is associated with Welsh Male Voice Choirs and Eisteddfodau, having been originally written in Welsh by 18th-century Methodist preacher William Williams.The words to their second hymn, "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" were written by 18th-century Methodist evangelical preacher Charles Wesley, whose output of more than 6,000 hymns includes the Christmas carol "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Its tune – "Blaenwern" – was composed by a Welshman, William Penfro Rowlands, during the Welsh Christian revival of 1904–1905. This hymn was sung at the Prince of Wales's 2005 marriage to the Duchess of Cornwall.
The third hymn, also considered as an anthem, is "Jerusalem". With text by visionary 19th-century poet William Blake and music written in 1916 by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, it is "a favourite at Last Night of the Proms, the Women's Institute and weddings."
Reception
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| Buckingham Palace. The balcony at the centre of the facade is where bridal couples traditionally appear to the public after the wedding. |
Private dinner
In the evening, The Prince of Wales will give a private dinner, followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace for the couple and their close friends and family.Guest list
The first list, consisting of about 1,900 people, is of attendees to the ceremony in the abbey. The second list of approximately 600 people is of those invited to the luncheon reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen. The final list, containing about 300 names, is for the evening dinner hosted by the Prince of Wales.
On 19 April Sean Cardinal Brady, Primate of All Ireland said he will attend. The invitation to the event and its acceptance, have been described as “unprecedented” by a spokesman for Ireland’s Catholic bishops. The spokesman attributed the invitation to Cardinal Brady’s contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process.
Wedding cake
Broadcasting
The wedding was widely broadcast on television, internet and radio. It has been estimated that the coverage will be watched by two billion people worldwide.ITV BBCand CNN will cover the ceremony and associated events live through the combined pool of footage from the BBC, Sky and ITN to help cover the overall cost. In the United States, which is five to eight hours behind British Summer Time, the wedding will occur during the time usually taken up by network breakfast television programmes, which will expand their normal length to allow for full coverage. NBC's Today will begin coverage at 4 am Eastern Time and will partner with ITV.ABC will partner with BBC, CBS has its own live London affiliates,and Fox will partner with Sky News. The CBC will carry BBC coverage,while CTV will have live coverage.Cable networks and radio will also have live coverage.The ABC will also take the BBC feed in Australia, in addition with Pay TV UKTV. Coverage will also be found on the Seven Network, Nine Network and Network Ten. There were plans by the ABC to produce alternative commentary with The Chaser, but the BBC has since barred the use of such footage on orders from Clarence House.The royal wedding was also streamed live online on YouTube via The Royal Channel. In Serbia the wedding was broadcast on Radio Television of Serbia and B92 Info, while in China CCTV News and Phoenix Info News did so.Tributes outside the United Kingdom
In the United States, the Empire State Building in New York City will be lit in red, white, and blue, the colours of the Union Flag, which are also the colours of the United States, at sunset to mark the wedding.This will mark the second time in less than 12 months the Empire State Building will honour a member of the Royal Family; the previous July, it honoured the Queen and Prince Philip during their visit to New York City. In Buffalo, New York, the Peace Bridge between the United States and Canada will be lit in the colours of the royal crest (red, blue and gold)Wedding ring
Title upon marriage
On the morning of the wedding, William was created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.This is in line with the recent practice of granting titles upon marriage to royal princes who did not already have one. This includes Prince Andrew, who was created Duke of York when he married in 1986. In a break with precedent Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex; at the same time it was announced that he will be given the title Duke of Edinburgh when that title, currently held by his father, reverts to the Crown.A December 2010 article in The Daily Telegraph suggested that William did not wish to receive a dukedom, preferring to remain simply "Prince William" while also wanting Middleton to become "Princess Catherine". It was suggested that this caused a dilemma for the Queen because princesses traditionally receive such titles through birth instead of marriage. Prior to the announcement, other possible dukedoms it was thought William might receive included Sussex, Windsor, Clarence, Kendal, Avondale, and Strathearn;Official merchandise and currency
To mark the engagement of William and Catherine, the Royal Mint produced an official £5 coin, showing the couple in profile,while the Royal Australian Mint issued a series of circulation and collectable coins designed by Stuart Devlin.The Royal Canadian Mint will release a series of coins and Canada Post will be issuing a stamp, approved by Clarence House, in commemoration of the wedding.
Reactions
There were over 850 applications to hold royal wedding street parties in London, and about 5,500 across England and Wales. The anti-monarchy campaign group Republic plans to hold an alternative street party. The event was initially blocked by Camden Council.
Various threats
The royal wedding has been subject to threats of violence and disruption. In February, security agencies, including MI5, identified "dissident Irish republican groups" as possible threats. The group Muslims Against Crusades announced plans for a "forceful demonstration" at the wedding, calling the Royal Family "enemies to Allah and his messenger".They have since announced the abandonment of their planned protest.Protests
60 people arrested at the TUC rally on the March for the Alternative have bail conditions that prevent them entering central London over the wedding period.On 28 April 2011, Chris Knight and two others were arrested "on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance and breach of the peace". The three were planning a mock execution of Prince Andrew in central London on the following day, to coincide with the wedding.
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