Grateful Kate and the handwritten Wimbledon thank you letter... with a spelling mistake

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Flashback: Kate Middleton in the Wimbledon crowd three years ago. There are rumours she will be back this year


As one would expect from the future Duchess of Cambridge, she had impeccable manners.

But unfortunately for the then Kate Middleton, a handwritten letter to the All England Club has revealed that spelling is not her strongest point.

Despite her public school and university education, her note thanking club officials for a visit in July 2008 contains two mistakes.

In the letter, just unveiled in Wimbledon’s museum, she writes quite instead of quiet and confuses ’till with ’til.

Kate, whose brother James suffers from dyslexia, is a former pupil at Marlborough College, whose current boarding fees are £29,000 a year, and went on to study at St Andrews University.

This is a rare example of her handwriting before she joined the Royal Family and had flunkeys to check, or even write, letters for her.


Oops: One of Kate Middleton's errors


In a two-page letter displayed in a glass cabinet, she wrote in looping script: ‘Dear Sir. Thank you for your kind hospitality at Wimbledon last week. My friend and I had such a fantastic time and it was great to be able to enjoy the day knowing that we could have a little peace and quite if things got a little too hectic.

‘It was a wonderfully relaxed day and we even spent part of it on the “Henman/Murray Hill”, which was great fun. I really was not expecting to be looked after with such hospitality and I certainly wasn’t expecting to see any of the Centre Court games.

‘I do hope the end of the tournament runs smoothly and this fantastic weather lasts ’till the end of the week.


Rumours: Kate Middleton may attend this year's tournament before going to Canada and the U.S. with Prince William


‘Thank you again for making it such a fun and easy visit.’

The note, whose address is covered by a strategically placed Union Jack flag, is signed off: ‘Best wishes, Catherine Middleton.’

It is believed the duchess was consulted and gave her permission for it to be revealed to the public – perhaps unaware of her errors.

Speculation is rife at SW19 that she will visit with her sister Pippa before leaving for her first official royal tour of Canada and the U.S. with Prince William.


source :dailymail

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Kate and William to take entourage of just SEVEN on tour to Canada and the U.S.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

On duty: The Duke and Duchess will take just seven members of the royal household with them when they visit Canada and the US at the end of the month


The Duke and Duchess' entourage will include Kate's hairdresser, James Pryce, but no 'dresser'

William will give a number of speeches and addresses but his wife will not be speaking publicly

The couple will be in Canada from June 30 to July 8 and will then spend two days in Los Angeles


Sunshine state: The Royal couple's Canadian tour will be followed by a three day trip to California this July


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have an entourage of just seven people for their tour of Canada and the US, St James's Palace said today.

Seven may seem like quite a lot of support for two people. But the entourage includes two press secretaries and a couple of private secretaries to ensure that royal protocol is followed.

Catherine - who is fast becoming a fashion icon - has broken with tradition by asking not asked to be accompanied by a dresser.

But she will be taking her hairdresser, James Pryce, to help style her look for the many engagements on her itinerary.


Breaking with tradition: Catherine will not be taking a dresser with her, but she will be accompanied by her hairdresser James Pryce


William and Catherine will fly out to North America with the small group of Royal Household staff to help them during the 11-day trip, which begins at the end of the month.

Royal officials said they have tried to keep the entourage as small as possible while still providing enough support for the Duchess, who will be making her first official overseas trip as a member of the monarchy.


Outlining the reason for the US trip, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, their private secretary said: 'The visit will support the interests of the United Kingdom through the prism of the royal couple's interests.

'The Unites States' West Coast is a tremendously important market for British business.

'The Duke and Duchess will support UK technology investment as well as the creative industries through Bafta.




source :dailymail

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Wills paid £200 for Kate to be his 'slave': Former housemate reveals couple's university chemistry

By LOUISE ECCLES


Lady-in-waiting: Kate Middleton as a first-year student at St Salvator's Hall at St Andrews - Prince William reportedly paid £200 her to be his 'slave' in a charity auction


She first captivated her prince when she strutted down the catwalk in a sheer dress.
Or so the story goes.

In reality, Kate Middleton had won Prince William’s affections months earlier when he paid £200 for her during a ‘slave’ auction at a Harry Potter-themed party.


Student digs: Kate, in a pink top, eats lasagne from a paper plate on her lap


The fascinating new insight into the early days of the royal romance comes from a former housemate of the couple, who is releasing a song about her memories of the pair as students.

Laura Warshauer lived with the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in St Salvator’s Hall during their first year at St Andrews University, and watched them fall in love.

Her song – titled To Will and Kate, Meet Me at Exit 109 – paints a picture of a fun-loving couple who joined in with a huge foam fight in the quad, drank wine out of plastic cups from Woolworth’s and sat on the floor to eat lasagne with fellow students.


Young couple: Prince William and Kate Middleton in snaps from their time at St Andrews


Miss Warshauer said: ‘One of my favourite memories was in November of [first] year and we were invited to a Harry Potter party at this castle.

‘We all got on a big bus to go there and I remember Kate and William dancing together all night.

‘There was a charity auction where you could bid for the person for the day and Will paid £200 for Kate. She was dressed in school uniform and was stood on these stone steps with us all below.

‘No one else was winning Kate that night. They already had that connection.’



Kate and Laura Warshaeur as students - Laura lived with the future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Andrews University


Prince William and Laura Warshauer pose for a photograph during their St Andrews days


In line to the throne: Kate with friends at her halls of residence

source: dailymail

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Prince William whisks Kate away on a £4,000-a-night tropical honeymoon 'in the Seychelles'

By REBECCA ENGLISH

And they're orf: Kate and William at Buckingham Palace before flying by helicopter for their 'mini-moon'


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have left for a two-week honeymoon in a secret hideaway in the Indian Ocean.

The newlyweds will stay in an exclusive villa that costs £4,000-a-night and is said to be located on one of the most beautiful and romantic islands in the world.

The Duke and Duchess are believed to have flown out by private jet yesterday before being taken by helicopter from the mainland to the tropical retreat.



Back to work - but not for long. William was spotted returning to the Air and Sea Rescue headquarters at RAF Vally in Anglesey after the wedding


William's car was apparently seen leaving Anglesey, north Wales, yesterday accompanied by a police Range Rover piled high with luggage.

A spokesman for St James's Palace said he would not confirm their honeymoon destination, although according to reports, the couple may have headed for the Seychelles.

The spokesman added William has taken two weeks leave from operational duties.

'The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during their honeymoon.'


Stocking up: Kate was seen shopping for provisions at Waitrose shortly after the celebrations


If the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen the Seychelles for their honeymoon they could well be heading for an idyllic location they visited four years ago - the island of Desroches


A source said: ‘It’s one of the most incredible places you will ever visit and Kate will have the time of her life. It’s everything you could want from a honeymoon destination and more – beautiful beaches, tropical seas and complete privacy.

‘The Prince’s protection officers flew out to check it out and their villa has been booked and confirmed.


The couple were seen taking off from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding


Like everyone else he works with, Prince William had to apply to take time off before the wedding


The island of Desroches is a paradise just four miles long, about 150 miles south west of the Seychelles' main island, Mahe


source: dailymail

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William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate and the Middleton clan in never-before-seen pictures

By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTER

Athletic in Ibiza: Pippa Middleton performs a flawless backflip in to the warm waters of the Mediterranean as an admiring Kate looks on from the stern of the motor yacht


They were carefree days before the world became entranced by their every movement.

This is Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa as they've never been seen before, enjoying an exuberant holiday in Ibiza with their family and Prince William.

Taken in 2006, these previously unseen pictures capture a fleeting moment in the lives of the couple when they could behave like ordinary twentysomethings, unencumbered by the responsibilities they now carry as the new stars of the Royal Family.



Playful: Pippa climbs back aboard as William jokingly grabs Kate; right, the sisters relax on deck, with Kate using her camera


Sunshine days: William, in red shorts, with Pippa (left), Carole, in green bikini, and other holiday guests


They show the Prince larking around with Kate and Pippa, the girls' mother Carole and their brother James on a boat belonging to Carole's brother Gary Goldsmith during a week-long sunshine holiday to Ibiza.

Pippa shows off her athletic prowess -- and her enviably toned physique -- performing a backwards dive into the sea.

Kate, who also looks stunning in her white bikini, is content to stand back and watch.


Heir in the air: Watched by Carole, Kate, James (in the patterned shorts) and Pippa, William attempts a backflip from the boat...


... but the young royal finishes with an ungainly belly-flop into the water


Making waves: The Prince failed to match Pippa's graceful aquatic display


Carole, who won admiration at the wedding for her elegant appearance, also reveals a youthfully trim figure in an emerald green bikini.

Meanwhile, in his red swimming shorts, William could be any young man eager to impress his girlfriend by performing a backflip -- which somehow turns into a belly-flop by the time he hits the water.


Her Royal Hotness: Pippa in her bridesmaid's dress at her sister's wedding


The pictures reveal the extent to which the Middletons invited William into the heart of their family.

During their week in Ibiza, they stayed at Gary's £5million villa, dubbed 'La Maison de Bang Bang'.


source: dailymail

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How Kate and William' Royal Wedding compares with Charles and Diana's big day

By Lauren Paxman


Leaving the church: Princess Diana and the Princess of Wales looked away from each other as they left St Paul's, the new Duke and Duchess couldn't take their eyes off each other


As Kate Middleton walked up the seemingly endless aisle at Westminster Abbey in her stunning white dress and 2.7 metre train, millions will have remembered another young bride making a very similar journey 30 years ago.

Princess Diana's wedding to Prince Charles also gripped the nation, and many will have recognised similarities in everything from the red carpets the brides walked down to the way the couples waved to their supporters from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

But there were also some notable differences.


Tell-tale signs perhaps showed that there was trouble ahead for Diana and Charles, while Kate and William clearly proved they are meant for each other.

As Charles and Diana left St Paul's Cathedral, they both looked away from each other and towards their crowds of supporters.

In contrast, the newly wed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could not keep their eyes off each other as they stepped out of Westminster Abbey.

The similarities definitely outweighed the differences though and it was touching to see that William and Kate had looked to his parents' wedding for inspiration.

Similarities: Diana and her father Earl Spencer (left), and Kate and her father Michael Middleton looked remarkably similar as they walked towards the altar

Paternal pride: Both fathers looked proud and composed as they led their daughters up the aisle


The bridesmaids at both weddings were dressed in white, wearing crowns of flowers in their hair.

Both fathers looked proud and composed as they led their daughters up the aisle and both couples smiled as they took their first strolls as man and wife back towards the doors of their respective churches.

Diana and Kate's dresses were very, very different - Diana's Eighties number looks very dated - but both featured nipped in waists that showed off the brides' svelte figures, and both women wore impressive tiaras.

Newly-weds: Diana kept her veil on at the alter, but Kate took her veil off almost as soon as she joined her husband

Man and wife: Diana's longer train meant that there was more distance between the couple and their bridesmaids than at William and Kate's wedding - but otherwise, the similarities were startling


Kate looked much more at ease as she led her husband's hand while they walked out of the Abbey. Diana, on the other hand, had her arm limply linked through Charles'.

The photographs of the balcony scenes at Buckingham Palace look as similar as those from the wedding ceremonies.

But when you compare the scenes, telling differences emerge.

Crowd pleaser: Diana leans in for a kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

And again: Last Friday, the initiative came from Prince William, with him suggesting both the first and second balcony kisses


Diana clearly leaned in towards Charles when she kissed him in front of crowds of fans.

But last Friday, the initiative came from Prince William, with him suggesting both the first and second kisses - and his wife happily obliging.

As the couple stepped back into the palace they gave a wave to the crowds that was almost identical to the one William's parents gave 30 years before them. Only the newlyweds were standing much closer together the second time around.

Royal wave: Kate and William stood much closer together than Charles and Diana as they gave one last wave to the crowds below them


Perhaps the starkest example of the differences between the two couples, though is in their official engagement photos.

Both the brides to be wore blue - to match the same ring they wore on their wedding ring finger. But Charles and Diana looked much more uneasy than William and Kate who were both grinning for the cameras.

Engagement photo: Both the brides to be wore blue - and the same ring - but Charles and Diana looked much more uneasy than William and Kate


Some similarities between the two wedding were just a result of both couples following age-old traditions. Both wedding cakes, for example, were white, tiered and very elaborate.

But Prince William said as soon as he got engaged that he would find ways to make it feel like his mother was by his side at his wedding - and taking inspiration from the ceremony she chose was a very touching tribute.

Majestic cakes: Both couples had beautiful white tiered wedding cakes that were elaborately decorated


source:dailymail

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Waitrose-y Katie goes down the aisle again - at the supermarket: Proves she has the common touch as she pushes her own trolley

By Fay Schlesinger


Down the aisle again: Kate stops to chat with a supermarket worker as she shops at Waitrose in Anglesey


She is the newest and most glamorous member of the royal family, and one of the best-known women in the world.

But a dressed-down Duchess of Cambridge was happy to do the weekly shop mingling with other shoppers like any other housewife.

In a loose-fitting green poncho and white V-neck sweatshirt worn with skinny jeans and ballet pumps, Kate Middleton pushed a trolley among dozens of shoppers in Waitrose on the island of Anglesey, in North Wales.


A week after her wedding to Prince William, onlookers said she had a spring in her step as she filled several carrier bags and loaded them into the boot of her Audi A3.

She smiled at locals as well as the newspaper photographer as she ‘skipped’ across the car park to return her empty trolley before driving back to the remote farmhouse that she shares with her new husband.

For anyone who has remained oblivious to months of build-up to their wedding, the only clues to Kate’s royal status were three police bodyguards, a back-up car and the jewellery on her wedding finger.

Tucked behind her sapphire engagement ring was the plain Welsh gold band that marked her transformation from a commoner into Her Royal Highness on Friday - and will eventually guarantee her a seat on the throne.

Doing the weekly shop, Duchess? Kate joins the rest of the supermarket shoppers by grabbing a trolley


Around the wrist of her other hand, she appeared to be wearing an elastic hair band, though this afternoon she let her blow-dried locks hang loose.

Kate, 29, is likely to have been preparing a special dinner for her new husband, who returned yesterday morning from a busy 24-hour shift as a search and rescue pilot.

One onlooker said: ‘It looked like she was stocking up on the basics, but she also bought a few special items, so perhaps she was preparing their first romantic meal as a married couple.

‘She loaded all the shopping into her car on her own, then skipped as she ran the trolley back to the park. She looked very happy and was smiling at people.

‘Most people didn’t even spot who it was, despite her being probably the most famous person in the world at the moment.’

No ordinary RAF wife: Appearing to skip while pushing her trolley, down-to-earth Kate looks as though she just might take off on the wheeled device


It is the first time Kate has been out and about in public since she and William departed for a weekend break on Saturday, the day after marrying at Westminster Abbey in front of an estimated television audience of two billion.

It was only after the couple flew off in the Queen’s helicopter that St James’s Palace revealed their surprise decision to forgo an immediate honeymoon.

They spent the bank holiday weekend at a secret location in the UK and are expected to take an extended break at a later date.

William’s first day back at work – and away from his new wife – was a busy one.

Happy shopper: The new Duchess of Cambridge looks relaxed at the supermarket with her protection officer


The 28-year-old, who has chosen to keep the working name Flight Lieutenant William Wales despite his new Duke of Cambridge title, arrived at his RAF Valley base wearing spectacles on Wednesday morning and was soon involved in two emergencies.

In the first, his Sea King chopper was sent to rescue a 70-year-old man who suffered a heart attack while on Lliwedd, a mountain in Snowdonia National Park, and was airlifted to hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Soon after, the prince and his three fellow crew members collected four policemen who were stuck on Snowdon because one of them suffered vertigo as they made their way down from the peak.

What a difference a week makes: Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, on her wedding day last Friday to Prince William


The men, thought to be off-duty West Midlands Police officers in their 20s, were transported from the Crib-y-Ddysgyl ridge to the base of Wales’s highest mountain, a spokesman for Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team said.

An RAF Valley source confirmed that William co-piloted the chopper during the rescues. He added: ‘Sometimes you can sit there for three days and nothing happens.

Other days, people get into trouble. We tend to be busier on a weekend when people think they are Bear Grylls.’

The prince is close to his 27 colleagues from C Flight 22, and invited them to the wedding with their wives and girlfriends. Kate has already started befriending them and is planning to join them for evenings out in the sleepy North Wales countryside.

Cool customer: Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, mingled with shoppers at a branch of Waitrose in Anglesey


With no domestic workers at home, Kate is also likely to spend her time taking care of the housework and preparing meals for her husband, who has previously admitted to being a novice in the kitchen.

As this paper revealed last year, she will not take on full-time solo royal duties for some time, as William ‘shows her the ropes’ and eases her into the new role. He will be stationed on Anglesey until at least 2013.

The couple have modelled their first years as newlyweds on the Queen and Prince Philip, who spent two years on the Mediterranean island of Malta where Philip was a member of the Royal Navy from 1949 to 1951.


source:dailymail

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The Disappearing Duchess: I’m going to be a housewife for now, says Kate

By Rebecca English


Just wed: Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, wants to savour being an ordinary RAF wife to her new husband Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge


The new Duchess of Cambridge will not become a full-time working royal for up to two years – because she wants to concentrate on being a housewife.

Despite a surge of public interest in the Royal Family following Friday’s wedding, Kate is refusing to conduct any public engagements without her husband for the foreseeable future.

There are only two or three joint events pencilled in over the next couple of months and aides admit the new bride intends to spend most of her time with her husband on Anglesey.


Well-placed sources have told the Mail that Kate wants to model herself on the Duchess of Cornwall, who insisted on only a ‘supporting role’ following her 2005 marriage to Prince Charles.

The new duchess has told friends she wants to enjoy life for as long as she can as an ‘ordinary RAF wife’ in the rented farmhouse the couple share in North Wales.

Her approach has the support of her husband who is keen not to throw Kate into the ‘bear-pit’ of public life and has cautioned aides to keep her commitments to a minimum.

The only definite dates in her diary following her return from honeymoon are watching Prince William play in a couple of polo matches and key-note events next month including Trooping The Colour and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday.

There are no plans for her to attend Royal Ascot with the Queen or join the rest of the royals at this summer’s palace garden parties.

Commitments: Aides insist Kate 'will not be idle' and say that when William is on duty she will be 'pursuing other interests'


Aides insist she ‘will not be idle’ and say that when William, who works as a search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley on Anglesey, is on duty she will be ‘pursuing other interests’. They also stressed that she has a two-week inaugural tour of Canada coming up at the beginning of July.

But her approach is likely to disappoint those who were hoping to use the couple’s post-wedding popularity to boost the Royal Family’s profile. It also provides ammunition for critics who have already accused her of being ‘work-shy’.

Other than working for her family’s party supplies business, Kate has had only one part-time job since she graduated from university in 2005, as an accessories buyer for the High Street firm Jigsaw.

Last year the Queen conducted 444 engagements while Prince Charles carried out 585 and Camilla 243. Prince William undertook 73.

Approval: Kate is said to have the support of the Queen who, as a newly-wed, lived in Malta for two years when Prince Philip was based there with the Navy


The source said: ‘The couple will do things as a pair after their marriage and for the foreseeable future. Catherine will not be conducting any solo engagements. The number of engagements she does with William will remain pretty level.

‘Prince William has a full-time job he has to work round and that is his priority. He is committed to it for at least another two years so nothing much will change in the immediate future, apart from the fact that he and Catherine will take part in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.

‘He is already committed to a number of charitable patronages and Catherine will, initially at least, support him in that as his wife.

‘She will, in time, become associated with her own charities but this won’t happen immediately as she wants to explore the fields that interest her first.’

Kate is said to have the support of the Queen who, as a newly-wed, lived in Malta for two years when Prince Philip was based there with the Navy. The monarch considers it one of her happiest periods.

‘Catherine wants to enjoy her time with William as an RAF wife,’ said a friend. ‘It’s so rare that someone in her position gets the chance to live as a normal wife and she intends to make the most of it.’



source:dailymail

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Even the clergy were turning cartwheels on a magical occasion

By Robert Hardman


Double kiss: The newly-married couple share their first public kiss on the balcony as thousands of screaming well-wishers watch


-Kate said 'I am glad the weather held off, we had a great day'
-'I am so proud you're my wife' says William as he helps Kate into carriage
-One million well-wishers line the streets to catch a glimpse of the couple
-William tells Kate 'You look - er, you are beautiful' as she arrives at the altar
-Dress was by McQueen - but where will they go on honeymoon?

Two tiny, softly-spoken words cut the pin-drop silence of a dumbstruck Westminster Abbey and sent cheers ringing from Whitehall to Bucklebury to Papua New Guinea: ‘I will.’

And with that, Catherine Middleton went from ‘Miss’ to future Queen Consort of 16 nations spanning nearly seven billion acres and a large part of the Earth’s surface.

At her side was the young man with, perhaps, a greater burden of expectation than anyone alive. And now, he no longer carries it alone.

Prince William emerges from Buckingham Palace in his father's dark blue Aston Martin as the crowd roars. The number plate on the rear said 'Just Wed'

Unexpected: William motors around Buckingham Palace with his new wife in his father's 41-year-old Aston Martin which Charles was given as a gift for his 21st birthday party

Happy couple: The Aston Martin Volante is decorated with balloons and a 'Just Wed' registration plate, as William and Catherine emerge in the soft-top vehicle

Double kiss: The newly-married couple share their first public kiss on the balcony as thousands of screaming well-wishers watch

Police officers stand in front of royal supporters on The Mall in London, along the Processional Route by the Palace moments before William and Kate emerged to share a kiss

Newly wed: Prince William and his new wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, wave as they travel in the 1902 State Landau carriage along the Processional Route to Buckingham Palace

'You look beautiful': Prince William speaks to his bride Kate as she holds her father's hand at the altar

Newly-wed: Prince William Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge leave Westminster Abbey with her sister Pippa supporting her dress


With his own no-nonsense ‘I will’, Prince William opened a new royal epoch, happily reuniting the Monarchy with those powerful memories of his late mother, all of it in front of half the planet.

Prior to this moment, the most-watched event in British history – perhaps in world history – had been her funeral here 14 years before. How many billions were watching now over supper in Sydney or breakfast in Ottawa; how many eyes prickling, throats tightening as that bravest of adolescent mourners now returned as the happiest man in the land?

The sense of a turning tide was as inescapable as Low Water on the Anglesey shoreline.

In the annals of our 1000-year-old Monarchy, this was a very good day. In the annals of the House of Windsor (created: 1917), it was a very great one.


Prince William greets Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson at Buckingham Palace in London after his wedding to Catherine


Royal reception: The Queen arrives at Buckingham Palace, left, after the wedding. Right, Kate's engagement and wedding rings on her finger

Kate, who has been given the title The Duchess of Cambridge, meets Governors-General and prime ministers at Buckingham Palace


The Royal Family has acquired a new recruit capable of great grace and poise under the most extreme pressure imaginable. What’s a garden party – or even a State Opening – after that 318ft walk to the Abbey altar?

What is a plaque-unveiling or a state visit after getting ‘William Arthur Philip Louis’ crystal clear, unquavering and in the right order?

Prince William, likewise, showed supreme unflappability as he gently fought with an obstreperous band of Welsh gold, as he proudly steered his future Queen into the daylight before a dazzled world already running out of superlatives.

Off to Clarence House: Catherine and William drive off from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House

A Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster from the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight fly over Buckingham Palace as William and Kate emerge on the balcony

Salute to their friend: A Sea King helicopter hovers above the Victoria Memorial as Prince William drives his wife in the Aston Martin to Clarence House


Lip-reading viewers may have spotted what happened next. ‘Are you happy?’ asked the new Duchess of Cambridge as they climbed into the State Landau. ‘It was amazing, amazing,’ replied the Duke. ‘I am so proud you’re my wife.’

The most striking aspect of the whole occasion was the simplest of the lot: the sight of two people so confident and comfortable with each other that you can already hear them finishing each other’s sentences. They were even doing it on the Palace balcony. ‘Are you ready?’ asked Prince William. ‘Okay, let’s ...’ She finished that one with a kiss.

Westminster Abbey began the day with the flavour of a rather grand country wedding – lots of intergalactic hats, handsome chaps in uniform and exuberant flowers, all capped by several maples and hornbeams from the Highgrove garden. Trees in the Abbey? ‘Unheard of’, said one orderly. Yet also inspired.


Pippa Middleton and Prince Philip share a joke on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the wedding

A very public kiss: William and Catherine share a special moment on the Buckingham Palace balcony as thousands watch on

The smiling bride: A veiled Kate Middleton and then, later, unveiled. An estimated two billion people tuned in for her wedding

Balcony moment: Prince William and Kate kiss on the balcony at 1.35pm

Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange rings in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury during the ceremony

Bride-to-be Kate Middleton arrives at Westminster Abbey this morning for what has been billed as the wedding of the century

Kate Middleton arrives with her father Michael Middleton to join Prince William and his best man Harry at the altar

Thousands of people wave Union Jacks as the couple are taken to Westminster Abbey in their open-topped carriage. An estimated one million people lined the streets

The Victoria Memorial outside the Palace is filled with well-wishers celebrating the wedding

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, emerge from the church after the wedding ceremony with Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton in the background

An estimated 10,000 people were packed into Trafalgar Square to watch the ceremony on a giant screen


Guests gaily tested the patience of the Abbey ushers as they kept leaping out of their seats to ‘Mwa-Mwa’ or shake hands with an old chum from the Army or St Andrews or a royal charity.

At one point, there was aisle gridlock. I spotted Earl Spencer trying to lead a trio of young Spencer belles through a yacking standstill, his path blocked by people shaking hands with the film director, Guy Ritchie, and the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Progressing through the throng beneath a blue 45-degree Philip Treacy hat was It-girl and royal chum, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, escorted by her novelist sister, Santa, and historian brother-in-law, Simon Sebag-Montefiore.

Morning coats were the general order of the day, regardless of an invitation offering a ‘lounge suit’ option. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, declared that he had rented his from Moss Bros – suggesting that he must have lost or outgrown the tails he wore for five years at Eton.

Buckingham Palace: Helped by her new husband, Catherine steps out of the carriage as it arrives at the Palace. Minutes later they shared their first kiss on the balcony

The happy couple hold hands during the wedding service at Westminster Abbey which was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, centre

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William wave to the vast crowds as they travel to Buckingham Palace in a 1902 State Landau

Prince William and Kate Middleton sit down during the service after he put the wedding band on her finger

William appeared to have a moment of difficulty in slipping the ring onto Kate's finger... But the ceremony went without a hitch


David Beckham had embellished his traditional wedding kit with a wing-collared shirt and his OBE, despite the dress code specifically advising against decorations for civilian guests. He was wearing it on the wrong side, too. Few seemed to notice. All eyes were on Mrs Beckham, not his gong.

I found myself seated deep in Middleton country, just behind Michael Middleton’s proud cousin, Cambridge geo-physicist, Penny Barton. She was delighted by news of the new Dukedom of Cambridge. ‘Maybe, William will be the next Chancellor of Cambridge University,’ she suggested. Prince Philip’s retirement does, indeed, create a vacancy.

Less relaxed were the official guests, all those ambassadors and Governors-General and Cabinet Ministers knowing that they must be on best behaviour lest a camera spot an injudicious yawn.

I spotted a very chuffed-looking Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, one of the Queen’s 16 realms (the one which includes royal Mustique). Could this be the same ‘Comrade Ralph’ who staged a referendum on abolishing the Monarchy just 18 months ago? It was just as well he lost the vote, then, or he would not have had the call-up yesterday.

Vast crowds gather along The Mall and around the Queen Victoria Memorial as the Royal Air Force perform a fly over as Catherine and William share a kiss on the balcony

The royal carriage glides past the deep crowds after the Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey today

William and his wife Kate wave to onlookers as they leave Westminster Abbey after the wedding

Not amused: Kate waves to the crowds from the Buckingham Palace but three-year-old bridesmaid Grace Van Cutsem is not amused by the noise

Kate Middleton and her father, Michael, travel in a Rolls Royce to Westminster Abbey

Kate Middleton waves as she arrives with her father Michael Middleton and her sister Philippa Middleton to the West Door of Westminster Abbey in London for her wedding

A team put the finishing touches to the cake that was prepared for William and Catherine at Buckingham Palace today


Suddenly, the bonhomie vanished as the groom arrived with his best man. The queue for the loos just behind William Shakespeare in Poet’s Corner vanished. Someone had flicked a switch from fun family event to living history. Prince William and Prince Harry had caused pan-generational hysteria on the streets, these two young blades in their magnificent uniforms – waving at the people, saluting the Cenotaph, prompting countless thoughts of ‘How proud their mother would have been ...’

Inside the Abbey, after brief chit-chat with assorted Spencers and Mountbattens, they disappeared to St Edward’s Chapel to wait. By now, the focus had shifted to the Goring Hotel where Miss Middleton and her father appeared to be smothered by a deluge of silk pursuing them into the Rolls-Royce. Michael Middleton’s good-natured calm and infectious pride throughout this entire engagement have made him a hero figure to Dads up and down the land. Here was the finest hour in any father’s life. Might he finally crack?

On the Abbey steps, Catherine reached out for his reassuring hand one last time and he grasped it. But this was no timid bride stepping forth into the unknown.

Together, they strode. Inside, it was the Windsors and Middletons who were setting the example, holding it together. Around them, lesser mortals sniffled and dabbed their eyes and gulped as Charles Hubert Parry’s ‘I Was Glad’ came forth brilliantly. Glad? Here were 1,900 people ready to cartwheel.

He's here: Prince William, left, arrives at Westminster Abbey next to his proud younger brother and best man Harry with two billion people watching

First glimpse: Prince William gets out of his Bentley and walks into the Abbey - and waits for Kate

Proud father: Prince Charles arrives with William's stepmother Camilla

Mother of the bride: Carole Middleton, mother of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, waves as she travels with Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla to Buckingham Palace after the wedding

Showbiz royalty: David Beckham, wearing his OBE on his lapel, centre, and his wife Victoria arrive at the west door of Westminster Abbey as guests arrive for the 11am ceremony


The Royal procession make their way down The Mall to Buckingham Palace after the wedding ceremony






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