Prince William and Kate’s Extraordinary Palace Reception

Inside Prince William and Kate’s Extraordinary palace reception 

Guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s reception for their closest friends have described the “magical” night in Buckingham Palace after the wedding.
The new Duchess of Cambridge changed into another flowing white gown by
Sarah Burton, for the evening reception. Prince Harry seemed to have control of the minibus microphone as he left the party with other guests in the early hours of yesterday Just as Prince William had pledged that his late mother should share “in all the fun and excitement” of his engagement by giving his bride the ring she once wore, so the sons of Diana, Princess of Wales made sure that she was not forgotten in the royal wedding celebrations.

Prince William and his best man, Prince Harry, both paid tribute to their mother in their speeches at the intimate evening reception on Friday night, telling their closest friends and family “how much she would have liked to have been here” as Prince William married Kate Middleton. The emotional moments when both Prince William and Prince Harry remembered their late mother in their respective speeches followed an evening reception at Buckingham Palace, described by one guest as “the most magical party imaginable”.

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Elton John's tears for Diana at Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding

Sir Elton John's tears for Diana

At Prince William and Kate's wedding

The Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding may have been a happy occasion, but Sir Elton John's tears may be a giveaway to his mixed emotions on the day. While no-doubt happy for Prince William and Kate Middleton, the singer was returning to Westminser Abbey, where close friend Princess Diana's funeral service took place 14 years ago.

The Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding may have been a happy occasion, but Sir Elton John's tears may be a giveaway to his mixed emotions on the day.

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A FANTASTIC WEDDING! A Toast to the Happy Couple.

London Decked Out In Preparation

(Jamie London Boy at Flickr)

Handsome Prince William with his Beautiful Bride, Catherine

(Magnus D at Flickr)

A Dress Fit For A Future Queen

The divine dress was designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen.

Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding Highlights!!

Prince William and Kate Middleton's

Royal Wedding Highlights!!

 Video Links :

1.   Prince William and Kate marry at Westminster Abbey

2.  Moments from the marriage of Prince William and Kate

                   

The Royal Wedding!

Well...what can be said beyond: What a perfect day!

“Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this....” lovely wedding. It’s so much more than a day’s celebration. Like the Abbey, it’s a thousand years in the making: the perfect blending of royalty with the people.

There was a time when people blamed their kings and queens for all their ills. There was a time when kings and queens viewed their people with disdain. It has taken centuries for the two to come together and every step along the way has led to the lovely blend of dignity, pageant and respect with the fun and sense of camaraderie that we have seen today. Alongside all the implications for the nation, we shared the joy of two lovely people who are so perfectly suited and who are both fun-loving and dignified - what a perfect combination! I hope they are having a really happy party this evening in the palace!

God bless all of the many, many people behind the scenes who rehearsed in the early hours for months in advance to make this day so lovely for our country!

And every blessing upon Prince William and Princess Catherine! May they always be as beautiful and happy as they are today!

And thank heavens for the survival of the monarchy!!

Prince William and Kate drive out!!!

Prince William and Kate drive out!!!

Prince William and Kate Middleton drive out of Buckingham Palace in
Prince Charles's Aston Martin. The Royal Couple, Prince William and Kate surprised crowds as they drove out of Buckingham Palace in a vintage car decorated with the number plate “JU5T WED”.


In the most informal part of the Royal Wedding celebrations, Prince William and Kate Middleton waved from the convertible while an RAF rescue helicopter flew overhead.  Prince William and Kate emerged from the palace gates at about 3.35pm in a dark blue Aston Martin DB6 MkII belonging to the Prince of Wales.  The car, which runs on bioethanol fuel distilled from surplus British wine, was festooned with red, white and blue streamers tied to the bonnet, rosettes on the windscreen and an “L” learner plate on the front.

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Prince William and Kate First Kiss After Wedding

Prince William and Kate First Kiss After Wedding

The newly married Royal Couple, Prince William and Kate, have kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Prince William and Kate's Emotional Message

Prince William and Kate's Emotional Message

Prince William and Kate have broken with tradition to issue an emotional message thanking well wishers for their support. In the heartfelt message printed at the beginning of their souvenir program, the Royal Couple, Prince William and Kate say they are deeply touched by people's reactions as they prepare for "one of the happiest days of our lives".

The bride and groom say Prince William and Kate have been "incredibly moved" by the affection shown to them since their engagement. The depth of
Prince William and Kate's devotion to each other has also emerged in a very personal wedding message.  A piece of paper, seen resting on the back seat of bride-to-be Kate's car, and believed to be part of a wedding reception speech, has given a brief taste of the couple's devotion.

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Kate's wedding ring made of Welsh Gold given to grandson Prince William by The Queen

Kate's wedding ring made of Welsh gold

Given to Prince William by The Queen

Kate Middleton's wedding ring was fashioned by Welsh jewellers from a piece of Welsh gold given to Prince William by his grandmother The Queen, the palace said today. Prince Harry, younger brother of Prince William and best man, will carry the gold band into Westminster Abbey and pass it to the bridegroom, who will place it on the bride's finger during the wedding ceremony.

It has been made out of a piece of gold from the Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in north Wales, the source for Royal Wedding Rings since the 1920s.The Queen gave the gold to Prince William shortly after Prince William and Kate announced their engagement in November.

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Prince William greets Public On eve of Royal Wedding

Prince William greets Public on eve of Royal Wedding

Prince William surprised well-wishers camped outside Buckingham Palace with a brief walk-about on the eve of his wedding as London prepared for the biggest royal celebration in 30 years. The 28-year-old Prince William said he was nervous and determined just to "get the lines right" when Prince William
married his live-in partner of eight years Kate Middleton at 11am London time (8pm AEST).

Deborah Lee, one of the hundreds who have turned the mall into a camp site to get prime positions for the pageantry, said she was thrilled to meet
Prince William when he emerged onto the Mall from St James Palace, a few hundred metres from Buckingham Palace.

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"I wonder what the [future] king is doing tonight...."

Here, we don’t have Independence Day or Thanksgiving. We don’t have a version of Australia Day, and our religious festivals are swept up in commercialism. In England, we don’t really even celebrate St. George’s Day, as the Irish celebrate St. Patrick’s Day; and we don’t have Burns’ Night or Hogmanay. In fact, in England especially, but throughout most of Britain, we don’t really have anything that celebrates who we are....

Except when it comes to Royal events! And wow! Has this wedding captured the nation...and we do this so well!! Please forgive a little Englishness/Britishness tonight but of all the royal occasions in my lifetime (the Queen’s Silver and Golden Jubilees and the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana), tomorrow seems to not only continue a link in a chain dating back to the processions of the Victorian era, but also to have created something quite new.

Seeing children Maypole dancing in red, white and blue; the shops bedecked with bunting, and the people who camp out all night for a glimpse of the procession, the historical link is so apparent. It could be any celebration from any era when royal visits and occasions were celebrated. My grandmother spoke of King Edward VII coming to Leeds in 1908 and what she, as a schoolchild, did was no different from what children in schools all over Britain have been doing today. The new part, however, is that I don’t think that (in my lifetime) there has been a royalty who inspired such sincere and genuine affection as Prince William. Perhaps it is because the country mourned the death of his mother, that we kind of took him and Prince Harry to our hearts in a way that is quite unique...more likely it is because he has shown himself to be all that could be wished for in a prince: the common touch with the dignity and mystique of royalty; the ability to empathise with ordinary folk and yet to remain a Prince.

And Kate....well, everyone seems to be claiming a part of her right now so I will stick in the oar for the Leeds connection! Her ancestors gave their name to an area of the city (Middleton) and were part of the philanthropic founders of this northern place.

There is so much excitement throughout the country – such a sense of celebration - and it seems like everyone is not only wishing this lovely couple well, but also being so grateful for this opportunity to celebrate who we are as a nation. You have to admit the inch perfect placement of the knives and forks and glasses on the tables, the perfect timing of the processions and the carefully measured placement of every guard along the route is really rather wonderful! Just for tonight and tomorrow, I am so very proud to be English/British...and as night falls the song from ‘Camelot ‘ comes to mind:

“I wonder what the King is doing tonight?” For ‘King’ read ‘future king’....

I know what my people are thinking tonight,
As home through the shadows they wander.
Ev'ryone smiling in secret delight,
They stare at the castle and ponder.
Whenever the wind blows this way,
You can almost hear ev'ryone say:

I wonder what the king is doing tonight?
What merriment is the king pursuing tonight?
The candles at the court, they never burned as bright.
I wonder what the king is up to tonight?
How goes the final hour
As he sees his bridal bower
Being regally and legally prepared?
Well, I'll tell you what the king is doing tonight:
He's scared! He's scared!

You mean that a king who fought a dragon,
Hacked him in two and fixed his wagon,
Goes to be wed in terror and distress?
Yes!
A warrior who's so calm in battle
Even his armor doesn't rattle
Faces a woman petrified with fright?
Right!

You mean that appalling clamoring
That sounds like a blacksmith hammering
Is merely the banging of his royal knees?
Please!

You wonder what the king is wishing tonight?
He's wishing he were in Scotland fishing tonight!
What occupies his time while waiting for the bride?
He's searching high and low for some place to hide.
And oh, the expectation,
The sublime anticipation
He must feel about the wedding night to come.
Well, I'll tell you what the king is feeling tonight:
He's numb!
He shakes!
He quails! He quakes!
And that's what the king is doing tonight.

I’ll bet he is!! But he needn’t be...we love him!

Prince William and Kate Spend last night apart

Prince William and Kate spend last night apart

PRINCE William and Kate Middleton spent their last night as singles several miles apart – Kate in a small luxury hotel, Prince William at Clarence House, both surrounded by family. Prince William and Kate will next see other tonight at Westminster Abbey for the Royal Wedding watched 'round the world.

Kate arrived at the boutique Goring Hotel in central London about 5.45pm local time accompanied by her sister and maid-of-honour, Pippa, and their mother, Carole.The 29-year-old bride-to-be, dressed in a black print dress and white jacket, appeared relaxed and smiling as she ran her fingers through her long, straight hair and waved several times at the crowd gathered behind police barricades to watch the bridal party arrivals. A white canopy, designed to shield Kate from cameras as she leaves tonight in her still-secret wedding dress, extended from the hotel onto the pavement outside.

Prince William, 28 was to dine overnight at Clarence House, a four-storey royal residence on the Mall, with his father, Prince Charles, brother, Prince Harry, and stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall.
 

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Prince William and Kate choose popular hymns

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Choose popular hymns

 
Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton have chosen three of their favourite songs for Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding day - Jerusalem, and two others with a strong association with Wales.

The rousing words of 'Guide me, O thou great redeemer' - better known today as the Welsh rugby anthem Bread of Heaven - is the first to be performed on the wedding day. Prince William of Wales is also the vice-royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union. The hymn was also sung at the funeral service of mother of
Prince William, Diana Princess of Wales in 1997 and at a memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of her death, so it may have bitter sweet memories for the Prince William .

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Prince William Ready for Next Phase: Marriage

Prince William Ready for Next Phase: Marriage

When Prince William was born, Britons rejoiced at the sight of him in his mother's arms. Prince William was heralded as a king in waiting who would take the Windsor dynasty into the next generation and the next century.When Princess Diana died, and Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry trudged behind her funeral cortege, much of that outpouring of grief was transformed into affection for the young princes, with many around the world hoping the boys could somehow transcend their loss and find happiness.

So it's no surprise that Prince William — now an earnest Royal Air Force helicopter search and rescue pilot — enjoys the public's goodwill as
Prince William prepares to marry Kate Middleton and begin the next phase of a journey that is expected to see him follow Prince William's grandmother and his father to the throne.

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Prince William and Kate Rehearse Wedding Final Time

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Rehearse Wedding Final Time

Tweet A smiling Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday night to run through their wedding ceremony.  Prince William , 28, wore a charcoal grey suit and Kate Middleton, 29, wore a black dress as they arrived in a chauffer-driven Range Rover at sunset. Best man Prince Harry, 26, and the maid of honor, Kate's sister Pippa Middleton, 27, arrived in a silver van. They were flanked by two motorcycle police officers.

 It was Prince William and Kate Middleton's last rehearsal before Friday's wedding, according to multiple news reports. Prince William and Kate were quickly ushered into a side entrance. "It was really surreal," says Carolyn Houghton from Medford, Ore. "In America, the crowd would have been screaming. But here, everyone was very quiet and orderly. But I do wish they would have stopped and waved for a minute."

 

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Prince William and Kate Relax in build-up to Ceremony

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Relax in build-up to ceremony

Within touching distance of their wedding, you might expect Prince William and Kate Middleton to be making frantic last-minute arrangements for the biggest day of their lives. But Prince William and Kate Middleton looked anything but a couple who are about to take their vows in front of two billion people as they adopted a distinctly low-key approach to their preparations.

Prince William enjoys a game of football ahead of his wedding. Just 48 hours before she becomes a royal bride, Miss Middleton was spotted unloading a cardboard box from Tesco from her car at Clarence House. The Prince William , meanwhile, played five-a-side football in Battersea Park, south London, wearing a thrown-together kit of mismatched socks, shorts and T-shirt.

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William and Kate in a final Royal Wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey

As predicted Prince William and Kate Middleton were ushered into a side entrance of Westminster Abbey last night to complete a final run-through of Friday's Royal Wedding ceremony.

The couple arrived in a chauffeur-driven car around 7:30 p.m. (GMT) with their wedding party, which included Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton and the rest of Kate's immediate family including her parents, Michael and Carole, and brother James.

Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding Parties

Prince William and Kate's

Royal Wedding Parties in Melbourne

Thousands of Victorians are getting in the Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding spirit, with celebration parties planned across the state and a live telecast shown at Federation Square.  Crowds are expected to flock to the city hub, which has confirmed it will show the Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding live on the big screen on Friday, April 29.

 

Prince William and Kate Middleton's big day will also be celebrated in pubs across the city, making the tough decision to ditch the Carlton v Sydney game in favour of the royal spectacle. And as royal watchers keenly wait for Kate's wedding dress to be revealed - and to compare it with the gowns of earlier royal brides Princess Diana and the Duchess of York - many are planning private parties to follow the Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding live broadcasts from 7pm

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With less than 2 days to go until the Royal Wedding...

What's the latest news?

At around 2am (GMT) this morning approximately 1000 British soldiers from the RAF, Navy, Household Cavalry, and the Army (some of whom have served with Prince William) took part in a dress rehearsal. 

The rehearsal followed the planned Royal procession route culminating at 5am with the Rolls Royce phantom in which Kate Middleton is expected to travel in on her way to the ceremony, pulling up outside Westminster Abbey. Later on, seven RAF pilots rehearsed the fly-past in the sky above London. 

There is a full dress rehearsal expected tomorrow, the day before the Royal Wedding, which will take place in Westminster Abbey and involve the whole of the wedding party except Kate, William and the Royal Family. 

A music rehearsal is taking place in the Abbey today, which has been closed off now to the public. And, Kate and William are expected to run through a dress rehearsal at Westminster Abbey later on today but it is not yet confirmed.

The public have already started pitching their tents along the main procession route with some of the people having camped out since Tuesday just to ensure they secure one of the best viewing positions. 

Elsewhere, it has been rumoured that Alexander McQueen maybe the designer behind the Royal Wedding dress (we'll update you further on this). Whilst others have been more concerned with Kate's hairdo, with speculation that she will be wearing it up instead of down after she was spotted today with it uncharacteristically tied up.

Finally, there has been some speculation that Prince William personally snubbed Tony Blair and Gordon Brown by ensuring they both were not invited to the Royal Wedding. In contrast two past Tory leaders, Sir John Major and Lady Thatcher were invited. 

It is no secret that Prince William is not a big fan of Tony Blair after he made political capital out of the death of his mother and Gordon Brown may have just been a victim of convenience as the Palace's official line on it is that neither Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown are Knights of the Realm. They could hardly invite one without the other, could they?

The Royal Wedding flowers

Prince William and Miss Catherine (Kate) Middleton have chosen London-based floral designer Shane Connolly to create the floral displays for their Royal Wedding in 2 days time on 29th April 2011. 

Mr. Connolly has directed a team of florists, including Westminster Abbey's and Buckingham Palace's florists, and florists individually chosen by the Couple, to create the floral displays at the Abbey and for Buckingham Palace.

Mr. Connolly has directed a team of florists, including Westminster Abbey's and Buckingham Palace's florists, and florists individually chosen by the Couple, to create the floral displays at the Abbey and for Buckingham Palace.

Mr. Connolly was chosen by the couple owing to his reputation for producing elegant and unique displays, and for his creative approach which focuses on using seasonal, natural and organic flowers. Mr. Connolly is also well known for his sustainable approach to floristry, which incorporates as much as possible the use of growing, rather than cut, plants and trees.

The Couple have taken a close interest in the designs, which follows a theme that pays tribute to the Language of Flowers.

The floral displays in Westminster Abbey feature a variety of seasonal growing and cut British flowers and trees sourced from Royal Estates and other growers around the country. The flowers and plants include blossoms, azaleas, rhododendron, euphorbias, beech, wisteria and lilac.

The floral displays in the Abbey will include eight 20 feet-high trees: six English Field Maple and two Hornbeam. All the trees will be growing in planters, which have also been designed by Mr. Connolly and which were made by craftsmen at Highgrove, The Prince of Wales's Residence in Gloucestershire.

After the wedding, the flowers and plants will be left in position in Westminster Abbey for the public to view until Friday 6th May 2011. Following this, many of the trees will be taken to Highgrove Gardens, where they will be planted. The Couple's intention is that many of the cut plants and flowers and all the growing plants will be donated to charities or re-planted.