Celebrating the Royal Wedding around the world
LONDON, England
They appeared at ease throughout their wedding day, with William
fighting back giggles at times, while Kate's smile lit up
television screens, especially when her new husband leaned over to
say, "You look beautiful."
Their intimacy stood in sharp contrast to the lack of chemistry
between a wooden Prince Charles and Diana Spencer 30 years ago when
they began a marriage that ultimately collapsed in embarrassing
tabloid headlines and turned many Britons against the monarchy.
A million people lined the procession route from Westminster
Abbey to Buckingham Palace, many crying with joy. Cheers went up as
the couple exchanged the traditional kiss on the balcony, followed
by chants of "One more kiss!" The couple waved and smiled and, to
a frenzy of delight, obliged.
An estimated 2 billion people tuned into the live broadcast in
what may have been the most-viewed event in history.
The security operation was the largest since Charles and Diana's
1981 wedding, and the day went off without a hitch. Police
dispersed scattered protests from anti-monarchists and anarchists
and arrested 43 people for offenses including drunkenness, breach
of peace, and theft, but the mood was overwhelmingly celebratory.
"Everybody's happy, everybody's united," said 61-year-old
Sabry Darwish, who was in the crowd watching the parade route.
"Everybody is behind the bride and groom."
Many praised the couple's rare combination of humility, humor
and grace. Kate was a commoner from a wealthy but middle-class
family who actually worked for a living after university; William
has long had his mother's touch in connecting to the public, and
surprised fans who slept on the pavement overnight by personally
thanking them Thursday for braving the cold.
The 28-year-old prince even displayed a quality almost never
seen among royalty: humor. Surveying the 1,900 guests filling the
abbey in their wedding finery, he turned to his father-in-law,
Michael Middleton, and quipped: "We're supposed to have just a
small family affair."
Then after a reception at Buckingham Palace, he took his new
wife for a spin, driving a dark-blue Aston Martin Volante festooned
with ribbons, bows and balloons -- and a license plate that read
"JU5T WED."
It was the kind of display that made some wonder whether the
couple just might bring the British monarchy back from the abyss.
"It's a real turning point for the royal family," Nicki
Hookings, 47, said at one of thousands of street parties across
Britain to celebrate the national holiday.
For much of the world, the wedding was a dramatic reaffirmation
of 29-year-old Kate's beguiling star power. Despite the pressure,
she carried the day with an easy smile, youthful exuberance and a
sense of decorum that matched the event. And when it was all over,
she curtsied easily before Queen Elizabeth II, comfortably sharing
the stage with the woman who has reigned since 1952.
Crowds from Australia to Zimbabwe clasped Union Jack flags and
donned hats -- and wedding gowns -- to show their enthusiasm.
"It's one happy event in the world right now," said San
Francisco attorney Laura Claster, who traveled to London to be with
the crowds. "It gives us a day of celebration to forget the
troubles in the world."
The day was a visual feast for fashion enthusiasts. Guests wore
extravagant hats, some costing more than 1,000 pounds ($1,600), but
all eyes were on the bride's dress, the best-kept secret of the
day.
The ivory-and-white satin gown, with its dramatic neckline,
sheer lace sleeves and eight-foot train, was designed by Sarah
Burton at Alexander McQueen and reminded some of the wedding dress
worn by a princess from another era, the late Grace Kelly of
Monaco.
Kate wore her hair down and pulled back from her face, covered
with a lace-edged veil and a diamond tiara on loan from the queen.
Her dramatic oak-leaf-shaped diamond earrings were a gift from her
parents.
William, second-in-line to the throne after his father, wore the
scarlet tunic of an Irish Guards officer, reinforcing his image as
a dedicated military man. Maid of honor Pippa Middleton wore a
simple column dress, while best man Prince Harry chose formal
military attire.
The sighting of the wedding gown prompted swoons of admiration
as Kate stepped out of a Rolls-Royce with her father at the abbey.
Against all odds, at that moment the sun broke through the steely
gray skies.
The long aisle leading to the altar was lined with maple and
hornbeam trees as light streamed in through the high arched
windows. The soft green foliage framed the couple against a red
carpet as they recited their vows flawlessly before Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams.
After a ceremonial drive around London in an open-topped
horse-drawn carriage, the couple appeared with the queen and their
wedding party on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where the highly
anticipated first -- and second -- kisses brought screams of delight
from the crowd.
It was then that photographers from around the world captured
one of the day's most memorable images: As the couple locked lips,
3-year-old bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem held her hands over her ears
and scowled as she tried to block the sound of Royal Air Force
planes screaming overhead.
Earlier in the day, the queen had bestowed upon the couple their
first royal wedding present: the titles of the duke and duchess of
Cambridge.
There has been speculation that William, his popularity only
enhanced by his new wife, should step ahead of his father to become
the next king. Many consider the 62-year-old Prince Charles stuffy
and disconnected from ordinary people.
But that's unlikely to happen. Many in Charles' inner circle say
he's waited too long to step aside -- even for his son.
In Bucklebury, the sprawling village where Kate grew up 50 miles
(80 kilometers) west of London, jubilant crowds filled the streets
to celebrate the hometown girl who could be queen. Some of its
residents were at the wedding, including the town butcher and
baker.
"These are two young people very much in love," butcher Martin
Fidler said outside the abbey.
John Haley, owner of the Old Boot Inn who knows the bride from
her visits to the pub in the nearby village of Stanford Dingley,
said he teared up as he caught her eye during the ceremony.
"It was unbelievable," he said. "It was just fabulous and
more than I expected."
The palace was holding two parties: one in the afternoon for 650
guests, and a dinner dance for 300 close friends.
Arriving for the latter, Kate pronounced it a "great day."
"I am glad the weather held off," she said, appearing radiant
in a strapless white satin evening gown with a circle skirt and
diamante embroidered detail around the waist, another Sarah Burton
creation.
The flag went down as the queen and her husband left the palace
for the younger royals to party the night away -- and for Harry to
make his best man's speech away from his grandparents' ears.
It was rumored that Harry planned a "British fry-up" breakfast
for those still standing at dawn.
The couple has been living in a modest house in Wales near the
base where William serves as an Air Force search and rescue
helicopter pilot, and will continue to do so after their honeymoon,
which remains shrouded in secrecy. The prince "really is one of
us," said Sgt. Keith Best, a paramedic on William's team.