In an event royal watchers have been waiting for years, Britain’s Prince William married his university sweetheart, Catherine Middleton on Friday at the historic Westminster Abbey. The wedding was watched by 2 billion around the world, both on television and on the Internet. This was one royal occasion that did not disappoint.
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Guests began to arrive at the Abbey two hours before the ceremony began, with the men dressed in morning suits while the women wore simple dresses and (many) wild hats.
Prince William left Clarence House with his brother and best man, Prince Harry at around 10am local time. Dressed in a red Irish Guards uniform, the Prince looked relaxed and excited for his big day. Once getting to the Abbey, he and Harry waited in the wings while many other guests arrived, including his in-laws, the Middleton family and the royal family.
Catherine Middleton left Goring Hotel under a canopy to hide her top secret dress. But once inside the Rolls Royce, it was clear just how beautiful her gown was. Reminiscent of Grace Kelly when she wed the Prince of Monaco in 1956, the wedding dress had lacy sleeves and bodice representing the floral of the four areas of the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. When she arrived at the Abbey and stepped out of the car, Catherine unveiled the dress for the world to see.
See more pics of Catherine arriving here
It was designed by Sarah Burton for the Alexander McQueen label. This moment was clearly monumental in the world of both royalty and fashion, and has made Sarah Burton a household name.
Besides the gown, Catherine also wore the Cartier tiara, on loan from Queen Elizabeth II.
Escorted by her father Michael through the Abbey, Catherine looked poised even if she was blushing a bit.
At the altar, Prince William had his back turned, preparing himself to be surprised by what his bride looked like. Catherine intended to surprise him today.
And she did. When she made it to his side, the Prince said, “You look beautiful”.
He also joked her father, saying “We’re supposed to have just a small family affair.”
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The recitation of vows went off without a hitch. The only ring given was to Catherine from William, who never intended to wear a ring.
The ceremony included a reading from the Bible by the bride’s brother, James. Several hymns were played, and within an hour, William and his new wife emerged from signing the registration beaming and happily in love. Catherine from now on is Her Royal Highness, and she and her husband are to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The couple elegantly walked out of Westminster Abbey and into an open air carriage, which took them through the streets of London. Thousands cheered for the newlyweds, who warmly waved to them. The carriage took them to Buckingham Palace.
About an hour after arriving there, the Duke and Duchess walked out onto the balcony. Within minutes, they gave what Britons and the whole world was waiting for – a kiss.
The couple gave each other a warm peck – a far cry from the awkward kiss Prince Charles and Princess Diana exchanged in 1981.
But one kiss was not enough. The crowds outside Buckingham Palace cheered “one more kiss!”, and indeed William and Catherine did to a roar of cheers.
A reception was held at Buckingham Palace for many of the nearly 2,000 guests at the wedding. Later in the day, William and Catherine emerged from the Palace in an open aired sports car with the words “Just Wed” on the back. The Prince drove the car through London to Clarence House, where his father is holding a dinner reception – this time for the friends and family of the couple.
For that reception, Catherine changed into a strapless white gown with a jeweled belt – also designed by Sarah Burton.
After all this, Prince William and Catherine will head off to their honeymoon.
The preparations are done, the rehearsals are complete, and Prince William and Catherine Middleton said their farewells to each other before they see each other again tomorrow at their epic wedding at Westminster Abbey.
While Wednesday was reported to be the final rehearsal at the medieval venue, the truth is that one was final for Prince William. Catherine, on the other hand, had one last run through this morning at the Abbey with soon-to-be brother-in-law Prince Harry and a few of her bridal party.
Afterward, she and Harry rode through the streets of London with the people who are already camped out for their spot along the procession route cheering for her.
Catherine went to Clarence House where she and William said their final good-byes until tomorrow. Then Catherine rode to Goring Hotel, where her family is staying for the night. Looking happy and every bit the princess, she waved to the crowds gathered outside the hotel. That is where the bride will leave for her wedding tomorrow.
To make sure no one sees what her much anticipated wedding dress will look like, a large canopy has been placed over the entrance of Goring Hotel so Catherine could enter the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI transporting her to the Abbey. Then when she steps out, the world will finally see what the bride’s dress will look like.
Also today, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, made a surprise visit to those camped out along The Mall. She told them, “We’re all ready for tomorrow – its wonderful and all very exciting!”
“There’s a great atmosphere out here and it’s so nice to meet people and see how the celebrations are getting underway.”
Today, the wedding program was unveiled, featuring the songs to be sung and admitting that no, Catherine will not vow to obey her husband.
The program also had a message from the bride and groom, telling the world a deep heart thank you for their support during the days leading up to the wedding.
Whatever happens tomorrow, it is sure to be a loving, romantic occasion.
I know its early, but…three cheers for William and Catherine!
UPDATE: Hours before his nuptials, Prince William made an impromptu walkabout to greet the crowds waiting along the procession route. The Prince shook hands and posed for pictures. Supposedly, he said he was concerned about the crowd camping out overnight.
As the countdown continues, Prince William and Catherine Middleton went over the final touches of their Friday wedding at Westminster Abbey Wednesday.
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The couple arrived at the medieval church for a final rehearsal, this time with members of the clergy that will be conducting their wedding. Prince Harry and Catherine’s parents were there.
Already the people of the UK are taking to the streets, setting up camp to secure their place along the wedding procession.
The carriage procession will pass along The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, along Whitehall, along the south side of Parliament Square and into Broad Sanctuary.
Also today, one thousand members of the military took part in a full-scale walk-through procession along London’s streets. The RAF also rehearsed their flight over the city.
Tuesday saw trees being put into the Abbey to create a sort of forest-like incarnation for the ceremony. The trees are from Windsor Castle and Sandringham estates, and are six field maples and two hornbeams. The flowers will be colored white, green and cream to showcase Catherine’s love for the country side.
Tomorrow night, William and Catherine will give each one last kiss before they see each other again at their wedding.
Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark was spotted attending the premiere of the “Blood Out”, held at the Directors Guild of America on Monday in Los Angeles.
Dressed in a bright green mini dress, the youngest daughter of the deposed King of Greece posed for the press on the red carpet like many trying to make it in Hollywood.
Since receiving a Bachelor’s in theater arts from Brown University in 2006, the Princess – who goes by the name Theodora Greece – has acted in a few minor films, such as “The Lightkeepers” and “Sroloc”. She has three films in post-production stage.
Despite some royal wedding happening this Friday , there are other events happening the world of royalty. For example, Belgium’s Princess Astrid paid a visit to a photo exhibit of photographer Lieve Blancquaert in Ghent.
2011 marks Blancquaert’s 25 years of photographing, and her work was on display at the Bank van de Arbeid – The Bank of Labour.
All types of photos – from color to black and white, portraits, photojournalism and some personal polaroids – are on display.
The Emir of Qatar and his wife are on a two day state visit to Spain in order to strengthen economic ties. Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned arrived in Madrid in the late morning and were greeted by the Spanish royal family. After a welcoming ceremony and posing for the media, the guests and their hosts lunched at Zarzuela Palace.
A state dinner is set for this evening in honor of the Qatari royals.
During the next two days, the Emir is expected to sign several economic agreement with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero. Spain is looking to boost its battered economy by investing in oil rich Qatar.
Among the hopeful investments are construction opportunities for the 2022 FIFA World Cup which Qatar will be hosting.
While the Emir will be doing all this, Queen Sofia will be escorting Sheikha Mozah for a visit to the Alzheimer’s Foundation on Tuesday.
Saturday revealed the official guest list for next Friday’s wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. As expected, dozens of royals from many other countries are said to be attending. Here is the list of those royals:
The Prince and Princess of the Asturias
The Crown Prince of Bahrain
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
The Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha
King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgraria
The Queen of Denmark
King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and Prince Constantine of Greece
Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait
Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho
The Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
The Crown Prince and Princess of The Netherlands
The King and Queen of Norway
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman
The Emir of The State of Qatar and Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned
King Michael I of Romania and Crown Princess Margarita
Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Princess Fadwa bint Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman
The Queen of Spain
The King of Swaziland
The Crown Princess of Sweden and The Duke of Vastergotland
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
The King of Tonga
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
The Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia
As impressive as the list is, royals from two countries have been glaringly left off the list. Jordanian royalty such as King Abdullah II, Queen Rania or even Queen Noor are not attending the wedding. Also, royals from the tiny Alpine principality of Liechtenstein are not coming.
Other guests include members of the Church of England, Parliament and the Commonwealth leaders.
There are several guests who are neither royal nor dignitary, though some may consider them to be dignitaries in their fields. Football star David Beckham is coming, as is singers Joss Stone and Elton John, journalists Ben Fogle and Tom Bradby, director Guy Ritchie, and Mario Testino who photographed William and Catherine’s official engagement photos.
To see the complete list of the guests, click here.
Ever since she relocated to New York City a year ago, there has been controversy over what Sweden’s Princess Madeleine is doing there. For a while, it was said she was working for World Childhood Foundation, a charity set up by her mother, Queen Silvia. But that didn’t go over well, especially when the tabloids reported on Madeleine’s shopping and partying ways.
Click here for more photos of Princess Madeleine
But newspaper Svensk Damtidning recently did some research on the Princess’ life in the Big Apple. It found that she does indeed work for WCF – but without pay.
“Princess Madeleine began working for Childhood in 2007,” said Anna De Geer, who is Assistant Secretary General in Childhood. “It takes time to learn the profession of project officers and I have taught her over the years.”
“Being the administrator of a project means to be onsite and analysis, ensuring that budgets and follow up reports from the various projects. This is a big job and it takes time to get acquainted with and learn.”
According to De Geer, the Princess is working on a project for China plus New York based projects.
“She does not receive wages from us,” said De Geer.
So, who is paying for Madeleine’s lifestyle?
The royal court’s information manager Bertil Ternert says she gets her money from dotations from the state, like most royals do.
Should the Swedish people be pleased that they are funding Madeleine’s jet setting lifestyle? Is she really working on charity projects?
“She has helped to bring information about projects and disbursements of our new system. It has been time-consuming and time consuming,” said De Geer.
“Many of our projects are about helping people in distress. It is sensitive to many times with a photographer. It’s about children at risk and we cherish their privacy.”
April 21st is a day of milestones for the Windsors as they prepare for their biggest event in years – the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, just eight days away.
But first, today marks not only Queen Elizabeth II’s 85th birthday, but also as her being the oldest British monarch to reign. She became Queen back in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI, and was coronated in 1953.
For Thursday, Her Majesty spent it celebrating Maundy Thursday at Westminster Abbey. As tradition holds, she gave out Maundy money to 170 elderly people waiting outside – that’s 85 men and 85 women, one for each year the Queen has lived.
Yesterday saw another milestone for the British royals – the Queen’s son and heir, Prince Charles, became the longest serving heir in British history. Born in 1948, the Prince of Wales has been waiting to become King since he was a child. Now at age 62, it doesn’t look like Charles will be King anytime soon.
“If she [Queen Elizabeth] lives as long as her mother she could go another 15 years, 16 years, which will put Charles around about 78,” Dickie Arbiter, former press secretary to the Queen, told ABC News. “She has sworn an oath to the people. She is committed until the day she draws her last breath.”
Ten days after the shooting tragedy in Alphen aan den Rijn that left six people dead, a memorial was held in the town at the Castellum Theater. Queen Beatrix and Crown Prince Willem Alexander attended, along with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Outside, hundreds of Dutch gathered to remember those who died.
Click here for images of the memorial
As one person said at the memorial, “That Saturday began so sunny, but ended in jet black.”
Alphen aan den Rijn’s acting mayor commented that his town will never be the same again.
He then aloud the names of the six people who died. On stage were six columns with flowers on top of each. After the names were read, there was a minute of silence. Then the song, “Reverse Time” by Stef Bos played.
Premier Rutte stressed in a speech that the victims and survivors are not alone. “We do not look away. There are people around you who want to help to bear the pain.”
After the memorial, the Queen and the Crown Prince met with the victims’ families and consoled them.
On Saturday, April 9th, a lone man opened fire at an Alphen shopping center. Seventeen were injured, and three of them remained hospitalized.
, there are other events happening the world of royalty. For example, Belgium’s Princess Astrid paid a visit to a photo exhibit of photographer Lieve Blancquaert in Ghent.
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