Royal newly-weds kiss, cheered by a million fans

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince William and  Kate Middleton married at Westminster Abbey yesterday in a  sumptuous show of British pageantry that attracted a huge world  audience and breathed new life into the monarchy.

Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, kiss as they stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace yesterday. REUTERS/Darren Staples

One million well-wishers watched military bands in black  bearskin hats and household cavalrymen in shining breastplates  escorting the beaming couple in a 1902 open-topped state landau  carriage after the ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth’s grandson and his bride then appeared on  the balcony of Buckingham Palace in central London where they  sealed their union with two kisses before a jubilant, cheering  crowd who waved flags and banners.

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, walk up the aisle, followed by Prince Harry and Maid of Honour Pippa Middleton, after their wedding ceremony in Westminster Abbey yesterday. REUTERS/Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool

“The monarchy is like our Hollywood, the movies, for us,”  said Californian Diane Weltz, who flew in especially.

Middleton, who wore a laced ivory-coloured dress with a   train for the ceremony, became the first “commoner” to marry a  prince close to the throne in more than 350 years.

“I am glad the weather held off. We had a great day,” she  said in her first public comments after the wedding.

The 29-year-old, whose mother’s family has coal mining  roots, has brought a sense of modernity to the monarchy and  helped restore popularity to an institution tarnished by the  death of William’s hugely popular mother Princess Diana in 1997.

Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange rings before the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, during their wedding ceremony. REUTERS/Andrew Milligan/Pool

Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother who famously excoriated the  royals at her funeral in the same abbey, told the BBC the  wedding was “very moving”, before adding: “The only downside on  a perfect day was Diana not being there.”

Fans from Asia to the United States camped overnight outside  the abbey to catch a glimpse of the future king and queen, whose  marriage has fuelled a feel-good factor that briefly lifted  Britain from its economic gloom.

More than 8,000 journalists descended on London and the  ceremony was streamed live on YouTube, ensuring what experts  expect will be one of the biggest global audiences ever.

SEALED WITH
KISSES

The crowd entered into the festive spirit on a day when  threatened rain failed to materialise by wearing national flags,  masks of the couple and even fake wedding dresses and tiaras.

“It should have been me!” shouted nurse Jo Newman, 27,  dressed as a bride and clutching a bouquet of plastic roses.

Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travel to Buckingham Palace in the 1902 State Landau, along the Procession Route, after their wedding. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

Hundreds of police officers, some armed, dotted the royal  routes in a major security operation. They made 55 arrests in  London, mostly for minor offences.

A sea of supporters cheered as the couple sealed their  marriage with one sheepish kiss, then another.

World War Two and modern warplanes flew over the waving  royals before they went inside for a champagne reception for 650  guests in the palace’s 19 opulent state rooms.

It was a day that mixed royal pomp with splashes of  informality.

The couple made a surprise appearance in an open-top vintage  Aston Martin owned by the prince’s father with the licence plate  “JU5T WED”, trailing balloons to travel the short journey to St.  James’s Palace in a light-hearted and crowd-pleasing gesture.

(L-R) Prince Philip stands next to Carole Middleton as Queen Elizabeth listens to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, after the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton yesterday. REUTERS/Toby Melville

They returned to Buckingham Palace for a more intimate party  for 300 close friends and family. Queen Elizabeth and her  husband Prince Philip left the younger crowd to dance into the  early hours, media reported.

The exuberance of royal fans was not shared throughout  Britain. For some, the biggest royal wedding since Diana married  Charles in 1981 was something to forget, reflecting divided  opinion about the monarchy.

In the economically depressed northern city of Bradford,  businessman Waheed Yunus said: “It’s two young people getting  married. It’s as simple as that. It happens throughout the whole  world every single day.

“There are much more pressing issues. There are much more  important things going on in the world.”

A series of scandals involving senior royals, Britain’s  economic problems and Diana’s death after her divorce from  Prince Charles led many to question the future of the monarchy.

Middleton’s background, 28-year-old William’s appeal, the  enduring adoration for his mother and a media-savvy royal press  team have restored their standing with the public.

A Daily Mail survey showed 51 percent of people believed the  wedding would strengthen the monarchy in Britain, compared with  65 percent who said the marriage between Prince Charles and  divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005 would weaken it.

However, while Queen Elizabeth, 85, exercises limited power,  and is largely a symbolic figurehead in Britain and its former  colonies, critics question the privileges she and her family  enjoy, particularly at a time when the economy is weak.

The monarchy officially costs the British taxpayer about 40  million pounds ($67 million) a year, while anti-royalists put  the figure at closer to 180 million pounds.

DRESS DESIGNER
UNVEILED

Middleton’s dress, the subject of fevered speculation for  months in the fashion press, was a traditional ivory silk and  satin outfit with a lace applique and flowing train.

It was designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen  label, named after the British designer who committed suicide.  Burton also made her strapless evening gown.

For the wedding, the bride wore a tiara loaned by the queen  and the diamond and sapphire engagement ring that belonged to  Diana, who was divorced from Prince Charles in 1996, a year  before her death in a car crash in Paris aged just 36.

The royals’ cool reaction to Diana’s death contrasted with  an outpouring of public grief and marked a low point for the  family.

Some questioned whether the institution, a vestige of  imperial glory, had outlived its unifying role in a modern state  divided by partisan politics and regional separatism.

About 5,500 street parties were held throughout Britain for  the royal wedding, in keeping with tradition, and celebrations  were held from Beijing and Sydney to New York and Dubai.

Bells pealed and trumpets blared as 1,900 guests earlier  poured into the historic abbey, coronation site for the monarchy  since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066.

The queen, other royals, Prime Minister David Cameron, David  and Victoria Beckham, the footballer-pop star couple, and singer  Elton John were among famous guests at the abbey.

They joined 50 heads of state as well as friends, charity  workers and war veterans who know the prince from his military  career in what commentators said was a more progressive snapshot  of modern Britain than previous royal weddings.

After the abbey had emptied, a cassocked member of staff was  caught on camera cartwheeling down the red carpeted aisle.

“It was a moment of exuberance. Like everyone else he was so  pleased it had gone well,” said an abbey spokeswoman.

Middleton has been given the title Her Royal Highness, the  Duchess of Cambridge, and the queen made her grandson William  the Duke of Cambridge to mark the marriage.

William could face a long wait for the throne. His  grandmother Queen Elizabeth shows little sign of slowing down at  85 and his father Charles is a fit and active 62-year-old.