LONDON - With a smile
that lit up TV screens
around the world, Kate
Middleton married Prince
William in a union that
promised to revitalize the
British monarchy. A
million people roared
their approval as the
royal couple then
paraded through London
in an open carriage.
Even knowing that an
immense television
audience was tuning in to
watch, the couple
managed, at times, to
appear in their own
private world Friday,
both at Westminster
Abbey and on the
balcony of Buckingham
Palace.
William whispered to
Kate, who radiated
contentment and joy, as
they pledged their lives
to one another at the
church with the simple
words "I will."
After a ceremonial tour
around London, they
then delivered two—
not one — sweet, slightly
self-conscious kisses on
the balcony, with William
blushing deeply at the
highly anticipated event.
Within moments, a flyby
of vintage and modern
Royal Air Force planes
roared overhead.
For much of the world,
the wedding was a
dramatic introduction to
Middleton's beguiling star
power. Despite the
pressure, the 29-year-old
carried the day with an
easy smile, youthful
exuberance and a sense
of decorum that matched
the event.
After the ceremony,
Middleton curtsied easily
before Queen Elizabeth
II, comfortably sharing
the stage with the
woman who has reigned
since 1952.
The sighting of
Middleton's wedding
gown— the biggest
secret of the day —
prompted swoons of
admiration as she
stepped out of a Rolls-
Royce with her father at
the abbey. Against all
odds, the sun broke
through steely gray skies
at precisely that moment.
Her ivory-and-white satin
dress— with its plunging
neckline, long lacy
shoulders and sleeves
and a train over 2-meters
(yards) long— was
designed by Sarah
Burton at Alexander
McQueen. Middleton's
hair was half-up, half-
down, decorated with
dramatic veil and a tiara
on loan from the queen.
Her dramatic diamond
earrings were a gift from
her parents.
"It's a dream," said Jennie
Bond, a leading British
monarchy expert and
royal wedding consultant
for The Associated Press.
"It is a beautiful laced
soft look, which is
extremely elegant. She
looked stunning."
The structured dress,
which emphasized
Middleton's slim figure,
reminded some of the
wedding dress worn by a
princess from another
era, the late Grace Kelly
of Monaco.
For the evening, she
changed into a second
Sarah Burton creation, a
strapless white satin
evening gown with a
circle skirt and diamante
embroidered detail
round the waist.
"I am glad the weather
held off. We had a great
day," Middleton told a
photographer, making
her first public comments
as she and William
arrived at Buckingham
Palace for an evening
reception.
William, second-in-line to
the throne after his
father, Prince Charles,
wore the scarlet tunic of
an Irish Guards officer,
reinforcing his new image
as a dedicated military
man.
Maid of honor Pippa
Middleton wore a simple
column dress and
naturally styled hair,
while best man Prince
Harry was dressed in
formal military attire. The
flower girls, in cream
dresses with full skirts
and flowers in their hair,
walked down hand-in-
hand with Pippa.
The couple's first royal
wedding present came
from the queen: the
royal titles of the duke
and duchess of
Cambridge.
A flood of well-wishers
—as well as some
protesters — packed
central London,
especially around
Buckingham Palace,
Westminster Abbey and
other landmarks
beginning at dawn,
despite cool
temperatures and the
threat of rain. Cheers
erupted as huge
television screens began
broadcasting at Trafalgar
Square and Hyde Park.
"Will, it's not too late!"
read one sign held aloft
by an admirer dressed as
a bride.
The Metropolitan Police
estimated the crowd
peaked at one million
along the route, with
around 500,000 people in
and around The Mall
trying to catch a glimpse
of the couple's kiss.
The iconic abbey was airy
and calm, the long aisle
leading to the altar lined
with maple and
hornbeam trees as light
streamed in through the
high arched windows.
The soft green trees
framed the couple
against the red carpet as
they walked down the
aisle, having recited their
vows without stumbling
before Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan
Williams.
The royal couple smiled
broadly as they were
driven to Buckingham
Palace in the open-
topped State Landau, a
carriage built in 1902,
escorted by four white
horses and followed by
scarlet-clad troops on
horseback.
Later in the afternoon,
William and Middleton
delighted the crowds
outside of Buckingham
Palace by going out for a
spin in a dark-blue Aston
Martin Volante
convertible festooned
with ribbons, bows and
balloons and bearing the
ceremonial license plate
"JU5T WED."
It drove down London's
Mall for a couple
minutes before pulling in
to Clarence House, the
home of Prince Charles,
drawing cheers from the
lingering crowd.
The Aston Martin has
been owned since 1969
by Prince Charles, an
ardent environmentalist
who had the car
converted so that it could
run on bioethanol made
from the waste matter
generated by English
wine production.
It was accompanied by a
search-and-rescue
helicopter in a special
flyby. William is a serving
search-and-rescue pilot
on the island of Anglesey
in Wales.
The palace was holding
two parties, one hosted
by the queen for 650
guests, and an evening
dinner dance for 300
close friends. The queen
and her husband have
promised to go away for
the evening, leaving the
younger royals free to
party the night away_
and Harry to make his
best man's speech away
from his grandparents'
ears.
Guests began arriving at
Buckingham Palace for
the evening reception in
cars around 7:30 p.m.,
driving past the crowds
still lining the streets to
the palace.
British singer Ellie
Goulding, 24, is
reportedly going to
perform, and rumors
have it that Harry has
even planned a breakfast
for those with the
stamina to dance all
night.
Plumage of Amazonian
variety filled the
cavernous abbey as some
1,900 guests filed in, the
vast majority of women in
hats, some a full two feet
(half a meter) across or
high. Several looked like
dinner plates, and one
woman wore a bright red
fascinator that resembled
a flame licking her cheek.
A BBC commentator
noted there were some
"very odd (fashion)
choices" walking through
the abbey door.
Most men, however,
looked elegant and suave
in long tails, some
highlighted by formal
plaid pants and vests.
Others wore military
uniforms.
The queen, of course,
wore a soft yellow hat
and coat dress, just like
the bookies had
predicted.
All the details — the
wedding dress, her hair,
their titles, the romantic
kiss on the balcony, the
honeymoon— were
finally being answered.
But the biggest question
won't be resolved for
years: Will this royal
couple live happily ever
after?
Will their union endure
like that of William's
grandparents— Queen
Elizabeth II and Prince
Philip, now in its 64th
year— or crumble in a
spectacular and
mortifying fashion like
that of his own parents,
Prince Charles and
Princess Diana?
Recent history augurs
badly: The first marriages
of three of the queen's
four children ended in
divorce. But William and
Kate seem to glow with
happiness in each other's
company, and unlike
Charles and Diana
they've had eight years to
figure out that they want
to be together.
Still, the fate of their
marriage depends on
private matters
impossible for the public
to gauge, since any
wedding is fundamentally
about two people. Will
their lives together,
starting with such high
hopes, be blessed by
good fortune, children,
good health, productive
work?
Much will depend on
whether 28-year-old
William and 29-year-old
Kate can summon the
things every couple
needs: patience, love, wit
and wisdom. But they
face the twin burdens of
fame and scrutiny.
Money, power, beauty—
it can all go wrong if not
carefully nurtured.
These are the thorny
issues upon which the
fate of the monarchy
rests, as the remarkable
queen, now 85, inevitably
ages and declines.
Hundreds of street
parties were under way
as Britons celebrated the
heritage that makes them
unique— and overseas
visitors came to witness
those traditions.
Brenda Hunt-Stevenson,
a 56-year-old retired
teacher from
Newfoundland, Canada,
said there was only one
thing on her mind. "I
want to see that kiss on
that balcony. That's going
to clinch it for me. I don't
care what Kate wears.
She is beautiful anyway."
The celebration was
British to the core, from
the freshly polished
horse-drawn carriages to
the sausages and lager
served at street parties.
Some pubs opened early
in the morning, offering
beer and English
breakfasts— sausages,
beans, toast, fried eggs
and bacon.
Police said that 55 people
had been arrested in
central London—
including a group of 13
people potentially
planning to scale a
building and stage an
anti-royalist protest.
A total of 25
demonstrators had been
detained, while seven
revelers were
apprehended for
drunken behavior. A 38-
year-old was arrested
over the alleged sexual
assault of a 14-year-old
girl amid the crowds
thronged close to
Clarence House, the
home of Prince Charles.
Officers said four people
were stopped carrying
weapons and that a man
was detained under anti-
terrorism laws after he
was seen taking
photographs of transport
hubs and security
officials.
The festivities reflected
Britons' continuing
fascination with the royal
family, which despite its
foibles remains a
powerful symbol of unity
and pride.
"It's very exciting," Prime
Minister David Cameron
said. "I went on to the
mall last night and met
some people sleeping on
the streets. There's a
sense of excitement that
you can't really put a
word to , it's a chance
to celebrate."
Others disagreed.
John Deery, 45, from
west London, described
the royal family as
"unjustifiable" in the
modern day and age.
"What I want is a
democratic alternative to
the monarchy," he said.
A number of famous
people were left off the
guest list, including
President Barack Obama
and Britain's last two
prime ministers, Tony
Blair and Gordon Brown
of the Labour Party,
which is not as strong a
backer of the monarchy
as the governing
Conservatives. Some
critics call that a snub
which could resonate for
years among Labour
voters.
The royals fervently hope
that a joyous union for
William and Kate will
erase the squalid
memories of his parents'
embarrassing confessions
of adultery as their
marriage tumbled toward
divorce.
And there is no small
irony in the sight of
Americans waking up
before dawn (on the East
Coast) or staying up all
night (West Coast) after
their fellow countrymen
fought so fiercely
centuries ago to throw
off the yoke of the British
monarchy and proclaim a
country in which all men
are created equal.
Brenda Mordic, 61, from
Columbus, Georgia,
clutched a Union Jack
with her friend Annette
Adams, 66.
"We came for the
excitement of
everything," Mordic said.
"We watched William
grow up. I came for
Prince Charles' wedding
to Diana and I came for
Princess Diana's funeral.
We love royalty England
and London."
Sometime after the
ceremony, a television
caught a church official
at the abbey doing a
cartwheel between the
abandoned chairs. The
footage, rebroadcast on
national television, drew
amused commentary
from announcers. The
abbey confirmed that the
cartwheeler was a verger
— the name given to a
church official such as an
usher or a sacristan—
but refused to give his
name.
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Jill Lawless, Robert Barr,
Raphael G. Satter, Meera
Selva, David Stringer,
Aaron Edwards, Caroline
Morrow, Paisley Dodds,
Danica Kirka, Cassandra
Vinograd, Eric Carvin and
Fergus Bell contributed.