Britain's Prince William, right, kisses his wife, Kate, the Dutchess of Cambridge, from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding in London on Friday, April, 29, 2011.
A million people lined the wedding route. The couple appeared before about half a million cheering supporters on a balcony of the palace and exchanged a quick kiss on the lips -- then pecked each other's lips again a moment later.
Royal Air Force jets then flew over the crowd and the palace in formation, the official climax of the wedding celebration.
The couple will be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge following their marriage, the royal family announced shortly before the wedding -- thus avoiding giving the newest member of the royal family any title that would implicitly compare her to Diana, Princess of Wales.
William and Kate are cousins. 15th cousins, both descended from Sir Thomas Fairfax in the 16th Century.
The 1,900 guests include Victoria and David Beckham, rugby coach Clive Woodward, comedian Rowan Atkinson and director Guy Ritchie, two of Kate’s exes, four of William’s and Kate’s wayward uncle all made the cut.
At 29, Kate Middleton will be the oldest Royal bride but once she says, ‘I do’ it’s the end of ‘Kate’. She wants to be known as Catherine.
Kate has shunned riding to the Abbey in the glass carriage used by Princess Diana on her wedding in favour of taking a car — either a 1950s classic used by the Queen or the Phantom IV used by Charles and Camilla during the infamous incident at the student fees protests last year. But the newlyweds will take Charles and Di’s carriage on the ride to Buckingham Palace.
When he becomes king, William, at 6ft 3ins, will be the tallest monarch ever.
The Royal couple have opted for wedding music that includes Westminster Abbey Choir, Chapel Royal Choir and the London Chamber Orchestra over celebrity performers.
The wedding flowers will be white gardenias, lily of the valley, delphinium and roses — all grown in Britain — and will stay in Westminster in the week after the service to be seen by the public. Kate’s bouquet will include a sprig of myrtle, known as ‘the herb of love’, in keeping with a tradition started by Queen Victoria in 1840. The wedding bouquet will go on the tomb of the unknown soldier, a tradition started in 1923 by the Queen Mother on her wedding day.
The bride has commissioned four pairs of shoes for the day with varying heel sizes but will walk down the aisle in a pair of silk slipper flats.
Morganne Picard
