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178874
Fri, 04/29/2011 - 13:35
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http://m.oananews.org//node/178874
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Prince William, Catherine about to wed
The first of 1900 guests have begun arriving for the royal wedding of Prince William and his long time love, Catherine Middleton.
The guests began arriving at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey at 8.15am (1715 AEST), nearly three hours before the wedding service gets underway.
Tens of thousands of excited Britons and international tourists have been waiting, many overnight, for the biggest royal event in nearly 30 years.
The weather is cool and overcast, but the rain may hold off till early afternoon.
Shortly before the wedding, Buckingham Palace announced that William and Catherine would become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge upon their marriage.
The Queen has conferred the dukedom on William, the highest rank in British peerage, as well as the titles of the Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.
Catherine will also technically become Princess William of Wales. According to protocol, she is not officially Princess Catherine as she was not born a princess in her own right.
It's also been revealed that the Australian State Coach will now be used in the wedding procession taking the royal party back to Buckingham Palace after the wedding.
The newlyweds will brave the elements and travel from the abbey to Buckingham Palace in the open-topped 1902 State Landau used by William's parents Charles and Diana after their wedding.
But Charles, his wife Camilla, and Catherine's parents Michael and Carole Middleton will now travel in the enclosed coach that Australia gave the Queen to celebrate the bicentenary in 1988.
The Abbey looks magnificent, filled with an array of seasonal British flowers and traditional shrubs, including rhododendron, euphorbias, wisteria, blossoms, azaleas and lilacs will provide bursts of colour.
An "avenue of trees" lines the 97-metre long aisle Catherine, escorted by her father Michael Middleton, will walk down.
Former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward, who was among the guests at the abbey, said he was "very proud" of William and Catherine.
"Coming down last night, to see the whole scale of the event, it was just absolutely fantastic," he told the BBC.
"I'm just so glad to be British because the whole country's clearly behind this wonderful couple and it just should be a wonderful day.
"He will be very nervous, and I'm a little bit nervous for him."
Australian Olympian and swimming legend Ian Thorpe has arrived at the Abbey.
Arriving separately was Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry's on-again, off-again girlfriend.
Among the other guests are all 27 members of William's search-and-rescue unit, C Flight 22, along with their partners and various friends of the couple from school, St Andrew's University, and their social networks.
Thorpe, who met the prince during his private visit to Australia in 2010, was wearing a morning suit.
Davy was wearing an Alberta Ferretti aqua green satin top, slightly off-the-shoulder with bow detail at the back.
She had donned a small beige fascinator-style hat with netting.
Singer-turned-fashion-guru Victoria Beckham chose one of her own designs in dark blue to suit the big day. It was accessorised with a hat by celebrated milliner Philip Treacy.
Her husband, the soccer star David Beckham, chose to wear tails with a high collar and his OBE pinned to his lapel.
Meanwhile, the maroon Rolls-Royce that will take Catherine to the abbey arrived at The Goring hotel at 9.10am.
Catherine spent her last night as a commoner at the historic hotel with her family on Thursday.
She will leave from the hotel, with her father Michael, at 10.51am (1951 AEST), arriving at the abbey at 11am.
Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce and her husband Michael and Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson have arrived.
They were among the foreign dignitaries to arrive in special coaches for the service.
Ms Bryce cut an elegant figure in a hot pink, red and orange silk brocade two piece suit by Brisbane designer Pia Du Pradal, while Mr Bryce was wearing a dark navy suit with gold tie.
Ms Gillard chose some of Australia's best known designers - Carla Zampatti, Anthea Crawford and Aurelio Costrella - for her navy and cream outfit.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and his wife Bronagh, wearing Trelise Cooper, have also arrived.
As guests, including Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, and director Guy Ritchie arrived, the Band of the Coldstream Guards marched down the Mall toward the Duke of York Steps.
Playing hits such as Barry Manilow's Copacabana, the 44-member band got spectators moving their feet.
A string of military were cheered by the crowds as they marched past.
Members of the Welsh Guards have also been busy after their 4am start. More than 600 will be on ceremonial duty.
As well as guardsmen performing in marching bands, a number will be "guards of honour" lining the streets to the palace.
The guests began arriving at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey at 8.15am (1715 AEST), nearly three hours before the wedding service gets underway.
Tens of thousands of excited Britons and international tourists have been waiting, many overnight, for the biggest royal event in nearly 30 years.
The weather is cool and overcast, but the rain may hold off till early afternoon.
Shortly before the wedding, Buckingham Palace announced that William and Catherine would become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge upon their marriage.
The Queen has conferred the dukedom on William, the highest rank in British peerage, as well as the titles of the Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.
Catherine will also technically become Princess William of Wales. According to protocol, she is not officially Princess Catherine as she was not born a princess in her own right.
It's also been revealed that the Australian State Coach will now be used in the wedding procession taking the royal party back to Buckingham Palace after the wedding.
The newlyweds will brave the elements and travel from the abbey to Buckingham Palace in the open-topped 1902 State Landau used by William's parents Charles and Diana after their wedding.
But Charles, his wife Camilla, and Catherine's parents Michael and Carole Middleton will now travel in the enclosed coach that Australia gave the Queen to celebrate the bicentenary in 1988.
The Abbey looks magnificent, filled with an array of seasonal British flowers and traditional shrubs, including rhododendron, euphorbias, wisteria, blossoms, azaleas and lilacs will provide bursts of colour.
An "avenue of trees" lines the 97-metre long aisle Catherine, escorted by her father Michael Middleton, will walk down.
Former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward, who was among the guests at the abbey, said he was "very proud" of William and Catherine.
"Coming down last night, to see the whole scale of the event, it was just absolutely fantastic," he told the BBC.
"I'm just so glad to be British because the whole country's clearly behind this wonderful couple and it just should be a wonderful day.
"He will be very nervous, and I'm a little bit nervous for him."
Australian Olympian and swimming legend Ian Thorpe has arrived at the Abbey.
Arriving separately was Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry's on-again, off-again girlfriend.
Among the other guests are all 27 members of William's search-and-rescue unit, C Flight 22, along with their partners and various friends of the couple from school, St Andrew's University, and their social networks.
Thorpe, who met the prince during his private visit to Australia in 2010, was wearing a morning suit.
Davy was wearing an Alberta Ferretti aqua green satin top, slightly off-the-shoulder with bow detail at the back.
She had donned a small beige fascinator-style hat with netting.
Singer-turned-fashion-guru Victoria Beckham chose one of her own designs in dark blue to suit the big day. It was accessorised with a hat by celebrated milliner Philip Treacy.
Her husband, the soccer star David Beckham, chose to wear tails with a high collar and his OBE pinned to his lapel.
Meanwhile, the maroon Rolls-Royce that will take Catherine to the abbey arrived at The Goring hotel at 9.10am.
Catherine spent her last night as a commoner at the historic hotel with her family on Thursday.
She will leave from the hotel, with her father Michael, at 10.51am (1951 AEST), arriving at the abbey at 11am.
Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce and her husband Michael and Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathieson have arrived.
They were among the foreign dignitaries to arrive in special coaches for the service.
Ms Bryce cut an elegant figure in a hot pink, red and orange silk brocade two piece suit by Brisbane designer Pia Du Pradal, while Mr Bryce was wearing a dark navy suit with gold tie.
Ms Gillard chose some of Australia's best known designers - Carla Zampatti, Anthea Crawford and Aurelio Costrella - for her navy and cream outfit.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and his wife Bronagh, wearing Trelise Cooper, have also arrived.
As guests, including Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, and director Guy Ritchie arrived, the Band of the Coldstream Guards marched down the Mall toward the Duke of York Steps.
Playing hits such as Barry Manilow's Copacabana, the 44-member band got spectators moving their feet.
A string of military were cheered by the crowds as they marched past.
Members of the Welsh Guards have also been busy after their 4am start. More than 600 will be on ceremonial duty.
As well as guardsmen performing in marching bands, a number will be "guards of honour" lining the streets to the palace.
