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Fri, 29 April 2011
Two kisses, a flypast and the pageantry ends

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18:15  

Alright, that brings us to the end of what has been the most awaited wedding of the year and is expected to remain much the same for a decade. Poor Prince Harry. We promise Live! coverage when he marries, as well. But not if he weds Lady Gaga (as Brits want him to).

For related stories on the wedding on rediff.com, here's where you go.

You could also go to bbc.co.uk. Try this link

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18:03  
Normally, there is a second appearance in the balcony -- may the couple will be back again.
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18:01  
The Queen has decided that the balcony appearance is over. The family disappears inside. Kate and Wills waves to the crowds and it's over for the crowds as they follow the royal family inside.
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18:00  
Taking part in the fly past were a Lancaster, a Spitfire and a Hurricane aircraft from the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. After that two Tornado and two Typhoon fast jets, flying in Windsor Formation, pass over the Palace.
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17:59  

Any time now, the flypast over Buckingham palace.

OK, another kiss.

On the balcony,the bride and bridegroom are joined by their parents, the Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids, Page Boys, Best Man and Prince William's grandparents The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

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17:57   Kate, Wills kiss: Chaste peck on the lips

The net curtains move a little and yes, Katherine Windsor and Prince William make their appearance in the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The kiss is over -- it's a blink and miss. No passion, almost a peck on the lips. :(

Prince Harry, of course, finds it all very funny.

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17:49  

The crowds are being encouraged to fill The Mall, surround the Queen Victoria Memorial and gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace to enjoy the iconic balcony moment.

Question is, why do they have to be encouraged? Isn't that the place to be? In India, the scene would have looked like crowds were running to the Ganges for their first dip during the Kumbh Mela.

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17:33   Princes in uniforms: Who looks better?
Talking of comparisons, here's a picture ofPrince William and the dashingPrince Harry. The two princesappeared at the Royal Wedding wearing military uniforms.
Find out what these uniforms mean and vote for who looks better in them -- the groom or the Best Man!
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17:29   Kate vs Diana: Vote for the better gown!
It is a curse that every royal bride will have to live with -- comparison with Princess Diana.
We dug out an old picture of Princess Diana on her wedding day and couldn't help thinking back of times when life was simpler.
Take a look at these pictures and tell us who has the better wedding gown -- Diana or Kate Middleton
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17:18  

Where's the kiss?

Anyway, here's a bit of history, the first recorded Royal balcony appearance took place in 1851, when Queen Victoria stepped onto it during celebrations for the opening of the Great Exhibition.

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17:15  

Eye-candy moment.

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17:13  

Just before the gates of Buckingham Palace, is the famous white 'wedding cake' monument, which commemorates Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

It was designed by Sir Aston Webb. Work began in July 1903 and the final memorial was unveiled in 1911 by King George V in the presence of the German Emperor Wilhelm II.

It stands almost 25m high and is made of Carrara marble, bronze and granite. This is the largest monument to a monarch in England.

Ironically, in India, we have a bigger monument to Victoria -- the grand, marble momument -- Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.

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17:10  

'Analysts' on TV say the wedding was 'absolutely lovely'. Why because "the family looked happy, Kate and Wills were chatting with each other, Harry teasing Wills (rolling eyes included)".

But there's no denying it was a magical, unifying moment for Britain.

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17:06  

While we await the kiss, digest this.

Planes from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, among others, will take part in the ceremonial fly past. Prince William is Patron of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which describes itself as a "living and breathing tribute" to those who paid the ulitmate sacrifice during the Second World War.

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17:03  

Gushing crowds outside Buckingham Palace say Princess Kate looks lovely. They said they caught a glimpse, but whatever little they saw, was beautiful.

Here's how Kate looked.

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16:57   Any moment now, the Kate-Wills balcony kiss
In a few minutes, the newly married couple and the rest of the Royal Family will appear on the balcony to greet the crowds, and there will be a fly past over Buckingham Palace.
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16:55  
Kate's sister, Philippa Middleton gets her own carriage and looks at ease as does the newly-wedded couple. The noise of cheering is incredible along the route.
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16:48  

The horses haven't left any 'gifts' behind on the route...

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16:47  
Katherine gets royal salutes as she returns as a member of the royal family. No such pomp and circumstance on the way in.
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16:46  

A sense of timelessness about this part of the wedding. All the houses that line the road from the Abbey toBuckingham Palace are over 200 years old...

The newly married couple will travel back along the procession route in a carriage provided by the Royal Mews. They will pass by the memorial statues of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, Prince William's great-grandparents. They too were married at Westminster Abbey, on 26th April 1923.

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16:44  

The second and third carriages will be Ascot Landaus carrying the Best Man, Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids.

The fourth carriage will be the Scottish State Coach carrying The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

The fifth carriage will be the Australian State Coach carrying The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Mr. and Mrs. Middleton.

The 1902 State Landau was specifically built for King Edward VII in 1902 and was intended to be used at his Coronation.

That's the same chap after whom KEM hospital in Mumbai is named -- King Edward Memorial Hospital

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16:42   Ah! Wills, Kate drive away in 5-horse carriage

The couple are travelling in a five horse-drawn carriages in the Carriage Procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

The first carriage will be the 1902 State Landau or Glass Coach carrying the Bride and the Bridegroom, the latter will only be used if it is raining.

This is where the real sense of celebration and joy is evident. The horses should go a little slower though...

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16:39   Bells pealing Wills, Kate leave Abbey

The couple will leave Westminster Abbey, flanked on both sides by a path-lining party made up of specially selected members of the Armed Forces.

The bride and bridegroom will then depart for Buckingham Palace, accompanied by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Prince William asked for the four carriage officers by name after serving with them in the Household Cavalry Regiment. Two of the horses involved today are named after the bride and bridegroom - William and Catherine. Other horses are called Connery, Goliath, Valerian, Viper and St. Valentine.

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16:38  
It is a Royal tradition, started by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, for Royal Brides to send their wedding bouquet back to the Abbey to be placed on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, which has come to symbolise all who have died in conflict since the First World War. So, the boquet won't be throw.
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16:37  

Kate, Wills are on their way out fo the Abbey, but first with a curtsy to the Queen. Kate smiles all through. A bbc story said she had her teeth whitened before the couple announced their engagement.

But a rather unfortunate habit of chewing her lip or some such. Quite unbecoming. Ahhhh Diana!

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16:34  
OK, see our 16:31 post. Fanfare is on... which means... yesssss. Kate has decided to stay put. Wills leads her back into the Abbey.
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16:32  

Charles and gang are back at their seats. So, where is couple of the decade? Did Kate run away? OMG OMG!@!!

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16:31  

Musicians from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force will accolade the couple once they have signed the register, making them husband and wife.

Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, who will be directing the band of seven trumpeters and one drummer, has composed a new fanfare for the day called Valiant and Brave.

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16:27  
The Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor is located at the heart of the Abbey. This is where the couple will sit to sign the register, which will formally make them man and wife.
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16:27  
The bride, bridegroom, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, the Middletond, The Archbishop of Canterbury and The Dean of Westminster move to the Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor to sign the register after which the couple will formally be declared husband and wife. This will be signalled by a Fanfare, written for the occasion.
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16:25  

Another hymn with the entire congregation singing along (except Queen Elizabeth. May be there's something to it).

The registers and marriage certifcates have to be signed now. But it will take place in private inside a chapel. The registers are a patchwork of British history -- eight royal weddings have taken place here -- with as many signatures. The Queen married Philip here.

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16:19  
Prince Harry standing next to his (unadjectivised) stepmom is exercising his lungs.
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16:13  
The choir boys look like an ad from United Colors of Benetton, but sing like angels. Kate and Wills kneel at the pulpit.
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16:07  

Prince Andrew's daughters perched behind their grandparents, look so much like their mom, Sarah Fergusson.

The Bishop of London is a family friend and went to university with The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. Sermonises on marriage and what it means.

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16:04  

FYI: The Chapel Royal Choir consists of 10 Children of the Chapel, boy choristers who hold scholarships at City of London School.The distinctive State uniforms worn by the children date from the reign of Charles II (1066).

As in, the designs of the uniformsdate back to 1065, not the uniforms themselves.

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16:00  
James Middleton, Kate's brother reads from the psalms. The Chapel gives a rendition of the Anthem, especially commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for the Service and was written by John Rutter. It begins "This is the day that the Lord hath made".
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15:54  

Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down... congregation works at the hymn. Must say, very beautifully.

Kate looks remarkably calm. If you can google it, look for the wedding dress of Princess Grace of Monaco. Quite similar.

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15:50  
There is only one ring to be blessed by the Archbishop and that is for Prince William to give to Catherine. Prince William has chosen not to wear a ring.
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15:48  
Oops the ring is tight. But it finally fits.
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15:46  

The wedding vows are being said... Kate and Willian hold hands. Wills takes his wedding vows... to love and to cherish.

And now, Kate says her bit... and no, the word 'obey' is not there. Till death us do part...

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15:43  

Camilla looks distracted (or is it teary-eyed).

And the final moments as Wills is about to wed Kate

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15:43  
Kate has lifted her veil and my god, she looks stunning! And since this is her wedding day, we will say, almost as good as her late mother-in-law.
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15:39  
Kate takes here place beside Wills. Harry can't seem to stop grinning.
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15:38  

Seriously, nothing beats the splendour of this wedding. The bride and her father, Michael Middleton, are followed by the Dean's verger, The Dean of Westminster, Miss Eliza Lopes (granddaughter of The Duchess of Cornwall), Miss Philippa Middleton (sister of Catherine), Miss Grace van Cutsem, The Lady Louise Mountbatten (yes, our Mountbatten's family) -Windsor, The Honourable Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton.

As Kate walks down the aisle, you can hear The Introit being sung; words below by Charles Hubert Hastings.

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15:36  

OK, it's confirmed, the Kate's dress has been designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

Kate chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing.

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15:33   Kate Middleton has arrived at the venue
Kate Middleton, soon to be Duchess of Cambridge has arrived at the venue. Looking radiant in white veil, conservative cut, long sleeves of lace and lace trim at the neck, moving into a full bodice and skirt, abeaming Middleton waves out to the crowd as she arrives at the venue. Reports suggest that Middleton is wearing anAlexander McQueenwedding gown after rumours that someone resembling Sarah Burton (the late McQueen's right hand aide and now the top boss at the brand) was spotted late last night.
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15:18   Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip have arrived
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have arrived at the Abbey. The wedding will soon begin
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15:13   William's dad and stepmom arrive at the Abbey
Prince Charles and Camila,Duchess of Cornwall have arrived at the Westminster Abbey
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15:10   Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding
The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have left the Buckingham Palace a little while ago.Princess Beatrice is William and Harry's first cousin from her father's side.
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15:07   Who is Camilla wearing?
According to official sources, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall is wearing an outfit designed by London-based designer Anna Valentine.
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15:00   No gifts at William-Kate wedding
The Royal couple will not be accepting any gifts. Instead they have urged their guests to contribute to theRoyal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund that they have set up to celebrate their wedding.The Fund in turn will support charities of their choice.
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14:57   Indian prince at William-Kate wedding!
It isn't just the royal baker's husband who is among the Indian guests at the wedding.
Raghav Raj Singh of Shivrati, who studied and played polo with William will also be there.
The 31-year-old 'maharajsahib' of Shivrati, a jaagir in the former princely state of Udaipur, will be joined by his wife Shailja
Interestingly Kate is said to be associated with the family's Shivrati Trust. The trust works for the underprivileged in Udaipur.
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14:54   What the hell are the Princes wearing?
Just in case you're wondering what the two Princes have been wearing -- here it is.
According to the official Youtube channel of the Royal Wedding: "Prince William has chosen to wear the uniform of Colonel of the Irish Guards on his Wedding Day. Prince William, who is commissioned in all three Armed Services, and who has served actively with the Army (The Household Cavalry Regiment) and with the Royal Air Force (Search and Rescue Force), chose to wear the uniform of his senior honorary appointment in the Army.Prince Harry wears the uniform of a Captain of the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals)."
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14:52   William and Harry arrive at Westminster Abbey
The groom and his best man have arrived at theWestminster Abbey.
The Abbey is where Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots and Charles Dickens among others have been buried.
The formal name of Westminster Abbey is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster.
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14:49   Rough patch in William and Kate's wedding?
Astrologer Mandaar Naik has predicted that the Royal Couple will go through a rough patch in their wedding around 2013.
Read more of Mandaar's predictions
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14:46   Prince William and Harry have arrived!
The two princes were earlier at Clarence House, which is their official residence they share with their father Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
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14:44   Prince William and Harry have arrived!
Prince William and Harry have arrived!
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14:42   Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding list
Talking of who's been snubbed and who hasn't, here's alist of people invited to the wedding!
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14:41   Former PMs Brown, Blair not invited to shaadi!
It might be the wedding of the century but the two men who will miss it are the two formerLabour Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. They HAVE NOT been invited to the wedding.
However the former Conservative PMs John Major (who was the guardian to the princes after their mother Princess Diana died) and Margaret Thatcher have received the invite.
Thatcher is said to have turned down the invitation citing health reasons.
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14:38   PM Cameron arrives at William-Kate's wedding
British Prime Minister has just walked in with his lovely wifeSamantha. Earlier in an interview, he revealed that his present includedphotographs' of theAnglesey an island off the coast of Wales, where the Prince is based as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot."It's a lovely book and beautiful photographs and things like that," he has been quoted as saying.
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14:32   Rains to play spoilsport at William-Kate's wedding
If there's anything the Brits love to fuss over more than their royals, it's their weather!
Sure enough much time has been spent debating about the weather for the day andforecasters have predicted that there is a risk of showers in the afternoon (it is about 10 am right now in London).
However the couple will travelfrom Westminster Abbey to the Palace in an open-topped carriage.
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14:21   Kate Middleton to be Duchess of Cambridge
ThePalace has announced that after their marriage the royal couple will become Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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14:16   The Indian at the Beckhams at William-Kate wedding
Kishore Patel is the husband of Fiona Cairns who has baked the Royal wedding cake. He is of course, on the guest list!
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14:15   The Beckhams at William-Kate wedding
Victoria Beckham and her soccer star husband David Beckhamwearing his CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) on his lapel have arrived at theWestminster Abbey
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14:12   2 bn people to watch the William-Kate wedding
With Youtube live streaming the wedding, over two billion people will be watching the wedding across the world. According to some estimates some5,000 enthusiasts have been camped out overnight!
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13:54  
The 1900 guests who have been invited have already started at Westminster Abbey ahead of the service scheduled for 11 am local time.
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13:52   Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding
Hello and welcome to the live coverage of what is being touted as the wedding of the century. It's the big day as Prince William is all set to marry his sweetheart Kate Middleton

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