Jump to content

Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 31: Line 31:


==Planning==
==Planning==
Planning of the Royal will be under taken by the world renowned Timmy trendy. On 23 November 2010 [[Clarence House]] announced the date for the wedding as 29 April 2011 and the venue as Westminster Abbey.<ref>{{cite web
Planning of the Royal will be under taken by the world renowned Timmy Trendy. On 23 November 2010 [[Clarence House]] announced the date for the wedding as 29 April 2011 and the venue as Westminster Abbey.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/prince_william_and_miss_middleton_wedding_1343098720.html
|url = http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/prince_william_and_miss_middleton_wedding_1343098720.html
|title = Prince William and Miss Middleton wedding
|title = Prince William and Miss Middleton wedding

Revision as of 16:51, 13 January 2011

Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton
File:William and Kate thumbnail.jpg
DateFriday, 29 April 2011
LocationWestminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom
ParticipantsPrince William of Wales
Kate Middleton

The wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton is scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. Prince William, who is second in the line of succession to Queen Elizabeth II, first met Middleton in 2001, while he and Middleton were studying at the University of St Andrews, and they were engaged on 16 November 2010. After their marriage, the couple intend to continue residing on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where Prince William is based as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.

Engagement announcement

Clarence House announced on 16 November 2010 that Prince William, elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, will marry Kate Middleton, William's long-time girlfriend, "in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London".[1] They were engaged in October 2010 while on a private holiday in Kenya; William gave Middleton the same engagement ring that his father had given to William's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales[2]—an 18 carat white gold ring with large oval sapphire and 14 round diamonds.[3] It was announced at approximately the same time that, after their marriage, the couple will live on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where Prince William is based with the Royal Air Force.[1][4]

File:Royal engagement official.jpg
Prince William and Kate Middleton's official engagement photograph by Mario Testino

The Prince of Wales said he was "thrilled ... they have been practising long enough",[5] and Queen Elizabeth II said she was "absolutely delighted" for the couple,[2] giving her formal consent to the marriage, as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772, in her British privy council on the morning of the engagement.[6] Congratulations also came in from the Queen's prime ministers,[7][8][9] including Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard, who has moderate republican leanings.[10] The Australian Republican Movement spokesman, John Warhurst, however, told ABC 24 TV that the wedding would reignite republican argument in that country.[10] Further, Pete Broadbent, suffragan Bishop of Willesden, who has known republican views, published his reaction to the wedding announcement on Facebook. He later acknowledged that his words were "offensive" and subsequently apologised,[11] but his superior, Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, instructed him to withdraw from public ministry "until further notice".[12][13]

Following the announcement the couple gave an exclusive interview to ITV News political editor Tom Bradby and hosted a photocall at St. James's Palace.[14][15] On 12 December 2010, Buckingham Palace issued the official engagement photographs; these were taken on 25 November, in the state apartments at St. James's Palace, by photographer Mario Testino.[16][17]

Couple

Main articles: Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton

They met while undergraduates at the University of St Andrews, where they both lived at St Salvator's Hall during their first year,[18] after which they shared accommodation in the town for two years.[19]

Prince William is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As such, he is second, behind his father, in the line of succession to the throne in 16 independent states known as the Commonwealth realms, though he resides in the United Kingdom, the oldest of these realms. William was educated at Ludgrove School, Eton College, and the University of St Andrews, after which he was commissioned from Sandhurst in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry.[20] He later transferred to the Air Force and went on to become a full time pilot with the Search and Rescue Force.[21][22]

Catherine "Kate" Middleton is the first of three children of Carole and Michael Middleton. She was educated at St Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Marlborough College,[23] and the University of St Andrews.[24] After graduating, she worked in retail and then as an accessories buyer/catalogue photographer at her parents' business.[25] She is primarily of English descent, but with a few distant Scottish and French Huguenot ancestors.[26] Her paternal family came from Leeds, West Yorkshire,[27] while her mother's maternal family, the Harrisons, were working-class labourers and miners from County Durham.[28]

The couple are fifteenth cousins—having Sir Thomas Fairfax and his wife, Agnes, as common ancestors[26][29]—and are possibly twelfth cousins once removed, circumstantial evidence suggesting that they are both descended from Sir Thomas Leighton and Elizabeth Knollys.[26][30]

Planning

Planning of the Royal will be under taken by the world renowned Timmy Trendy. On 23 November 2010 Clarence House announced the date for the wedding as 29 April 2011 and the venue as Westminster Abbey.[31][32] It was also announced that the costs of the wedding itself will be met by the Royal Family and the Middletons themselves, while the costs of security and transport will be covered by the British treasury.[33][34]

Venue

Westminster Abbey's western façade

Middleton made a private visit to Westminster Abbey the evening after the engagement was announced.[35] Shortly afterwards the choice of the abbey as the wedding's venue was confirmed.

Westminster Abbey is a royal peculiar, founded in AD 960 (although it ceased to be part of a monastery in 1536).[36] Although the abbey has been the traditional location for coronations since 1066, it has only recently been the church of choice for royal weddings. Prior to 1918, most royal weddings took place in the royal chapels such as the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace (seating capacity 100) and St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.[37] The abbey has a usual seating capacity of 2000 (although this was expanded to 8000 for the coronation in 1953).[38]

Recent royal weddings in the abbey have included those of Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) to The Duke of Edinburgh (1947), Princess Margaret (1960), Princess Anne (1973) and Prince Andrew (1986).[39]

On 5 January St James Palace announced that the Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will perform the marriage ceremony and that Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, will give the address.[40][41] It has long been traditional for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England's most senior cleric, to preside over weddings of England's monarchs and future monarchs,[42] but as Chartres is a close friend of the Prince of Wales,[43] he was invited to participate in the ceremony.

The ceremony

On 5 January, St James Palace announced that the ceremony would start at 11:00 and that Middleton will arrive at the abbey by car, rather than by carriage - the traditional transport for royal brides. The route will be along The Mall and Whitehall. After the ceremony, the bridal couple will return along the same route by carriage to a reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales will host a private dinner that evening.[41]

Timing

The original engagement announcement stated simply that the wedding would be "in the spring or summer of 2011". On 23 November 2010 the date of 29 April 2011 was confirmed. It was later announced that the day would be declared a public holiday throughout the United Kingdom,[32][44] formal confirmation being made by the Queen in Council on 15 December 2010.[45]

As 29 April falls six days before elections for the Scottish Parliament, this has attracted political comment in Scotland. John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, stated that the date was "unfortunate" and was "likely to see the Royal Family getting caught up in political debate".[46]

Official Merchandise

Prince William and Kate Middleton have personally approved an official range of china (including handmade plates, cups and pill boxes) to be made for the Royal Collection and sold as souvenirs from December 2010.[47] The items are decorated with the intertwined initials of the the couple, under the prince's cornet, and include the wording "To celebrate the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton 29th April 2011."[48] The Lord Chamberlain's office approved a longer list of memorabilia, including official mugs, plates, biscuit tins and porcelain pill pots. Initially, the Palace refused to sanction official tea-towels, which, along with aprons, T-shirts and cushions, were deemed, 'in poor taste'. However, this decision was later reversed - and tea towels, although not the other items, were permitted.[49] Sales of merchandising are expected to reach £44 million.[48]

The Royal Mint has produced an official £5 coin, showing the couple in profile, to mark their engagement.[50]

Title after the wedding

There is only one case of the oldest surviving son of the Prince of Wales marrying before his father succeeded to the throne: the future George V who married Mary of Teck in 1893. He had already been created Duke of York a year earlier, shortly after the death of his older brother brought him directly in line of succession to the throne.

In recent years, several royal princes who did not already have a title were given one upon marriage, including Prince Andrew, who was created Duke of York when he married in 1986.[51] In a break with precedent[52] Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex; at the same time it was announced that he would be given the title Duke of Edinburgh when that title, currently held by his father, reverts to the Crown.[53][54] According to The Daily Telegraph, it is expected that William will be offered a dukedom on his marriage, allowing his wife to be styled as a duchess,[55][56] In an interview with This is Sussex, Charles Kidd, editor of Debrett's said that the title most likely to be bestowed on Prince William on the eve of his wedding was the Duke of Sussex, although he added that other available titles were the Duke of Cambridge or the Duke of Clarence.[57]

In Letters Patent dated 21 August 1996 (shortly after the divorce of the Prince and Princess of Wales) it was acknowledged that "by convention the wife of the son of a sovereign of these Realms the wife of a son of a son of a Sovereign and the wife of the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales is entitled to the style title or attribute of Royal Highness".[58] If William were not given a title then, after the wedding, Middleton would, by convention, be known as Her Royal Highness, Princess William of Wales[55] taking her husband's first name on marriage (as with Princess Michael of Kent).[54] If however William is given a title, she would be known as "Her Royal Highness the Duchess [or other rank if appropriate] of N".

In December 2010, it was reported in The Daily Telegraph that William did not wish to receive a dukedom, preferring to remain simply a prince. It was suggested that this caused a dilemma for the Queen, because of the question regarding the title by which Kate will be known after the marriage.[59]

References

  1. ^ a b Clarence House (16 November 2010). "His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton are engaged to be married". Queen's Printer. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Royal wedding: Prince William to marry Kate Middleton". BBC. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  3. ^ Wilkes, David; Schlesinger, Fay (17 November 2010), "A ring fit for his mother... and his love: Prince William's sapphire and diamond engagement ring for Kate", Mail Online, retrieved 28 November 2010
  4. ^ Horton, Nick (16 November 2010). "'Royal' Anglesey, William and Kate's island of love". BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  5. ^ "They have been practising long enough: Charles and Camilla welcome 'wicked' news of engagement", Daily Mail, 16 November 2010, retrieved 28 November 2010
  6. ^ Gibson, William (2 December 2010). "One gives one's blessing". The Times Higher Education. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  7. ^ Office of the Prime Minister of Canada (16 November 2010). "Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the engagement of HRH Prince William to Kate Middleton". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  8. ^ "NZealand PM congratulates Prince William on engagement". Laredo Sun. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  9. ^ "Royal wedding: Prince William to marry Kate Middleton". BBC. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Royal wedding revives republic debate". News Limited. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  11. ^ Thornton, Ed (26 November 2010), "Bishop Broadbent in purdah after criticising royals", The Church Times, retrieved 12 December 2010
  12. ^ "Royal wedding: Facebook row bishop suspended". BBC. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  13. ^ Chartres, Richard (23 November 2010). "A statement from the Bishop of London". The Diocese of London. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  14. ^ Bradby, Tom (16 November 2010). "William & Kate interview". ITV. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  15. ^ "As it happened: Royal engagement". BBC. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  16. ^ "Royal wedding: William and Kate pose for Testino photos". BBC. 12 December 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  17. ^ Clarence House. "The official engagement photographs of Prince William and Catherine Middleton". Queen's Printer. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  18. ^ Walker, Tim (30 May 2009), Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding regrets, Telegraph, retrieved 28 November 2010
  19. ^ Bates, Stephen; Meikle, James (16 November 2010), Prince William and Kate Middleton engagement announced, The Guardian, retrieved 26 November 2010
  20. ^ "William joining Harry's regiment". BBC News. 21 September 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  21. ^ "Prince William ready for Search and Rescue role". Meeja. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  22. ^ Pierce, Andrew (13 January 2009), Prince William starts as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, Telegraph, retrieved 18 January 2009
  23. ^ "World press gather outside Middleton family home in Bucklebury as royal relationship ends". Newbury Today. 14 April 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  24. ^ Katie is just not waiting: Middleton works nine to five for parents in mundane office job, London Evening Standard, 2 September 2008, retrieved 16 November 2010
  25. ^ "About us". Party Pieces. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  26. ^ a b c William Addams Reitwiesner. "Ancestry of Kate Middleton". Wargs. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  27. ^ The Leeds connection..., Yorkshire Evening Post, 11 September 2006, retrieved 28 November 2010
  28. ^ Wilson, Christopher (22 December 2006), "Kate, the coal miner's", Mail Online, retrieved 28 November 2010
  29. ^ Vickers, Hugo (21 November 2010), "Royal wedding: a triumph for love alone", The Daily Telegraph, retrieved 10 January 2010
  30. ^ Wilson, Christopher (3 August 2010), "Wills and Kate, kissing cousins! How the Royal lovebirds are related thanks to a Tudor tyrant so bloodthirsty he's been airbrushed from history", Daily Mail, retrieved 8 January 2011
  31. ^ "Prince William and Miss Middleton wedding". The Prince of Wales. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  32. ^ a b "Royal wedding set for Westminster Abbey on 29 April". BBC News. 23 November 2010.
  33. ^ "PM welcomes announcement of date for Royal wedding". Prime Minister's Office. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  34. ^ "Royal Wedding date chosen by Prince William and Kate". BBC News. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  35. ^ "Speculation grows over royal wedding venue and date". BBC News. 18 November 2010.
  36. ^ "History". Westminster Abbey. Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  37. ^ "Weddings". The official website of the British Monarchy. The Royal Household. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  38. ^ "Westminster Abbey - Maths Trail" (PDF). Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  39. ^ "Royals and the Abbey". Westminster Abbey. Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  40. ^ "The wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton - an update". The Prince of Wales website. The Prince of Wales. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  41. ^ a b "Prince William and Kate Middleton reveal wedding plans". BBC News. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  42. ^ Jonathan Wynne-Jones, (4 December 2010). "Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate at royal wedding". Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  43. ^ Victoria Ward, (21 November 2010). "Royal Wedding: Bishop predicts Prince William's marriage to Kate Middleton will only last seven years". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  44. ^ "Royal wedding celebration as workers given public holiday". Herald Scotland. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  45. ^ "Orders Approved at the Privy Council held by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 15th December 2010" (PDF). The Privy Council. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  46. ^ Peterkin, Tom (24 November 2010). "Royal wedding at risk of becoming political football". The Scotsman. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  47. ^ Rayner, Gordon (20 December 2010). "Royal wedding: official merchandise goes on sale for first time". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  48. ^ a b D'Souza, Rebecca (30 December 2010). "Top 4 Prince William and Kate Wedding Memorabilia". Manufacturing Digital. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  49. ^ "The Royal Dryness: Official wedding tea-towels WILL be allowed after Palace U-turn Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346099/Royal-wedding-Official-tea-towels-WILL-allowed-Palace-U-turn.html#ixzz1AkyxBBIl". Daily Mail. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  50. ^ "Royal Mint coin design marks Prince William engagement". BBC website. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  51. ^ "The Peerage". Whitaker's Concise Almanack. 2003. pp. 134–169. ISBN 0-7136-6498-3.
  52. ^ Charles Kidd, ed. (2007). "Peerages of other members of the Royal family". Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2008. London: Debrett's. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-870520-80-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  53. ^ "The Royal Family > Members of the Royal Family > TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex". Buckingham Palace. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  54. ^ a b Yorke, Yvonne (22 November 2010). "William and Kate's Royal Wedding -- What to Expect". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  55. ^ a b Ross, Tim. "Could William and Kate be the next Duke and Duchess of Cambridge?". Telegraph. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  56. ^ Wilson, Christopher (23 November 2010). "Royal wedding: the making of a modern prince". Telegraph. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  57. ^ Crombie, Claire (23 November 2010). "Royal couple may take Sussex title". This is Sussex. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  58. ^ François Velde. "Styles of the members of the British royal family:Documents - Former wives (1996)". Styles of the members of the British royal family. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  59. ^ Richard Eden (12 December 2010). "Royal wedding: Prince William asks the Queen not to make him a duke". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2010.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wedding_of_Prince_William_and_Catherine_Middleton&oldid=407682422"