John Hall,Dean of Westminster, presided at the service;Rowan Williams,Archbishop of Canterbury, conducted the marriage;Richard Chartres,Bishop of London, preached the sermon; and a reading was given by Catherine's brotherJames. William'sbest man was his brotherPrince Harry, while Catherine's sisterPippa was themaid of honour. The ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, as well as members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. After the ceremony, the couple made the traditional appearance on the balcony ofBuckingham Palace. As William was not the heir apparent to the throne at the time, the wedding was not a full state occasion, and details such as much of theguest list of about 1,900 were left for the couple to decide.
William and Catherine first met in 2001. Their engagement, which took place on 20 October 2010, was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with thewedding of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was made apublic holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of thestate carriages and roles for theFoot Guards andHousehold Cavalry. Events were held around theCommonwealth to mark the wedding; organisations and hotels held events across Canada,[1] over 5,000 street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom, and about a million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace on the wedding day.[2] The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions more around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube.[3] In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with 36.7 million watching at least part of the coverage.
Prince William and Catherine Middleton first met in 2001 while studying at theUniversity of St Andrews.[4] They began dating in 2003.[5] On 16 November 2010,Clarence House stated that William was to marry Catherine "in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London".[6] They were engaged in October 2010, while on a private holiday in Kenya; William gave Middleton thesame engagement ring that his father had given to William's mother,Diana, Princess of Wales[7]—an 18-karatwhite gold ring with a 12-carat oval Ceylon (Sri Lankan)sapphire and 14rounddiamonds. It was announced at approximately the same time that, after their marriage, the couple would live on the Isle ofAnglesey in Wales, where William was based with theRoyal Air Force.[6][8]
Following the announcement, the couple gave an exclusive interview toITV News political editorTom Bradby[17] and hosted a photocall atSt James's Palace.[18][19] 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 photographerMario Testino.[20][21]
Middleton, who was christened as a child, decided to beconfirmed into theChurch of England preceding her wedding.[33] The confirmation service was conducted on 10 March atSt James's Palace by the Bishop of London with her family and William in attendance.[34] TV programmes were also shown in the UK prior to the wedding which provided deeper insights into the couple's relationship and backgrounds, includingWhen Kate Met William[35] andChannel 4'sMeet the Middletons.[36]
Soldiers in non-dress uniforms during the rehearsal for the wedding on 27 April
On 5 January,St James's Palace publicised that the ceremony would start at 11:00British Summer Time (BST) and that Catherine would arrive at the abbey by car rather than by carriage, the traditional transport for royal brides. The route planned was alongThe Mall, throughHorse Guards Parade, and downWhitehall to the abbey. Some roads in central London were closed;Transport for London issued travel advice and information on road closures.[37]
The overall cost of the event was estimated to have been £23.7 million.[42] The Australian newspaperHerald Sun estimatedA$32 million for security and A$800,000 for flowers. Estimates of the cost to the economy of extra public holidays, such as that allowed for the wedding, vary between £1.2 billion and £6 billion.[43] The British government tourist authorityVisitBritain predicted the wedding would trigger a tourism boom that would last several years, eventually pulling in an additional 4 million visitors and generating £2 billion.[44] However, VisitBritain's head of research and forecasting, David Edwards, suggested to colleagues two days after the engagement was announced that the evidence pointed to royal weddings having a negative impact on inbound tourism. He noted that the number of visitors to Britain was down significantly in July 1981, when Prince Charles and Diana were married, from the same period in other years, and also July 1986, whenPrince Andrew andSarah Ferguson were married, was down from July 1985.[45]
The official invitation for the royal wedding, sent by theLord Chamberlain
On 16 and 17 February, three sets of guest lists were sent out in the name of the Queen. Many guests or their successors in office who had been invited to the wedding of William's parents were not invited to the wedding. The first list, consisting of about 1,900 people, attended the ceremony in the abbey; the second list of approximately 600 people were invited to the luncheon reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen; and the final list, of about 300 names, was for the evening dinner, hosted by the Prince of Wales.[46]
More than half the wedding guests were family and friends of the couple, though there were a significant number of Commonwealth leaders (including the governors-general who represent the Queen inCommonwealth realms other than the UK, prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms, and heads of government of other Commonwealth countries), members of religious organisations, the diplomatic corps, several military officials, members of the BritishRoyal Household, members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities and others with whom William has worked on official business. Although St James's Palace declined to publish the names of those invited, a breakdown of guests was published by category, though not including foreign heads of state.[46] The invitation of CardinalSeán Brady,Primate of All Ireland, to the event, and its acceptance, were described as "unprecedented" by a spokesman for Ireland's Catholic bishops. The spokesman attributed the invitation to Cardinal Brady's contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process.[47]
William travelled to the ceremony in aBentley State Limousine (left) with his brother and best man Harry, and Catherine in aRolls-Royce Phantom VI Silver Jubilee Car (right) with her father.
Westminster Abbey has been the venue for coronations and some royal weddings.Combined coat of arms of William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Catherine's bridal dress, designed by the London-based designerSarah Burton atAlexander McQueen,[63] was made of ivory satin and featured an overlaid long-sleeved V-neck lace bodice and appliquéd full skirt with box pleats, the back leading to a nine-foot train. The bodice incorporated machine-made lace, sourced from manufacturers in France and Britain. Floral motifs were cut from lengths of these and then appliquéd by hand onto silk net (tulle) by workers from theRoyal School of Needlework. The motifs included roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.[64] Middleton's point-toedpump shoes were also from Alexander McQueen[65] and had a lace pattern matching the dress with appliqués made by the Royal School of Needlework.[66]
The veil was held in place by the Cartier Halo Tiara, made in 1936 and lent to her by the Queen. It was purchased by the Queen's father, who was to become KingGeorge VI, for his wife,Elizabeth, three weeks before his accession. Princess Elizabeth (later QueenElizabeth II) received the tiara from her mother on her 18th birthday. In order to avoid her tiara falling off (as had happened forLady Diana Spencer while wearing a Spencer family tiara duringher 1981 wedding toCharles, Prince of Wales), Catherine's stylists "backcombed the top [of her hair] to create a foundation for the tiara to sit around, then did a tiny plait in the middle and sewed it on."[67]
For the customary bridal themes of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue", Middleton's gown and veil had lace appointments (the "old"); she was given custom-made diamond earrings by her parents (the "new") and the Queen's tiara (the "borrowed"); and a blue ribbon was sewn into the bodice (the "blue").[68]
Catherine's hair was styled in loose curls for the occasion by hair dresser James Pryce of the Richard Ward Salon.[67][69] She received private make-up lessons from Arabella Preston[69][70] and the entire bridal party received "makeup artistry assistance" fromBobbi Brown make-up artist Hannah Martin prior to the event.[71] It was reported at the time that ultimately Catherine did her own makeup for the occasion but Brown later stated that Martin had done her makeup.[71][72] The look was described as a "soft smokey eye" with pink lips and cheeks.[69][73] Her nails were painted by manicurist Marina Sandoval in a mixture of two polishes: a "barely there pink" and a "sheer beige" to complement her skin tone and gown.[74]
Pippa Middleton, Catherine's maid of honour, also wore a gown by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. It was described as being made of "heavy, ivory satin-based crepe, with a cowl front and with the same button detail and lace trims as Catherine's dress".[75] Like her sister, she received "makeup artistry assistance" from Bobbi Brown make-up artist Hannah Martin.[71] Her hair was loosely curled in a half-up, half-down style by the Richard Ward Salon[67] with a deep side part and a hairpiece made of ivy and lily of the valley to match Catherine's bouquet.[69]
The young bridesmaids wore dresses designed by Nicki Macfarlane, handmade with the help of Macfarlane's daughter Charlotte, in their homes at Wiltshire and Kent.[76] The gowns echoed Catherine's dress and were made with the same fabrics and button detail along the back.[76] They were described as having a "ballerina-length, full, box pleated skirt" and were hand finished with English Cluny lace.[77] Their ivy and lily-of-the-valley hair wreaths were influenced byCatherine's mother Carole's headdress at her 1981 wedding toMichael Middleton.[76]
All of the bridesmaids wore satinMary Jane style shoes with aSwarovski crystal buckle designed by Devon-based Rainbow Club.[77] Their flowers were designed and made by Shane Connolly and replicated the flowers in Catherine's bouquet: lily-of-the-valley, sweet William, and hyacinth.[77]
The pageboys' outfits were designed by Kashket and Partners[78] in the style worn by a "Foot Guard officer at the time ofthe Regency (the 1820s)" with an insignia from the Irish Guards, whose Colonel was Prince William.[79] The tunics are red with gold piping and have Irish shamrocks on the collars.[79] The pages wore a gold and crimson sash (with tassel) around their waists, as is tradition for officers in the Irish Guards when in the presence of a member of the Royal Family.[79]
Designer Russell Kashket worked with the Princes to address concerns they had with the outfits. One such concern was the heat of the Abbey, so the designers used special material to absorb the heat while still achieving the desired look. While military dress uniforms do not traditionally have pockets, the palace requested that some sort of compartment be added to Harry's outfit for Catherine's wedding ring.[78][85]
The order of service chosen by the bridal couple was the Series One form, which is virtually identical with that of the1928 Prayer Book.[86] The Dean of Westminster,John Hall, officiated for most of the service, withRowan Williams, theArchbishop of Canterbury, as celebrant of the marriage andRichard Chartres, theBishop of London, preaching the sermon.[87] It has long been traditional for the Archbishop of Canterbury, theChurch of England's most senior bishop, to officiate at the weddings of England's monarchs and future monarchs.[88] Chartres is a close friend of the then-Prince of Wales and confirmed both Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[89]
The service commenced with the procession of the Queen, Prince Philip and the clergy. Shortly after, Middleton arrived with the party of maid of honour and junior attendants. As the choir sang "I was glad", an anthem bySir Hubert Parry composed in 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII, Catherine made her three-and-a-half-minute procession through the nave and choir on her father's arm, to meet Prince William.[90] The service proceeded with the formal service and congregational singing of three well-known hymns, fanfares, anthems, organ and orchestral music.
In themarriage vows, the couple promised to "love, comfort, honour and keep" each other. This was sealed by the exchange of a single ring.[91]
The sermon, preached by Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, commenced with a quotation fromCatherine of Siena, whose feast day it was. He urged the couple to live selflessly, each remembering the needs of each other and seeking to transform each other by love rather than seeking to reform. He ended the sermon with a prayer composed by the couple themselves:[87][93][94]
God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.
In the busyness of each day, keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer.
We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The service continued with prayers and exhortations by the dean and archbishop. A newly composed choral anthem was sung by the choir. After the signing of the registers, William and Catherine walked down the aisle, pausing briefly to bow and curtsey to the Queen. They were followed in procession by other members of the bridal party, and their families, being joined at the door by the two youngest bridesmaids.[54]
On leaving Westminster Abbey, to the pealing of bells, they passed through a guard of honour of individually selected men and women from the various services, and were greeted by cheers from the crowds. The bridal couple entered the 1902 State Landau drawn by four white horses withpostilions and attendant footmen, and guarded by a mounted escort of theLife Guard. A similar open carriage carried the rest of the bridal party, escorted by theBlues and Royals. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family followed incoaches drawn by the Queen'sCleveland Bay horses, and in state cars.[54]
Catherine processed down the aisle to the anthem "I was glad", written bySir Hubert Parry, fromPsalm 122. It was composed for the crowning of Prince William's great-great-great-grandfather, Edward VII, at Westminster Abbey in 1902.[100]
Three congregational hymns were sung during the service:
Fanfare ensemble leader Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs's own compositionValiant and Brave was performed as the royal couple signed the wedding registers.[98]Preux et audacieux (which translates from French as "Valiant and Brave") is the motto of22 Squadron, in which Prince William was serving as a search and rescue pilot atRAF Valley in North Wales.[104] The fanfare led into the recessional music, the orchestral march "Crown Imperial" byWilliam Walton, composed for the coronation ofGeorge VI and which was also performed at Charles and Diana's wedding.[105]
Thebells of Westminster Abbey rang a fullpeal as the newly married couple and guests left the church. The ten bells rang a peal called "Spliced Surprise Royal", consisting of 5,040changes, that took more than three hours to complete. They were rung by the volunteers of the Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers, under the direction of David Hilling.[106]
Catherine'sWelsh gold wedding ring[107][108] was made by the royal warrant holderWartski, a company with roots inBangor, Gwynedd, north Wales.[109] Since 1923, it has been a tradition in the Royal Family to use Welsh gold for the wedding ring of the bride.[110] This ring was made from a small amount of gold that had been kept in the royal vaults since it was presented to QueenElizabeth II. It was mined from theClogau Gold Mine in the mountains ofNorth Wales. The Clogau Gold Mine had its heyday in the late nineteenth century, was abandoned in the early twentieth century, was reopened in 1992 and finally closed in 1998.[111] The Queen had given a piece of the gold that had been in the family for many years to Prince William.[110] Prince William chose not to receive a wedding ring at the ceremony.[108]
On the morning of the wedding, it was announced that William was to be createdDuke of Cambridge,Earl of Strathearn, andBaron Carrickfergus,[112] with Catherine becomingHer Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge after the marriage service.[113] This was in line with the practice of granting titles upon marriage to royal princes who did not already have one (for example,Prince Andrew was createdDuke of York when he married in 1986).[114]Strathearn is close to St Andrews, Fife, in Scotland, where the couple met as students, andCarrickfergus is in Northern Ireland.[113][116]
The night before the wedding, the Queen and other members of the royal family and royals from other countries attended a gala dinner atMandarin Oriental Hyde Park organised by the Queen's cousinLady Elizabeth Shakerley.[117][118] After the wedding, the Queen hosted a lunchtime reception atBuckingham Palace,[87][119] starting after the arrival of the married couple's carriage. It was a private gathering for guests drawn from the congregation who represent the couple's official and private lives. The couple made an appearance on the balcony on the east (main) front of Buckingham Palace, where they shared a kiss twice.[120]Claire Jones,Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, performed at the reception, playing a gold leaf harp known as "Prince of Wales" presented to Prince Charles in 2006 by Italian-American harp makerSalvi Harps.[121]
The menu for the reception remained unknown for several years until a copy of the menu was sold at an auction:
North Highland organic lamb fromPrince Charles's organic farm with spring vegetables, English asparagus, Jersey Royal potatoes and sauce Windsor with 2004 L'Hospitalet de GazinPomerol[122]
The main cake was an eight-tierfruit cake decorated with Lambeth-pipedsugar paste flowers.[122][124] Cake designer Fiona Cairns based in Fleckney, Leicestershire was chosen in February 2011 to bake the wedding cake. Additionally,McVitie's made achocolate biscuitgroom's cake from a Royal Family recipe, specially requested by Prince William, for the reception at Buckingham Palace.[48][125] Thisicebox cake is a favoritetea cake of the Prince, his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and his grandmother QueenElizabeth II.[126][127][128][129][130][131]
At 3.35 pm, William drove his new wife back up the Mall for the short distance toClarence House, his official London residence. The car, a blue, two-seaterAston Martin DB6 Volante (MkII convertible) that had been given to Prince Charles by the Queen as a 21st birthday present, was decorated in the customary newlywed style by the best man and friends; the rear number plate read "JUST WED".[132] This was actually just for show; the registered number plate was EBY 776J.[133] The Prince had changed into aBlues and Royals captain's frock coat also made by Kashket;[134] his wife was still wearing her wedding dress. In a surprise organised byRAF Wattisham, the car was shadowed by a yellowSea King helicopter flying theRAF Ensign from its winch cable, marking William's service as a pilot with theRAF Search and Rescue Force.[135]
In the evening, the Prince of Wales hosted a private dinner, followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace for the couple and their close friends and family.[48][136] For the evening reception, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a strapless dress by Sarah Burton which "featured a circle skirt and diamante detailing".[137] She also wore a white shrug and let her hair down.[138] Singer-songwriterEllie Goulding performed at the event, singing her rendition of "Your Song" for the couple's first dance. She also performed her hit single "Starry Eyed" for the assembled guests. The event ended with a smallfireworks display in the palace grounds.[139]
Prince William and Catherine Middleton personally approved an official range of china (including handmade plates, cups, andpill boxes) to be made for theRoyal Collection and sold as souvenirs from December 2010 onwards.[140] The items were decorated with the intertwined initials of the couple under the prince'scoronet and included the wording "To celebrate the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton 29 April 2011."[141] TheLord Chamberlain's office approved a longer list of memorabilia, including official mugs, plates, biscuit tins, and porcelain pill pots. The document also clarified the use of William's coat of arms and pictures of the couple on such items.[142] Sales of merchandising were expected to reach £44 million.[141]
To mark the engagement of William and Catherine, theRoyal Mint produced an officialAlderney £5 engagement coin, showing the couple in profile,[143] and an official £5 coin for the wedding.[144] TheRoyal Australian Mint issued a series of circulation and collectable coins designed byStuart Devlin.[145] TheRoyal Canadian Mint released a series of coins, andCanada Post issued a stamp,[146] approved byClarence House, in commemoration of the wedding.[147] On 21 April, a set of commemorative postage stamps, featuring the couple's official engagement photographs, was issued byRoyal Mail.[148]
The wedding was widely broadcast on television, internet, and radio, in more than 180 countries.[149]ITV,[150]BBC,[151] andCNN covered the ceremony and associated events live through the combined pool of footage from the BBC, Sky, andITN to help cover the overall cost.[152]
In North America, which is five to nine hours behindBritish Summer Time, the wedding occurred during the time usually taken up by networkbreakfast television programmes, which expanded their normal length to allow for full coverage.NBC'sToday began coverage at 4 amEastern Time,[153] and along withMSNBC, partnered with ITV.[154][155]ABC partnered with BBC,[156]CBS has its own live London affiliates,[157] andFox andFox News Channel partnered with their sister networkSky News.[158] (Although the American networks sent their top presenters, NBC expanded theToday show due to the2011 Super Outbreak of tornadoes;NBC Nightly News presenterBrian Williams had arrived in London to present the coverage, but the outbreak forced him to return to the United States.[159] Nevertheless, NBC had the highest ratings of any American network for the royal wedding, like 30 years before.[153])
TheCBC[160] andCTV had live coverage.[161] Cable networks and radio also had live coverage.[162] InMexico, the wedding aired onTelevisa andTV Azteca; all television stations in Mexico carrying the ceremony stayed on the air during the late night hours instead of normally signing off. TheABC also took the BBC feed in Australia, in addition to pay TV channelUKTV. Coverage was also provided on theSeven Network,Nine Network andNetwork Ten. The ABC had planned to produce alternative commentary withThe Chaser, but in response to these plans, the BBC barred the use of its footage for such a purpose, on orders fromClarence House.[163] The royal wedding was also streamed live online on YouTube via theBritish Monarchy's official The Royal Channel.[164]
An April 2011 poll of 2,000 British adults found that 35% of the public intended to watch the wedding on television while an equal proportion planned to ignore the event altogether.[165] According to their reported plans, women were more than twice as likely (47%) to watch the event as men (23%).[166] Early estimates following the ceremony indicated an estimated 24.5 million people in the United Kingdom watched the wedding on eitherBBC One or ITV, giving those channels a 99.4% share of the terrestrial television audience as the service began,[167] with the BBC's Live royal wedding website having 9 million hits, estimating over half the British population watched the wedding.
The viewing figures for the event have been the subject of much speculation, withJeremy Hunt,Culture Secretary, estimating that 2 billion people would watch the wedding.[168] Following the event, this figure was duly reported by the media,[169][170] but was criticised by some news outlets for being inaccurate and unfounded.[171][172] Estimated figures include a peak audience of 26.3 million viewers and a total of 36.7 million watching at least some part of the wedding coverage in the UK,[173] while in the United States, the wedding drew an average audience of 22.8 million, with over 60 million tuning in at some point to watch some of the coverage.[174] In India, a reported 42.1 million viewers tuned in,[175] 9.9 million viewers in Germany,[176] 9.6 million viewers in France,[176] 5.22 million viewers watched the event in Canada with twelve million tuning in at some point,[177] five million in Australia,[178] and one million was expected in China,[179] for an audience of 122 million to 176 million viewers, drawing from a total population pool of 3.126 billion (approximately 45% of the world's population). Other reported figures put the global audience at 162 million viewers.[180] In addition to the television audiences, the ceremony attracted 72 million live streams and a reach of 101 million streams on YouTube across 188 countries.[181] With its 72 million streams, the wedding has been listed in the 2012Guinness Book of World Records for the record of "Most Live Streams for a Single Event", beating theMichael Jackson memorial service in 2009.[182] It has been suggested that the "two billion" figure is exaggerated,[183] and that there are too many gaps in the worldwide TV measuring system to accurately audit global audience figures.[184]
There were about 5,500 applications to hold royal wedding street parties across England and Wales, including 850 in London, one of which was hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron in Downing Street for charity workers and local children.[185] The anti-monarchy campaign groupRepublic held an alternative street party inHolborn.[186] The event had initially been blocked byCamden Council after businesses raised concerns about loss of trade.[187]
A number of ceremonies and parties were held at places which had an intimate connection with the couple. In Scotland about 2,000 people attended a party at the University of St Andrews, where the royal couple first met. Hundreds of people watched the ceremony on a big screen inEdinburgh's Festival Square.[188]Welsh celebrations were led byAnglesey, where Prince William was a search and rescue pilot and where the couple resided after the wedding. 2,600 people gathered to watch the event on big screens there, and around 200 street parties were organised throughout the rest of the country, including over 50 inCardiff.[189]
The internationalPeace Bridge across theNiagara River between the United States and Canada atBuffalo, New York, andFort Erie, Ontario, and operated in part by an Ontario Crown corporation, was lit in red, blue and gold, the colours of the royal coat of arms.[190]
InNew Delhi, India, several hotels broadcast the ceremony live. One hotel offered cream tea and cakes decorated with royal emblems.[191]
Criticism and scepticism stemmed from the belief that, at a time of recession and rising unemployment in the UK, millions of pounds in tax funds were used for the wedding's security. The costs of the wedding itself were paid for by the Royal Family and the Middletons.[192][193][194] Emma Boon, campaign director for thetaxpayers unionTaxPayers' Alliance, expressed distaste for the lavish cost of the wedding and noted, "Of course it should be an event for the whole nation to celebrate, but ordinary taxpayers should not be left with a bill fit for a king." Graham Smith, current Campaign Manager ofRepublic, also spoke out on the taxpayer's responsibility for the wedding.[195]
In March 2011, William and Catherine set up a gift fund held byThe Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry to allow well-wishers who wanted to give them a wedding gift to donate money to charities with which they were involved, incorporating the armed forces, children, the elderly, art, sport and conservation.[196][197]
The fund supported a total of 26 named organisations:
Oily Cart: a charity providing interactive theatre for under-fives and young children with learning difficulties[198][199]
PeacePlayers International: a charity that uses sport, particularly basketball, to unite and educate young people from diverse backgrounds[200][199]
The Ocean Youth Trust: a charity based around teaching people to sail to enhance personal development[201][199]
Greenhouse Schools: a charity that uses sport and dance programmes to support London's disadvantaged children[202][199]
IntoUniversity: a charity that provides local learning centres in disadvantaged areas to inspire the local youngsters to achieve[203][199]
Beatbullying: a charity that works with children affected by bullying to provide them with support and confidence[204][199]
The Association for Children's Palliative Care (ACT): a charity that aims to give children who are not expected to reach adulthood the best quality of life they can[205][199]
The Scottish Community Foundation: a charity that helps fund good causes all across Scotland[206][199]
The Household Cavalry Benevolent fund: a charity providing support to soldiers' families, former soldiers and serving soldiers of the Household Cavalry Regiment[209][199]
The Irish Guards Appeal: a charity to help Irish Guards and their families who have been affected by serious injury or disability[210][199]
The Army Widows Association: a charity providing comfort and support to widows and widowers of servicemen and women[211][199]
TheRAF Benevolent Fund: a charity providing practical and financial support to members of the RAF and their families[212][199]
Earthwatch: a charity to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment[214][199]
TheCanadian Coast Guard Auxiliary: a charity providing assistance to the National Defence and Coast Guard with search and rescue and safe boating programmes[215][199]
The Christchurch Earthquake appeal: a charity raising money for the victims of the earthquake that devastated Christchurch in February 2011[216][199]
Dance United: a charity using contemporary dance training to unlock the potential of young offenders and disadvantaged children[220][199]
Venture Trust: a charity using wilderness expeditions to provide young people with personal development activities[221][199]
Keyfund: a charity providing young people with the opportunity to develop practical skills, confidence and self-awareness to reach their potential[222][199]
A National Voice: a charity run for and by young people who are or have been in care to create positive changes to the care system[223][199]
Youth Access: a charity providing advice and counselling to youngsters across the UK[224][199]
The Community Foundation in Wales: a charity managing funds to provide volunteer organisations in Wales with necessary grants[225][199]
In the United States, theEmpire State Building in New York City was lit in red, white, and blue, the colours of theUnion Flag at sunset on 29 April to mark the wedding.[226]
The wedding had been subject to threats of violence and disruption. In February 2011, security agencies, includingMI5, identified "dissident Irish republican groups" as possible threats.[227] The groupMuslims Against Crusades abandoned a planned protest.[228] TheEnglish Defence League vowed to hold a counter-demonstration and promised 50 to 100 EDL members at each railway station in central London to block Muslim extremists in a "ring of steel".[229]
Sixty people arrested at theTUC rally on theMarch for the Alternative had bail conditions that prevented them entering central London over the wedding period.[230]
On 28 April 2011, political activistChris Knight and two others were arrested by theMetropolitan Police Service "on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance and breach of the peace". The three were planning amock execution ofPrince Andrew with a home-madeguillotine in central London to coincide with the wedding. The guillotine was workable, except that it did not have a blade.[231][232]
On the day of the wedding, the Metropolitan Police Service made "pre-emptive" moves, applying blanketstop and search powers and arresting 52 people, including 13 arrested atCharing Cross station in possession of anti-monarchy placards and "climbing equipment".[233] Five people, three of whom were wearing zombie make-up, were arrested "on suspicion of planning a breach of the peace" when they entered a branch ofStarbucks.[233][234] Police described the overall security operation as an "amazing success".[235][236] Eight of the arrestedappealed to the European Court of Human Rights that their arrests were unlawful, but their claims were rejected.
In Scotland, twenty-one people were arrested at an unofficial "street party" inKelvingrove Park, Glasgow which saw "completely unacceptable levels" of drunkenness according toStrathclyde Police.[237] A taxi driver died on 10 May from injuries sustained when his cab was struck by a police van attending the Kelvingrove incident.[238]
Despite reports that the couple would leave for their honeymoon the day after their wedding,[239][240] Prince William immediately returned to his work as a search-and-rescue pilot, and the couple did not depart until 9 May, ten days after their wedding.[241] The honeymoon destination was initially kept secret;[239] the couple honeymooned for ten days on a secluded villa on a private island in theSeychelles,[241] returning by 21 May.[242][243] The length of the honeymoon was limited by William's RAF duties and the couple'sscheduled tour to Canada and the United States later that summer.[241][244]
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