{etss 352}
Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married today, April 29, with all the pomp and pageantry to be expected of a royal wedding.
According to royal officials, the young couple planned the details of their big day, and it was certainly a very British affair, except for the weather which remained warm and dry, despite predictions of April showers.
Arriving at Westminster Abbey in a Rolls Royce, the bride, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge, wore an ivory gown with lace detail designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.
The bridegroom was dressed in the red tunic and blue sash of an Irish Guards colonel, and the wedding ring was made of Welsh gold that the queen gave the prince, according to a long tradition.
Ceremonial music included the hymn Jerusalem, the ballad Gleensleeves, and pieces from British composers, such as Edward Elgar and Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams.
Following the service, the couple left Westminster Abbey in a horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace, passing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Overhead flew Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Around 1:30 p.m. local time, the couple appeared on the balcony at the front of Buckingham Palace, where Prince William kissed his new wife, not once but twice, much to the excitement of the crowd of half a million or so looking on.
Across the nation, Britons celebrated the event, a public holiday, with street parties and large screens televising the ceremony in public areas of some towns and cities.
