Wedding royal — Much pomp and party

By 5 a.m. on Friday — nearly six hours before Kate Middleton and her father Michael left the Goring Hotel in central London in a 1978 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI — the crowds were dense along the Mall and the rest of the route to and from Westminster Abbey as bleary-eyed campers peeked out of their tents or sleeping bags, while others popped champagne bottles.

“It's been cold, noisy but really worth it,” exclaimed 45-year-old Debbie from the city of Derby, who had been camping out along the Mall from 4 p.m. the previous evening. “We're on expressos and champagne.. so it's quite civilised really,” said Vanessa, from Sydney, in a large group of Australians that had grabbed a spot along the Mall at 10-30 p.m. the previous evening. Many who had arrived early in the morning were dressed up for the occasion in outfits ranging from the bizarre to the elegant. Men in coat tails and top hats emblazoned with the British flag stood by women in pretty summer dresses and formal hats.

The wedding of William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — as they will now be known — was watched by around two billion people across the world. Around half a million gathered on the streets of central London, either lining the processional route or gathered at the massive screens that live-streamed the event.

On the streets, the excitement built as 1,900 guests filed into Westminster Abbey, which has been the nation's coronation church since 1066. Screams greeted Prince William as he appeared in his scarlet-red uniform of a Colonel of the Irish Guards — denoting the highest honorary rank he holds in the military — and drove in a state Bentley with his brother, Prince Harry. A happy and nervous looking Kate waved at the crowds that lined her route to the Abbey even as bloggers and television crews speculated about the dress — which as anticipated was by Alexander McQueen's designer Sarah Burton. Punters, who took a bet on the bride wearing a tiara, were proved right as she appeared in a diamond tiara lent to her by the Queen.

“They looked absolutely magical,” said Katie from Edinburgh, who had travelled down to London to watch the celebrations.

The ceremony had all the pomp and circumstance that had been anticipated in the weeks running up to the event, and which brought thousands of tourists to London. With the exception of David Cameron's wife, Samantha, there were few women without a hat, while David and Victoria Beckham and Elton John were some of the few celebrities to be spotted.

State Trumpeters heralded the arrival of the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh. Trailed by her sister, bridesmaids and two-metre-long train, the bride walked down the aisle lined by English maple and horn beam trees to “I was Glad” by 19th century composer Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry . The service, which lasted just over an hour, was a conventional affair, conducted by the Dean of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury, with traditional hymns all said to be “favourites” of the couple, and a recital of the National Anthem. The couple promised to “love, comfort, honour and keep,” each other — omitting the once-traditional line about “obeying.”

While the ceremony brought some royalists to tears, not everyone was impressed with the overall atmosphere.” I found the ceremony a bit static…a bit emotion-less,” said Laura, who had travelled with her family from Stuttgart, Germany, for the occasion, and watched the ceremony from a screen in Trafalgar Square.

The solemnity of the ceremony contrasted with the procession back to Buckingham Palace. The sun came out as the couple rode in the ‘1902 State Landau' coach along the Mall as the screams of the crowd grew to a crescendo. The couple kissed twice — to roars of approval from the crowd — when they later appeared on the balcony, trumping the single kiss of Prince Charles and Princess Diana 30 years earlier.

Elsewhere in London, wedding-watching made way for a street carnival. Empty wine bottles and worn-out British flags lay strewn across the streets around Trafalgar Square. Street parties were held across the country, including one hosted by the Prime Minister on Downing Street.

Security was heavy in London, as some 5,000 police officers manned the streets. There were occasional scuffles across the capital, with a few dozen arrests.

However, the wedding wasn't without controversy, with the guest list subject to particular scrutiny. While former Conservative Party Prime Ministers Baroness Margaret Thatcher and Sir John Major were invited to the Abbey and the reception that followed, neither of Labour's most recent premiers — Gordon Brown and Tony Blair — were.

Equally controversial was the decision to maintain invites to officials representing conflict-ridden countries. While the invitation to the ambassador to Syria was withdrawn following the recent developments in the country, Bahrain's ambassador to London, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ali al-Khalifa, attended the ceremony, along with those representing all embassies-based in the capital. “It's shocking that a number of leaders and representatives from dictatorships were invited,” said Peter Tatchell, a well-known human rights activist who was part of a protest against the guest-list the day before the wedding. Tatchell joined members of anti-monarchist group, Republic, for a “Not The Royal Wedding” street party a short walk from the celebrations.

Despite its critics and the weather — the summer-like weather that had gripped the city the week before had given way to a chilly and overcast day — for many of those who had travelled to London, the wedding provided a brief respite from a nation in the midst of an austerity drive. “It's exhilarating to see everyone celebrating,” said Nikki, a South Londoner.

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