Royal Wedding Supplement - Huddersfield Examiner

William &Kate

Royal Wedding special

William & Kate

New

W Day will bring new

generation of fans PRINCE WILLIAM and Kate Middleton’s marriage will herald a new era for the royal family.

The couple will exchange their wedding vows in Westminster Abbey on Friday as a global audience of hundreds of millions watches.

The union of the prince and the commoner follows a seven-year relationship that had royal watchers wondering whether William would ever pop the question.

But on November 16 last year, the couple posed in the glare of photographers’ flashguns in St James’s Palace to announce their engagement following a proposal during a holiday in Africa.

Royal historian Hugo Vickers said the marriage and the changes it heralds for the monarchy would attract young members of society.

He said: “This is a new generation revival. It should appeal to the children of this country.

“I think it will be wonderful that during the Queen’s reign you may get another prospective generation - our Queen with Charles, William and a little boy or girl. Continuity is so important.”

On the day of the wedding all eyes will be on Miss Middleton as she is driven to the Abbey in the Rolls Royce Phantom VI (inset) that was attacked by student fees rioters while carrying her future in-laws, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall last December.

As she steps from the limousine the world will get its first glimpse of her wedding dress.

Inside the Abbey will be around 1,900 guests - from kings and prime ministers to ambassadors and bishops. The Queen and her family will be seated a few feet from the Middletons.

As the west door opens everyone will stand for the bride and the service

will begin with the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams (pictured below) conducting the wedding ceremony.

Kate will walk up the aisle a commoner but will emerge from the abbey an hour later, arm-in-arm with her prince, with a royal title, as William is likely to made a duke.

On her finger will be a wedding band made of Welsh gold - a tradition for royal brides - but William will not wear a ring, something normal for royal men.

The couple will travel to Buckingham Palace in the same coach used by William’s parents on their wedding day. They will be accompanied by a captain’s escort made up of mounted soldiers from the Household Cavalry.

Kate’s journey as member of the monarchy will have just begun.

William’s fiancee has already been receiving advice and guidance from royal aides and she will now be given her full backroom staff, from hairdressers to a private secretary.

She will take on the patronage of various charities and be expected to give speeches promoting good causes or launching events.

On the big day, the newly-weds will join a palace reception where 600 invited guests will get a chance to congratulate them before they cut two wedding cakes - a traditional fruit one and a chocolate treat for William.

Later the couple and the rest of the royal family will gather on Buckingham Palace’s balcony to watch a flypast of modern and historic war planes.

But the world will be waiting to see if the couple reprise Charles and Diana’s famous kiss on their wedding day.

In the evening a private palace dinner and dance for 300 of William and Kate’s close friends and family will be hosted by Charles.

ITH Kate Middleton about to sign up to life as a royal, what exactly lies in store for her as a member of Britain’s most famous family?

From the perks and pitfalls to the ceremonies and the scandals, the unique experience of marrying into The Firm can be something of a shock, especially to a so-called “commoner”.

Knowing your corgi from your dorgi and prepping yourself on protocol should stand Miss Middleton in good stead.

Here’s a guide to dos and don’ts of royal life:

THE IN-LAWS When your husband’s grandmother is The Queen, the new in-laws are bound to take some getting used to.

The Queen apparently likes practical presents for Christmas, keeps her cereal in plastic containers and dislikes spicy food.

Kate’s new father-in-law the Prince of Wales talks to his plants and the Duchess of Cornwall cooks a good roast chicken.

The Duke of Edinburgh is known for his abrupt manner and notable gaffes, but Kate should get this influential patriarch on side.

She should seek out other allies among those who married into the royals.

She has already lunched with Camilla, but the Countess of Wessex - a firm favourite of the Queen’s - will also be able to show Kate the ropes.

The glamorous but controversial Princess Michael of Kent is perhaps one relationship that need not be cultivated.

The Queen apparently once quipped that Princess Michael was “far too grand for the likes of us”.

THE SCANDALS From Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles to Prince Harry wearing a swastika armband, the royals have a habit of embroiling themselves in controversy.

Sarah, Duchess of York, paved the way for her exit from the Royals in 1992 after the paparazzi snapped a topless Fergie having her toes sucked by her “financial advisor”.

Some 20 years later, she is still in trouble this time over cash-for-access problems.

Kate should instead follow Prince William’s lead by being careful and sensible.

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Miss Middleton may have looked happy as she helped dedicate a lifeboat in Anglesey on her first official engagement, but she may not have quite the same enthusiasm as the years go by.

Even though she is in her eighties, the Queen carried out 444 visits, opening ceremonies and other engagements in 2010. Barring divorce, life means life for royals.

Endless plaque unveilings, tree plantings, walkabouts and line ups form the basis for many an official visit.

Royals tend to rely on their own favourite stock phrases to get through the meet and greets and Kate should keep a few in mind.

The Prince of Wales can often be heard

to remark “I do hope I’m not disturbing you”, while the Duke of Edinburgh asks very direct questions and entertains guests with lightening quick quips - and sometimes faux pas.

There are also annual favourites Easter Sunday church, the Chelsea Flower Show, Ascot, Trooping the Colour and the appearance at Sandringham on Christmas Day. At some stage, Kate will also have to make her first public speech.

But one benefit is the holidays. Every summer the royals retreat to Balmoral in Scotland for a lengthy break.

THE JEWELLERY Kate will be wined and dined at banquets across the world, showered with expensive gifts and have a seemingly endless collection of gowns during her royal life.

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She will also have access to some of the most incredible and priceless jewellery in the world.

The Queen owns a large collection of tiaras, necklaces and brooches such as Queen Mary’s tiara and Grand Duchess Vladimir’s tiara.

She is likely to loan items to Kate for special occasions.

THE PRESS Everything from what she wears to what she says and how she says it will be scrutinised by the media.

The interest in this future queen is likely to reach heights not seen since the days of Diana, Princess of Wales.

So far she has excelled herself by keeping smiling and not putting a foot wrong.

Kate could look at how Camilla has coped. The Duchess is well liked by the royal photographers for her

William & Kate

life for Kate as she joins The Firm

willingness to help them secure a decent shot - turning towards the camera with a broad smile does wonders for keeping the press pack on-side.

Charles is however not so keen on the press - or “bloody people” as he once unfortunately labelled them during a Klosters photocall.

William and Harry - pictured top right clashing with a photographer too are likely to be forever wary of the media after their mother Diana died while being pursued by the paparazzi.

Kate will no doubt take this on board but so far seems entirely at ease in front of the cameras during her first official engagements.

THE PUBLIC Miss Middleton will find that wherever she goes on official visits,

She should seek out other allies among those who married into the royals

members of the public will gather to catch a glimpse of the new HRH. She will find herself swamped with flowers, gifts and even photographs from royal fans during walkabouts.

Presents are usually swiftly passed back to a royal aide or lady-in-waiting to avoid the VIP becoming swamped.

THE CORGIS A love of these diminutive dogs is a must.

The Queen has owned more than 30 corgis, starting with Susan who was a present for her 18th birthday.

She currently has four corgis: Linnet, Monty, Holly and Willow.

She also introduced a new breed called a dorgi by mating one of her corgis with a dachshund named Pipkin which belonged to Princess Margaret.

She currently has three dorgis - Cider, Candy and Vulcan.

The Queen feeds them from the table with titbits and even mixes up some gravy, biscuits and meat at tea time, presented in silver bowls.

It can be hard to keep track of these royal animals as they scurry about during royal receptions, but treading on one is an absolute no-no.

Kate should also ensure that any future pets are kept under control.

In 2003, one of the Princess Royal’s dogs, Florence, savaged one of the Queen’s favourite corgis so badly it had to be put down, leaving the monarch devastated.

THE SERVANTS Although William and Kate will live at first in Anglesey, one day they will reside in Buckingham Palace - very different from the sanctuary offered by a private home.

The famous landmark is a working

palace with servants and aides on hand to attend to every need.

According to Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell, the Prince of Wales’s valet used to squeeze the toothpaste onto HRH’s toothbrush and also once held a specimen bottle while his master produced a urine sample in hospital.

At royal residences, servants meticulously unpack luggage for guests.

Cherie Blair revealed how her son Leo was conceived at Balmoral when she left her contraception behind out of embarrassment. The previous year, she had been horrified to find all her belongings unpacked, including the contents of her toilet bag.

Kate will be able to have servants galore, but will also have to get used to sharing her home with footmen, housekeepers, private secretaries and hundreds of other staff.

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William & Kate

Ups and downs of royal loves MEMBERS of the Royal Family have often been unlucky in love in modern times, but the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been married for more than 60 years.

The monarch and Prince Philip celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2007.

The success of their long-lasting marriage is put down to their compatibility. They share interests and have had the same dutiful royal training.

The Duke also apparently never shies away from telling his wife exactly what is what.

Queen Victoria’s relationship with her beloved Prince Albert is seen as a great royal romance.

Victoria was deeply attached to her husband, with whom she had nine children, and she sank into depression after his untimely death at the age of 42 in 1861.

For the rest of her reign she wore black.

The year of 1992 - Queen Elizabeth II’s “annus horribilis” - was a terrible one for love in the House of Windsor.

The Prince of Wales separated from Diana, Princess of Wales, the Duke of York split from Sarah, Duchess of York, and the Princess Royal divorced Captain Mark Phillips.

Charles’s relationship with Diana ended badly, played out through the media.

The only child of the Queen not to divorce is the Earl of Wessex who married Sophie Rhys Jones, now the Countess of Wessex, in 1999.

Charles remarried, making Camilla Parker Bowles his wife in 2005, while the Princess Royal is married to former royal equerry Timothy Laurence, now a Vice-Admiral in the Navy.

The Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, put duty before desire when she called off plans to marry divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1955.

She later wed photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, who became the Earl of Snowdon, but they divorced in 1978, making Margaret the first member of the Royal Family to divorce since Henry VIII. The perceived royal tendency towards marital breakdown led a Church of England bishop to suggest that Prince William and Kate Middleton would be divorced within seven years.

The Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, also reportedly referred to the Royal Family as “philanderers”. He was later to apologise for the remarks.

William is not the only one of the Queen’s grandchildren to be getting ready to tie the knot.

The Prince’s cousin, Zara Phillips, is to marry rugby player Mike Tindall in Scotland in July.

Zara’s brother, Peter Phillips, wed Canadian Autumn Kelly in 2008.

■ ROYAL TRADITION: Westminster Abbey (left) has seen many royal weddings down the years. From the left: Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh leaving the Abbey in 1947; Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960; Princess Anne an

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■ GRIEF: Prince William, Prince HArry and Prince Charles at Westminster Abbey for Diana funeral in September 1997

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The ancient place of worship has been the setting for many a royal wedding, coronation and funeral which William himself knows only too well.

He was just 15 when, in front of a vast crowd of weeping mourners, he walked behind the coffin of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales as it was led into the gothic abbey.

More than a decade later, exchanging his wedding vows in its surrounds may go some way to banishing his sad memories of the building.

The abbey - official title the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster - has been the coronation church since 1066.

It is likely to be where William will take the Coronation oath one day as king, with Kate crowned at his side as queen consort.

Queen Elizabeth II’s televised coronation took place at the Abbey

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William & Kate

n (later to be Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) and Prince Albert, Duke of York (later to be King George VI) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony in 1923; Princess nd Captain Mark Phillips in 1973 and The Duke and Duchess of York in 1986. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married at St Paul's Cathedral

minster means a mixture motions for Prince William

1953. ctine monks first came to the the middle of the 10th y. esent church, begun by III in 1245, is one of the most ant Gothic buildings in the y, with the medieval shrine nglo-Saxon saint still at its

bey is known as a royal r with a dean and chapter, sible not to a bishop or hop but only to the gn. the best known parts of the s Poets’ Corner in the south pt where many authors and are either buried or morated, including Geoffrey r, William Shakespeare and s Dickens. oyal weddings have been the Abbey during the 20th y. een’s parents King George the Queen Mother ged their vows there in April the Duke of York and Lady th Bowes-Lyon. g a tradition that all royal have followed, the Queen

Mother placed her wedding bouquet on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in honour of her brother, who died in the First World War. The Queen was only 21 when, as Princess Elizabeth, she wed Prince Philip in the surrounds of the abbey on November 20, 1947, amid the post-war austerity.

Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister, married Antony Armstrong-Jones, later Earl of Snowdon, at the church in May 1960. Their marriage was dissolved 18 years later.

The Princess Royal wed Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973.

Their marriage was dissolved in April 1992.

The Duke of York walked down the Abbey’s aisle with Sarah Ferguson when they married in July 1986.

The pair divorced 10 years later.

Westminster Abbey is also the final resting place of 17 monarchs among them Edward the Confessor.

King George II’s funeral was held there in 1760. The funeral of the Queen Mother was held at the Abbey in 2002.

■ FAREWELL: The Princes and Diana’s brother, the Earl Spencer (centre) follow her coffin into the Abbey

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William & Kate Meet the Middletons ...

THEY are Kate Middleton’s nearest and dearest and Prince William’s new in-laws, but who exactly are the family behind Britain’s future Queen?

CAROLE MIDDLETON Mrs Middleton is descended from a long line of Durham coal miners.

Her former career as an air stewardess is said to have led to mocking by William’s circle, who would declare “doors to manual” when Kate was out of earshot.

In 1987, Mrs Middleton and her husband Michael founded mail order company Party Pieces which sells children’s party parapher nalia which made the Middletons into millionaires.

The family home is in Bucklebury, a small village near Newbury, Berkshire.

The family suffered scandal in July 2009 when Kate’s uncle Mrs Middleton’s brother Gary Goldsmith - was filmed giving hard drugs to an undercover reporter.

But Mr Goldsmith is said to have reformed his ways and now may even be a guest at the wedding.

MICHAEL MIDDLETON

Much less is known about former pilot Mr Middleton, but the Queen and the Duke reportedly had a soft spot for him despite meeting him only fleetingly.

Mr Middleton, who is one of four siblings, hails from a middle-class background and his father Peter was a pilot after the war.

To William, Mr Middleton is “Mike”.

PIPPA MIDDLETON

Kate’s vivacious younger sister Pippa was crowned the country’s most desirable singleton by society magazine Tatler in 2008.

She will be Kate’s maid of honour and is being tipped to be her lady in waiting.

The middle Middleton sibling is said to be more outgoing than Kate. She shines on the posh party scene and is said to be keen to marry into “old money”.

Pippa, who has been helping Kate with her wedding plans, recently joined her sister as they lunched with the Duchess of Cornwall and Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes and chatted about the forthcoming nuptials.

Pippa is said to be dating former England cricketer Alex Loudon.

JAMES MIDDLETON

The youngest of the Middleton children, James, went to Marlborough College, like Kate and Pippa, and started at Edinburgh University, but quit in the first year.

He set up The Cake Kit Company in 2007 which provides ingredients and decorations for children’s cakes.

In August 2008, pictures of him at a party wearing a black and white polka dot dress and in a French maid’s outfit appeared in a newspaper.

He appeared in a glossy spread in Hello! by baking several cakes featuring legendary front pages to mark the magazine’s 21st anniversary.

Don’t miss our free 8-page Royal Wedding special in Saturday’s Examiner

K

ATE Middleton is being tipped as the Royal Family’s next People’s Princess.

With Diana, Princess of Wales’s sapphire ring on her finger and Diana’s son on her arm, Miss Middleton is already aware of the legacy that stands before her.

As she posed for her engagement pictures with Prince William, there was an uncanny similarity to the photos of Diana 29 years earlier Both women opted for the same shade of blue as they stood with their arms looped through that of their fiances, with the large oval sapphire and diamond ring on show.

Both spoke of the “daunting” prospect ahead of them.

Yet Kate is already marking herself out as very different from the bashful royal bride who became the world’s most photographed woman.

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton has entered the public arena in a more assured way than Lady Diana Spencer.

Confident and poised, observers say she has all the appearance of someone who has been groomed for royal duty, possessing a knowing look, secure in her knowledge of William’s affections and intentions.

Diana, in contrast, emerged as “Shy Di”. She was demure and blushed as she posed for her engagement pictures, her eyes peering out from under her long fringe.

Both came to the nation’s attention in see-through outfits - but in markedly different ways.

Eager to please, Diana posed up for the cameras at the kindergarten where she worked in September 1980, five months before her engagement to the Prince of Wales.

But she was oblivious to the fact she was backlit by the sun and that her legs could be seen through her long pale-coloured skirt.

In 2002, Kate strode down a catwalk at a charity fashion show in a transparent dress with black knickers and bra underneath, in front of an audience and future beau William.

When one friend once remarked she was lucky to be with William, Kate reportedly quipped: “He’s lucky to be going out with me.”

In contrast, in the early days of Diana’s relationship with Charles, she ventured to say to one of his confidants: “If I am lucky enough to be the Princess of Wales...”

She was 19 when she became betrothed to Charles. Kate was 28 at the time - nine years older than Diana was.

Better educated with A-Levels and a degree in history of art under her belt, Kate is more worldly wise and on an equal footing with her fiance.

Diana was 13 years younger than the Prince of Wales, but Kate is five months older than William and they have already lived together at St Andrews, and Kate spends part of the week with William in Anglesey.

She hails from a far steadier family background than William’s mother.

Her parents are still together, sparing her any of the anguish suffered by Diana, whose own mother and father split acrimoniously when she was only young.

Her non-aristocratic background differs from the posh Spencer circles of Diana - whose sister married the Queen’s private secretary and whose grandmother was a confidant of the Queen Mother.

Charles was under pressure to find a wife and Diana fitted the bill.

The Prince told a friend he was sure

Will Kate become the new People’s Princess?

■ COMMON TOUCH: Kate Middleton meets well wishers following a visit with Prince William to Darwen, her final official engagement before the wedding he could fall in love with her, but we now know his heart was already taken

by Camilla Parker Bowles.

He had been heir to the throne since he was three years old and was well aware it was his duty to secure the monarchy’s future.

Lord Mountbatten advised Charles to find a virgin bride and Diana seemed ideal.

Kate and William, in contrast, are not under the same time pressures.

William is still only second-in-line to the throne.

However, Kate has not escaped speculation as to her traditional suitability as an untouched royal bride.

The Spectator magazine once commented that she “may still have her V-plates intact”.

While Kate is a brunette and Diana was blonde, both are tall and willowy and deemed English Roses.

Both were educated at public school where they were popular and sporty, captaining the hockey team and excelling at tennis.

Diana had a warmth and openness which attracted Charles, something Kate is said to possess too.

Their backgrounds were clear of potential tabloid fodder. Diana appeared squeaky clean, as does Kate, although she was known to moon out of the window at boys at boarding school.

Diana, at her first official royal event with Charles after their engagement in March 1981, was pictured arriving in her car at Goldsmiths Hall wearing a plunging strapless evening gown.

In December 2006, Kate unwittingly flashed a fishnet clad thigh as she got into a car after a night out with William and Harry.

But on her first official public engagement in Anglesey in February

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William & Kate Open top trip PRINCE WILLIAM and Kate Middleton will depart Westminster Abbey in the same fairytale horse-drawn carriage used by the Prince and Princess of Wales on their wedding day.

The newlyweds will make the one-and-a-half mile journey to Buckingham Palace in the open-top 1902 State Landau waving to the crowds just as William’s parents did when they left St Paul’s Cathedral in 1981.

The 29-year-old will travel to the church in a Rolls-Royce limousine The contrast of arriving in a car and leaving in a ceremonial carriage will signify Miss Middleton’s change in status. She will arrive at the church as Kate Middleton but will leave as the wife of a prince.

If it is raining, they will travel in the majestic Glass Coach - the mode of transport used by William’s mother on her wedding day when she made her last journey as Lady Diana Spencer on her way to St Paul’s Cathedral.

No ring for Wills PRINCE WILLIAM will not wear a wedding ring.

William’s father wears a wedding band - under a signet ring on the little finger of his left hand - but the Duke of Edinburgh does not.

Since the 1920s, Welsh gold from the Clogau St David’s mine at Bontddu in North Wales has been a popular royal choice.

The Queen Mother’s in 1923, the Queen’s in 1947, Princess Margaret’s in 1960, the Princess Royal’s in 1973 and that of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1981 were all from the same nugget from the mine.

The Queen, who was presented with a fresh supply from the mine in 1986, gave William gold for Kate’s ring.

■ ENGAGEMENT: Prince William and Kate’s announcement had many similarities to Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s announcement in February 1981 even down to the ring and blue dress

Charity benefits 2011, she wore a demure Katherine Hooker tailored, herringbone coat.

In a clever move, Miss Middleton had recycled the outfit, which she wore five years earlier at Cheltenham races, and had the length shortened.

Kate, like Diana, is keenly aware of her actions in front of the media.

Press who doorstepped Diana in the early days found her friendly. Kate too has politely told photographers she cannot pose for pictures, helpfully giving them just enough time to take a snap.

She endured intense press attention outside her own home, like Diana did, as speculation gathered pace that she could be the country’s next Queen.

Before her own engagement, Diana once broke down in tears at the intrusion, prompting photographers to place a note of apology under her windscreen wiper.

Her mother, Frances Shand Kydd, wrote to The Times to complain about

Confident and poised, she has the appearance of someone groomed for royal duty

“harassment”.

Before her own engagement, Diana, however, invited a newspaper journalist into her flat for a chat and a cup of tea.

Kate is tougher and kept the media well at bay.

Her own lawyer - who also represents the Prince of Wales - wrote to newspaper editors to protest over her harassment and pursued media outlets if he believed her privacy had been breached.

Kate does possess a confidence when on show.

She was seemingly unfazed as she entered the Sandhurst parade ground for William’s graduation flanked by his private secretary as everyone but the Queen and the Prince of Wales was already seated.

Former newspaper editor Piers Morgan wrote: “I’ve rarely seen anyone enjoy the attentions of a camera lens quite like Prince

William’s squeeze.”

She also breezed through her first few official engagements earlier this year, at ease in front of the cameras and crowds.

Like Diana, she appears to be a natural people person, cooing over babies and chatting happily with the public.

Later, Diana became perfectly skilled at using the media for her own agenda, from her interview on Panorama, to the moment she turned up in a striking black cocktail dress on the night Charles admitted infidelity on television.

The cameras were still clicking years later as she lay dying inside a mangled Mercedes in an underpass in Paris.

Already intent on protecting her privacy, Kate will be only too aware of the story of Diana’s life and how tragically it ended.

PRINCE WILLIAM and Kate Middleton’s gift list differs from the average bride and groom.

They set up a charitable gift fund for donations instead of buying wedding presents.

The move will benefit 26 charities.

The organisations include Combat Stress, Beatbullying, the Irish Guards Appeal and the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Donations can be made through the website www.royalweddingcharityfund.org When the Queen married in 1947 she received more than 2,500 wedding presents from around the world.

Mahatma Gandhi gave her a piece of crocheted cotton lace which he crafted himself, while the Chinese President opted for a porcelain dinner service.

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