The honeymoon was over before it even began. Or at least delayed to avoid the attentions of the world’s press.
On the morning after the glorious day before, I returned to Westminster Abbey where I had been privileged to witness the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Now bathed in bright sunshine, the building was besieged by some of the longest queues I have ever seen. Thousands waiting in line to pay £16 for a royal wedding tour with the floral displays and seating still in place.
A mile away at the other end of the processional route, a helicopter was taking off from the garden of Buckingham Palace, taking the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge away to a secret weekend location.
Their big day put a smile back on the face of recession-hit Britain, more used of late to a relentless diet of bad news from both home and abroad. And how the nation celebrated.
The TV audience peaked at more than 24m, making Kate and William’s wedding one of the most watched television events ever. Some 35m in all tuned in to watch some part of the BBC’s coverage.
You could see the joy in the wide-eyes of a young teenager camped out in The Mall. “I’ve never seen so many people so cheerful,” he said, as street parties suddenly came back into fashion across the land.
The atmosphere inside the Abbey before the ceremony could not have been more relaxed, in stark contrast to the stiffness of the 1981 wedding of Charles, Prince Of Wales to The Lady, Diana Spencer.
Kate’s family friends sitting in front of me were out to have a good day and see their girl wed. One woman, dressed in all her finery, vacated her seat to perch on the ledge of an adjacent stone pillar that afforded a better view of the couple as they took their vows.
The Bishop Of London Richard Chartres captured the mood in his sermon: “Many people are fearful of the prospects for our world. But the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day,” he said.
“It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding should be, a day of hope.”
Adding: “In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.”
Some had tears in their eyes as they sang Jerusalem under the Abbey’s magnificent chandeliers, dazzling in the gaze of banks of TV lights. This was, indeed, England’s green and pleasant land at its very best.
It was a total triumph, complete with flypast, balcony kiss and glitterballs in Buckingham Palace for the evening party, where the newlyweds were said to be “buzzing with happiness”.
Now the bunting is coming down as the couple return to their rented home in Anglesey, with William back at work this week in his role as an RAF Search And Rescue pilot.
Not that our own honeymoon with the royals shows any sign of ending, much to the despair of republicans, anti-monarchists and those who simply don’t see what all the fuss is about.
No wonder the Queen was beaming as she described the day as “amazing”. The union of commoner Catherine Middleton and her smiling Prince appears to guarantee several decades of positive headlines for a family known as ‘The Firm’.
There needs, of course, to be a note of caution. We thought much the same when newlyweds Charles and Diana stood waving on the same Palace balcony occupied 30 years later by their son William and his wife.
Echoes of Diana’s 1997 Westminster Abbey funeral could be seen in Elton John’s red eyes and her brother Earl Spencer’s glance towards the pulpit where he had made an outspoken, emotional tribute to his dead sister.
“It was incredibly beautiful, wasn’t it? Very moving,” he said later. “The only downside on a perfect day was Diana not being there. But what a
wonderful day, such a celebration.”
Indeed everything about this marriage indicates hope for the future. Two St Andrews graduates, obviously in love, relaxed both in each other’s company and under the eyes of billions watching around the globe.
They also strike the right note with the public. As Diana’s son, William already attracts a huge amount of affection from those who have watched him grow from little boy to balding bridegroom.
“Oh wow,” exclaimed Kate as she caught sight of the crowds massed for the couple’s balcony appearance. An expression heard earlier in millions of homes as she stepped out of her car at the Abbey’s Great West Door, affording us the first full look at her wedding gown, designed by Sarah Burton.
The nation approves of William’s choice of bride, a woman confident enough to choose a blue high street dress for her short stroll through the Palace garden to that waiting helicopter.
Had she had time to visit the newsagent’s down the road, the newly created Duchess would have discovered the Royal Wedding souvenir newspaper
editions had sold out by late morning. Our appetite for all things royal has been renewed.
“I think it made a lot of people feel very proud to be British,” reflected prime minister David Cameron. “While we are quite a reserved lot, actually when we go for it, we really go for it.
“Is it more than two young people in love? I think it is. I think the institution of our monarchy, the public service given by the Royal Family, the public service given particularly by Her Majesty the Queen, is something that we all want to celebrate and this gave us an opportunity.”
If the speculation is correct, then that honeymoon will be taken within the next month, allowing the couple to be present in June for the Trooping Of The Colour and Prince Philip’s 90th birthday. They’re then due to embark on an official tour of Canada from June 30 to July 8, Kate’s first overseas engagement.
But the main priority will be settling into married life, both in North Wales and London, before, in time, producing a family of their own. Also having to face the trials of dealing with the huge media spotlight that will attempt to follow them wherever they go.
Watching William and Kate’s composure on their wedding day, this is one young couple, and one future King and Queen, who appear more than up for the challenge.
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This is getting silly. It was nice to have a day off, they seem like a decent couple but the whole point about the monarchy, is that we are stuck with it whether the next but one king is the best bloke in the world or an absolute Charlie. That's why the monarchy is outdated, and wrong.
Ok M.E.N...Time to move on. The circus has finished and gone away so let's have some real news about real people.
The whole business about the wedding is akin to a PR show and no doubt it has served it's purpose and the favourability of the royals has moved up a few points! I await the fall out in the coming months.
I heared some idiot on the radio calling this the romance of the cenury...ha..I thought that was Nick and call me Dave!
Yes.... Harry now needs to sort himself out also....
Long live the British Monarchy - God Save The Queen!!
I hadn't realized that the monarchy NEEDED saving! They seemed to be doing alright despite the ravages of Blair and Brown. I would rather have them than Simon Cowell,David Beckham,Mandelson or Blair,wouldn't you?
Must admit though,when the Queen dies,William should take over instead of Charles!
'Everyone goes mental for strangers' wedding'
Check out The Daily Mash for realistic journalism.
I suppose they appeal to the Eastenders and Coronation Street watching classes.
'Royalty's' job is to add to the trashy entertainment used to keep the underclass off the streets.
That's why they are worth my 60p per year or whatever it costs me.
When did the Queen last visit Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle or anywhere north of Birmingham or indeed Birmingham itself. She does go to Scotland quite a lot though so maybe she counts that as 'up north'. Which of course it is but not England.
The Royal 'Establishment' make it up as they go along. I well remember the pure theatre that was the elevation of charles to the title of the Prince of Wales. Great, great theatre & nothing more.
Princess margaret quickly dropped the 'love of her life' when she was informed that all things 'Royal' would no longer be hers if she did not come to heel.
The 'perks' were apparently much too good so Townsend was given the boot.
As for Charles & Diana. What can one say? And the ongoing liason with Camille will surely not be acceptable to most people. Although the way British society has gone 'to pot' over the last decade one cannot be too sure of that.
The Royal image may be good for Great Britain & it can have it.
It has just come to mind that the Queen has probably been to Australia as many times as she has been to Manchester. If not more.
Ian, I have no idea how places were allocated for journalists inside the Abbey, but you have certainly justified your inclusion, with your wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere and the little details we didn't see on camera. Thank you again.
As for the existence of the Royal Family, to balance the previous commenter: without getting into constitutional issues, I think having a Monarchy provides the country with stability, continuity and, if necessary, a safety net.
Two-thirds reportedly had no interest in the wedding - so no Kate and Will probably won't save the monarchy through their appeal. However the fact this country is deeply conservative WILL be enough to save the monarchy.
Parasites the lot of them. Hand over the money you've wasted on entertaining yourselves so it can be spent on vital services for the poor / elderly etc.
If the Queen outlives Charles so that William will be the next King, they probably will save the monarchy.
If Charles suceeds his mother it will be touch and go, because there are thousands of people who will never forget what he and his present wife did to Diana
AS this fine couple asked for charity donations instead of wedding presents,I think we can safely say that it will be in very safe kind hands,obviously we need some way to side step Charles.
There was £20 million spent on security alone at the weekend while the police are having to cut services everywhere else. How many more criminals could have been behind bars for that outlay or children had operations???
The worst thing though has to be this description of someone as a'commonner'. Apart from the fact they met when they were both at a £30,000 a term school (so she's hardly 'common') the very word sounds like something out of the middle ages!!..it's 2011 for gods sake!!!
illegal rear number plate on that car - wonder if plod noticed
Hope The Met intend to hit them with a fine of up to £1,000 for that illegal number plate, to prove that it isn't another case of one rule for Joe Public and another rule for The Royals.
At least they didn't go for tinting the windows, replacing the exhaust with something more akin to a bucket and Bass music blaring out.