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"The royal family will pay for the wedding, following the precedence set by the marriages of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981 and Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947," Prince Charles' spokeswoman said in a statement.
Kate Middleton was spotted last week leaving Westminster Abbey with palace aides, fueling speculation that the wedding of the century would be held at the thousand-year-old abbey.
Westminster Abbey is the location of British coronations as well as state funerals (Princess Diana's state funeral in 1997) and the weddings of many monarchs including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1947.
London's top wedding planner Mark Niemierko said, "For London and the whole of the UK there's not a more grand ceremony venue than Westminster Abbey. Brides can only dream of having their fairytale wedding at such a prestigious venue. So it's a no brainer that Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen the Abbey. It's also naturally got sentimental appeal in that both his Grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and Great-Grandmother (the Queen Mother) were married there."
"Logistically it is also close to Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and so forth. So a procession will be easier for the Government and the Palace to organize."
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
Odds makers are betting that Westminster Abbey will be Prince William and Kate Middleton's choice for their 2011 wedding ceremony. Since 1066, Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church for England's Kings and Queens, and the final resting place for 17 monarchs.
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
One of the most important Gothic buildings in England, Westminster Abbey is home to historic paintings, stained glass, pavements, textiles and other artifacts. Some of the most significant figures in British history are buried at Westminster Abbey, including: Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Mary, Charles II and Edward the Confessor.
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) married Prince Philip of Greece (later Duke of Edinburgh). The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their silver (25th) and golden (50th) wedding anniversaries with thanksgiving services at Westminster Abbey.
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
On June 2, 1953, Westminster Abbey held its 38th coronation for Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremony was televised for the first time, allowing the public to witness this historic event. While the abbey seats 2,000, room can be made to accommodate 8,000 people.
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
Queen Elizabeth II's sister, Princess Margaret was married on May 6, 1960, to Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a photographer. The wedding ceremony was the first royal wedding to be televised and 300 million worldwide tuned in.
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
On November 14, 1973, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's only daughter married Lt. Mark Philips at Westminster Abbey. The wedding ceremony was watched on television by 100 million people around the world.
Royal Wedding Set for Westminster Abbey
Millions of people from around the world mourned the tragic death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997. A state funeral was held on September 6, 1997, at Westminster Abbey where 2.5 billion people tuned into watch the service, which included a performance by Sir Elton John.
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
Great timing! Just so the government can bask in the feel good factor just before the local elections in May.
Uhh April 29, 2010 was like 7 months ago !!!!
I think u mean April 29, 2011!! April 29, 2010 has passed.
good for them!
Wow Royals get to time travel too? They get everything.....
Aww..................on my bday, how special
Wish them well.
That Church is breath taking...so very beautiful...how lucky they are to be able to get married there.
I wish them all the best of luck and joy. Beautiful couple.
That's our anniversary. Will be 22 years.
Good! Move it along, so we won't have to be inundated with daily media updates for the next year!! Best wishes and happiness to the couple.
Oh, you grinches - let the young couple be happy and be happy for them! It's a wonderful break in the sad and bad news of this world - they are a beautiful young couple who are breaking many of the thousand-year old traditions. Stop whining and YOU'LL feel better. Congratulations to them and many many good years for their marriage.
Talk about a way to get the economy jump started, up to $75million and the Royal family pays for that, not the government. Stop whining, wish i was a dress-maker, cake baker, caterer, jeweler, florist and anyone else making money off this royal couple's wedding that they normally wouldn't have. It's a shame that President Obama's 2 daughters not old enought to get married yet, to help our economy--been laid off too long here.
Now the world can start turning again. So sick of hearing about these spoiled brats who do nothing whatsoever to earn a living instead of soaking the poor British taxpayers.
For most of us, this is newsworthy...Idiot!
Thanks, I've already marked the day in my agenda :-)
They are really very lucky!!! Marriage on such outstanding place for me is like dreams come true. I can only wish them a great married life. http://www.europevoyage.net/westminster-abbey-london.html,
I will be over the moon if I get an invite by Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton's wedding which I just keep on dreamingt but I wish them all the best, plus i already book my flight from Australia to UK a day after when the wedding announcement was made just to be a part of the history. Good wisher to you both.
Mrs E Reddy.