Some of the biggest names in Britain and around the world gathered in London Friday to witness the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Football (soccer) star David Beckham and his wife Victoria, British Prime Minister David Cameron, the king of Norway and singer Elton John were among the nearly 2,000 guests inside Westminster Abbey for the ceremony.
Other invitees included Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe, British filmmaker Guy Ritchie and actor Rowan Atkinson, known for his “Mr. Bean” character.
Maid of Honor, Best Man
Middleton’s sister, Philippa, was her maid of honor, while Prince William’s brother Harry was his best man.
Prince Harry’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Chelsy Davy also attended the ceremony, feeding the ever-present speculation in the media about the status of their relationship.
Members of the military were also invited to the service, as well as the heads of several charities.
Who was left out?
Bahrain’s crown prince declined his invitation to the wedding because of unrest in his Gulf nation. And Britain withdrew the Syrian ambassador’s invite ahead of the ceremony, saying Syrian security forces’ crackdown on protesters made it “unacceptable” for him to attend.
Other prominent world leaders were left off the guest list, including U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The Associated Press quoted palace officials as saying only crowned heads of state are traditionally invited to royal weddings, and that political leaders not from the 54-member Commonwealth of nations, such as Obama and Sarkozy, did not receive invites.
Royal newlyweds Prince William and Catherine Middleton have returned to Britain’s Buckingham Palace for an evening celebration among family and friends.
The couple, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, wed Friday at Westminster Abbey, as nearly 2,000 guests inside the church witnessed the ceremony. An estimated 1 million well-wishers crowded into the streets of London as the couple were married, while an estimated 2 billion viewers around the globe watched the event on television.
The evening reception was to be a more private affair with a guest list of around 300 close relatives and friends. The groom’s grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, promised to leave the palace early to allow the younger crowd to party all night.
On Saturday, the newlyweds are scheduled to leave for their honeymoon, heading for an undisclosed destination.
Britain’s fairy tale wedding was mostly met with delight around the world, with people from London to New York to Beijing celebrating the happy couple.
The royal spectacle broke records for live streaming on the Internet and attracted more than 2 million Tweets, bringing one of the oldest British institutions, the royal family, firmly into the modern age.
The couple shared their first public kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace sho
rtly after the ceremony watched by the throngs of happy well-wishers gathered on the streets to greet the newest member of the royal family. A short time later, they exchanged a second kiss on the balcony to the delight of the crowds gathered below.
Later, the Duke drove off with his bride in an open-top Aston Martin car with balloons tied on the back and a license plate reading “JU5T WED.”
Well-known guests at Friday’s wedding ceremony included Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe, British football star David Beckham, and British music icon Elton John. Former British Prime Minister John Major also attended. Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were not invited to the wedding.
The couple appeared solemn and slightly nervous as they said “I will.”
The couple have said they are “incredibly moved” by the outpouring of affection toward them since their engagement last November, and have thanked the public for joining in the celebration of what they hope will be one of the happiest days of their lives.
