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Souvenir to Celebrate the Royal Wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Miss Catherine Middleton

Contents

THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRIDE 3

THE WEDDING DRESS 4

WHAT THE NEW DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE THOUGHT! 6

THE WEDDING VEIL 7Different lengths of wedding veil

THE WEDDING TIARA 9

THE WEDDING EARRINGS 10

THE WEDDING RINGS 11The Bride’s Engagement Ring 12

THE WEDDING SHOES 13

THE WEDDING HAIR, NAILS and MAKEUP 14

THE WEDDING BOUQUET 15Royal Bridal Bouquet placed at Grave of Unknown Warrior 17The Avenue of Trees 18

THE BRIDEGROOM’S UNIFORM 20The Groom’s Wedding Ring 21

THE BEST MAN’S UNIFORM 22

THE MAID OF HONOUR 24

THE BRIDESMAIDS 26

THE PAGES 28

LEAVING WESTMINSTER ABBEY 30

THE ROYAL BRIDAL PARTY and FAMILY 32

THE ROYAL BRIDAL PARTY 33

THE WEDDING KISS 34

THE BRIDE AND GROOM 35

Authored by Kim Bolsover, Produced and published by Kielder Computers Ltd.

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The Royal Wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Miss Catherine Middleton

Didn't she look lovely?

Kate Middleton looked every inch the royal princess when she stepped out of the Rolls Royce Phantom at the doors of Westminster Abbey to marry Prince William on Friday 29th April 2011.

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THE WEDDING DRESS

Designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Something new...

The dress was made with ivory and white satin gazar.* The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats and the train measures two metres 70 centimetres.

The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen's designs.

The back was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau** loops. The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.

Something old...

The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace.

The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.

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Individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock. These are the floral emblems of the four countries which make up the United Kingdom:

� Rose - England � Thistle - Scotland � Daffodil - Wales � Shamrock - Northern Ireland

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace was used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim. With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour. The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), based at Hampton Court Palace, assisted the Alexander McQueen team in accurately cutting out the delicate motifs from the lace fabrics and positioning the lace motifs with precision into the new design.

The lace motifs were pinned, 'framed up' and applied with stab stitching every two to three millimetres around each lace motif. The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.

Glossary

* Gazar is a silk or wool plain weave fabric made with high-twist double yarns woven as one. Gazar has a crisp hand and a smooth texture.[

** Rouleau loops – button loops made from the same fabric as the dress.

Something blue...

The bride had an unseen piece of blue ribbon sewn into the dress’s lining to satisfy tradition.

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What the new Duke of Cambridge thought

As his bride, escorted by her father, reached his side in the Abbey, Prince William, newly-created Duke of Cambridge, whispered, "You look beautiful." And the world agreed!

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THE WEDDING VEIL

The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in lace to match the dress.

It is 72” long and was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

Interesting Facts

It's commonly believed that it is bad luck for the groom to see his bride in her dress before the ceremony, and therefore a veil was used to conceal her face.

However, in the old days of arranged marriages, the groom rarely saw his bride at all before the wedding day. Roman brides, for instance, wore an intensely flame-coloured and fulsome veil, called the flammeum, apparently intended to protect the bride from evil spirits on her wedding day.

In the 19th century, wedding veils came to symbolise the woman's virginity and modesty. The tradition of a veiled bride's face continues even today wherein, a virgin bride, especially in Christian or Jewish culture, enters the marriage ritual with a veiled face and head, and remains fully veiled, both head and face, until the ceremony concludes. After the full conclusion of the wedding ceremony, either the bride's father lifts the veil giving the bride to the groom who then kisses her, or the new groom lifts her face veil in order to kiss her, which symbolizes the groom’s right to enter into conjugal relations with his bride!

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Different lengths of Wedding Veil

image courtesy of www.visionveils.com

1. Blusher Veil (Short) A short veil worn over the bride’s face, often ending at the shoulder. It usually measures between 20 to 26 inches from the top to the hem.

2. Elbow or Mid-Length Veil (Medium) This veil extends down to the elbow or waist, and perhaps a little longer at the back.

3. Fingertip Veil The veil extends to the bride’s fingertips. It is arguably the most common style seen. The Duchess of Cambridge chose a length of 72” for her wedding veil.

4. Ballet or Waltz Veil (Long) The ballet or waltz veil extends about three quarters of the way down the legs.

5. Chapel Length Veil This veil extends 6 to 12 inches beyond the train of the gown. It is best worn with a gown with a considerable train. A chapel train generally extends 1.3 yards or 4 feet from the waistline.

6. Cathedral Veil The Cathedral veil usually extends 6 to 12 inches beyond the end of the train of cathedral gowns. A cathedral train generally extends 2.5 yards or 7.5 feet from the waistline and is usually used for formal weddings.

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THE WEDDING TIARA

Something borrowed...

The veil was held in place by a Cartier 'halo' tiara, lent to Miss Middleton by The Queen.

The ‘halo' tiara (above) was made by Cartier in 1936 and was purchased by The Duke of York (later King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King.

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The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth (now The Queen) by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday.

THE WEDDING EARRINGS

The Bride's earrings, by Robinson Pelham, are diamond-set stylised oak leaves with a pear-shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. Inspiration for the design of the earrings comes from the Middleton family's new coat of arms (left), which includes acorns and oak leaves.

The earrings were made to echo the tiara. The earrings were a personal gift to the Bride from her parents for her Wedding Day.

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THE WEDDING RING

Something old...

The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding ring is made from Welsh gold by Wartski. Following a long tradition, the ring has been fashioned from Welsh gold given to Prince William by the Queen.

It was mined from the Clogau Gold Mine in the Welsh mountains, not far from Anglesey, where the couple live.

Wartski supplied the engagement and wedding rings to Queen Elizabeth's grandson Viscount Linley when he married The Hon. Serena Stanhope in 1993.

They also made the wedding rings (also of Welsh gold) for The Prince of Wales and Mrs. Camilla Parker-Bowles (now the Duchess of Cornwall) for their wedding in 2005.

Interesting Facts

Wedding bands, symbolizing eternal adoration by their lack of a beginning or end, grew out of an ancient tribal custom of using circlets of grass to enhance a bride’s wrists and ankles.

The Romans and Egyptians, with their love of precious metals and stones, started the practice of using silver and gold.

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Wedding and engagement rings are worn even today on the third finger of the left hand because ancient cultures considered that finger had a vein running directly to the heart.

The Bride’s Engagement Ring

Prince William and Kate Middleton became engaged in October 2010.

The Prince proposed during a holiday in Kenya after asking Kate's father for his daughter's hand following a marathon eight-year courtship.

Miss Middleton debuted her engagement ring at St. James's Palace in London on 16th November 2010.

It's the same ring as the late Diana, Princess of Wales, wore in 1981. She chose it from a selection presented to her by jewellers Garrard. Because it was not made for her specially, it was open to the public to buy. It cost £28,000 at the time and is made from 14 diamonds encircling a sapphire.

William said giving Kate the ring was his way of ensuring his late mother could be part of the occasion. In front of the world's press, he said, “It is very special to me. It was my way to make sure my mother did not miss out on today and the excitement that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

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THE WEDDING SHOES

The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding shoes were hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework , which perfectly complemented her wedding dress.

The shoes are closed-toe court shoes with heels around two and a half inches high, and UK size five-and-a-half.

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THE WEDDING HAIR, NAILS and MAKE-UP

Miss Middleton was rumoured to have had a series of private lessons prior to the wedding from London-based make-up artist Arabella Preston.

However, on the day Miss Middleton was the one holding the brushes; choosing to create a softly smoky eye, enhancing the apples of her cheeks with a pink blush colour teamed with a matching lipstick shade.

Miss Middleton also received a manicure by Marina Sandoval from the Jo Hansford Salon in Mayfair, arranged by her new step-mother-in-law The Duchess of Cornwall. Marina created a custom-blend for the Bride's nails, including Bourjois's no. 28 Rose Lounge and Essie's 423 Allure, to create the off-white bridal shade she was looking for.

On the day, Miss Middleton's hair was created by senior stylist James Pryce from the Richard Ward salon.

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THE WEDDING BOUQUET

The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth.

The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers.

The flowers’ meanings in the bouquet are:

� Lily-of-the-valley – Return of happiness � Sweet William – Gallantry � Hyacinth – Constancy of love � Ivy - Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection � Myrtle - The emblem of marriage; love.

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The bouquet contains stems from a myrtle planted at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, by Queen Victoria in 1845.

It also contains a sprig from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen's wedding bouquet of 1947.

Interesting Facts

The tradition of carrying myrtle began after Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle by Prince Albert’s grandmother during a visit to Gotha in Germany.

In the same year, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House as a family retreat, and a sprig from the posy was planted against the terrace walls, where it continues to thrive today.

The myrtle was first carried by Queen Victoria eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, when she married in 1858, and was used to signify the traditional innocence of a bride.

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ROYAL WEDDING BOUQUET left at the GRAVE of the UNKNOWN WARRIOR

As tradition dictates, the new Duchess of Cambridge's bridal bouquet was laid at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior inside Westminster Abbey after the Royal Wedding ceremony was completed.

It is understood that the bouquet was placed at the grave, which is located at the nave in the west end of the Abbey, by a royal official after the official wedding photographs were completed.

The tradition began in 1923 following the wedding of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon -the future Queen Elizabeth - to the Duke of York, who later became George VI. Lady Elizabeth, who became the Queen Mother in 1952, left her bouquet at the grave in memory of her brother Fergus, a young officer who was killed on the Western Front in 1915.

The grave is one of the most sacred places in the Abbey and is the only part of the floor upon which the congregations are not allowed to walk.

Interesting Facts

In the 1500s, most people got married in June because they took their annual bath in May, and they thought they still smelled pretty good by June!

However, since the reality was that they were already starting to smell quite badly a mere month later, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the nasty body odour. Hence the custom today of carrying a floral bouquet when getting married.

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The Avenue of Trees

Shane Connolly, who designed the wedding bouquet, was also responsible for creating the 'avenue of trees' long the nave inside Westminster Abbey.

The Avenue of Trees contained six English field maples and two hornbeams, up to 20ft tall and a variety of British native flowers:

Solomon's seal, brought in especially from Sandringham*, which symbolises confirmation of love

azaleas - the Chinese symbol of femininity

lilacs which represent first love

blossoms signifying spiritual beauty.

other blooms, mostly from Windsor Great Park, include rhododendron, euphorbias, beech and wisteria

After the wedding, the flowers and trees remained in situ for a week, where visitors to the Abbey were able to enjoy them, before the trees were taken to the Prince of Wales’s Highgrove estate, where they were planted as a permanent reminder of the day.

* Sandringham is a country house near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. It is privately owned by the Royal Family.

** Windsor Great Park (locally referred to simply as the Great Park) is a large deer park of 5,000 acres, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century. Now largely open

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to the public, the parkland is a popular recreation area for residents of the western London suburbs. It is owned and managed by the Crown Estate.

Interesting Facts

The English field maple symbolises humility and reserve, and was used to make loving cups in medieval times, while the hornbeam signifies resilience.

The trees also evoked Miss Middleton’s home village of Bucklebury, Berkshire, where the family home lies on an Avenue of Oaks. The inner row of Oaks was planted to celebrate Queen Elizabeth I’s visit to Bucklebury in the 16th Century, and the outer row was planted to commemorate Wellington’s victory at Waterloo in 1815.

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THE BRIDEGROOM’S UNIFORM

Prince William chose to wear the uniform of Colonel of the Irish Guards in Guard of Honour Order with a Forage Cap.

Prince William, who is commissioned in all three Armed Services, and who has served actively with the Army (The Household Cavalry Regiment) and with the Royal Air Force (Search and Rescue Force), chose to wear the uniform of his senior honorary appointment in the Army.

The Prince wore a gold and crimson sash, and gold sword slings, both of which are worn in the presence of a Member of the Royal Family. The Prince did not wear a sword.

The Prince wore the Garter Sash with the Wings of the Royal Air Force, the Garter Star and the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

The tunic, in Guards’ Red, features the Irish Guards’ distinctive arrangement of buttons in groups of four. The buttons feature the Harp of Ireland surmounted by the Crown Imperial. The arrangement of buttons on the uniform denotes the Irish Guards’ position in the Order of Battle as the Fourth Regiment of Foot Guards.

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The Insignia of the Irish Guards on the Forage Cap is the eight-pointed Star of the Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick, and features the Regiment’s motto ‘Quis Separabit?’ (‘Who shall separate us?’).

The uniform was fitted by Kashket and Partners. Designer Marlon Kashket worked with Princes William and Harry to address concerns they had with the outfits. One such concern was the heat of the Abbey, so the designers used special material to absorb the heat while still achieving the desired look.

The Groom’s Wedding Ring

Prince William will not wear a wedding ring.

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THE BEST MAN’S UNIFORM

Prince Harry wore the uniform of a Captain of the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) in Dismounted Review Order, with a Forage Cap.

The Prince wore aiguillettes, a cross-belt and gold waist belt with sword slings, but no sword.

The Prince wore the Wings of the Army Air Corps and Golden Jubilee and Afghanistan Campaign medals.

The Forage Cap carries the badge of the Blues and Royals, which features the insignia of the Most Noble Order of the Garter with The Queen’s cipher.

Military dress uniforms do not traditionally have pockets, but the palace requested that some sort of compartment be added to Harry's outfit so that Catherine's wedding ring would not be lost.

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Interesting Facts

While the best man's required duties are only those of a friend, in the context of a western white wedding, the best man will typically:

assist the groom on the wedding day

keep the wedding rings safe until needed during the ceremony

stand next to and support the groom during the ceremony

act as a legal witness to the marriage and therefore sign the marriage certificate

prepare a ‘Best Man’s speech’ to be read at the reception

Prince Harry gave a light-hearted best man’s speech after an evening dinner at Buckingham Palace hosted by Prince Charles in front of 300 guests.

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THE MAID OF HONOUR

Miss Philippa Middleton, younger sister to the Bride.

The Maid of Honour's dress was designed and created by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. It is of a heavy, ivory satin-based crepe, with a cowl front and with the same button detail and lace trims as the Bride's dress.

Her hair was loosely curled in a half-up style by the Richard Ward Salon with a side parting, clipped with ivy and lily-of-the-valley flowers at the back.

Her parents had given her a pair of floral diamond earrings as a present, designed, like her sister’s, by Robinson Pelham.

Interesting Facts

The Western bridesmaid tradition is thought to have originated from Roman Law, which required ten witnesses at a wedding in order to outsmart evil spirits (believed to attend marriage ceremonies) by dressing in identical clothing to the bride and groom, so that the evil spirits would not know who was getting married.

Even as late as 19th century England, there was a belief that ill-wishers could administer curses and taint the wedding.

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In Victorian wedding photographs, for example, the bride and groom are frequently dressed in the same fashion as other members of the bridal party.

Other people cite the Biblical story of Jacob, and his two wives Leah and Rachel, who both literally came with their own maids as detailed in the Book of Genesis (29:24, 46:18) as the origin of bridesmaids. These women were handmaidens (servants or slaves) instead of social peers.

This is the official wedding photograph of the Duke of York and the Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on 26th April 1923. All the bridesmaids are dressed in a similar fashion to the bride.

The Duke and Duchess of York became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1936.

Their eldest daughter is now Queen Elizabeth II, grandmother of the Duke of Cambridge.

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BRIDESMAIDS

Lady Louise Windsor 7 years old, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the youngest granddaughter of The Queen and Prince Philip, and cousin to Prince William

The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones 8 years old, daughter of Viscount Linley and Viscountess Linley, and second cousin to Prince William.

Eliza Lopes 3 years old, granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall, and step-granddaughter of the Prince of Wales.

Grace van Cutsem 3 years old, goddaughter of Prince William, daughter of Lady Rose Astor and Hugh van Cutsem, and the great-great-great-granddaughter of William Waldorf Astor.

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The young Bridesmaids' dresses were designed by childrenswear designer Nicki Macfarlane to echo the Bride's dress. The four dresses were hand-made by Ms Macfarlane and her daughter Charlotte Macfarlane at their homes in Wiltshire and Kent.

The Bridesmaids' dresses were created using the same fabrics as the Bride's dress. The ballerina-length, full, box-pleated skirt gives the dresses a sculptural quality, with the layering of ivory over white satin gazar adding depth of colour. They have all been hand-finished with delicate English Cluny lace, which is visible under the skirts, and four layers of net underskirt.

The puff sleeves and neckline are trimmed with the same English lace as the Bride's underskirt. The backs have been finished with the same button detail.

The sashes are made of pale gold, wild silk, which is tucked at the front and tied at the back in a sumptuous bow. As a special memento, the Bridesmaid's name and the date of the wedding have been hand-embroidered onto the lining of each dress.

The waist-length capes, also created by Nicki Macfarlane, are made from ivory Yorkshire wool, edged in fine English lace and tied at the front in the same satin gazar as the dresses.

All of the bridesmaids wore satin Mary Jane style shoes with a Swarovski crystal buckle designed by the Devon-based Rainbow Club.

The Bridesmaids’ flowers were designed and made by Shane Connolly.

The ivy and lily-of-the-valley hair wreaths worn by the younger Bridesmaids were influenced by the Bride’s mother’s own headdress at her wedding in 1981.

The bouquets held by the Bridesmaids replicate the flowers used in the Bride’s bouquet, and they incorporate lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth.

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THE PAGES

Tom Pettifer 8 years old, godson of Prince William, son of his former nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke

Billy Lowther-Pinkerton 10 years old, son of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton who is Prince William's private secretary

The Pages wore a uniform in the style of that worn by a Foot Guards officer at the time of the Regency (the 1820s). The uniform draws its insignia from the Irish Guards, whose Colonel is Prince William.

The tunic is Guards' Red with gold piping, Irish shamrocks are on the collars and its buttons are arranged in fours, denoting the Irish - or Fourth - Regiment of Foot Guards.

The Pages wore a uniform in the style of that worn by a Foot Guards officer at the time of the Regency (the 1820s). The uniform draws its insignia from the Irish Guards, whose Colonel is Prince William.

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The tunic is Guards' Red with gold piping, Irish shamrocks are on the collars and its buttons are arranged in fours, denoting the Irish - or Fourth - Regiment of Foot Guards.

The buttons feature the harp of Ireland surmounted by the Crown Imperial. The breeches are ivory and worn with white stockings and black buckle shoes.

The Pages wore a gold and crimson sash (with tassel) around their waists. The sash is worn by Officers in the Irish Guards when in the presence of a member of the Royal Family.

The uniforms were designed in the Royal Household and were created by Kashket and partners, who also fitted Prince William’s uniform for his Wedding Day. The collars and cuffs were created by the Royal School of Needlework.

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LEAVING WESTMINSTER ABBEY

The newly-married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left Westminster Abbey and travelled back to Buckingham Palace in the 1902 State Landau carriage.

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The second and third carriages in the procession were Ascot Landaus carrying Prince Harry, the best man, Pippa Middleton, the maid of honour, and the bridesmaids.

The fourth carriage was a Semi-State Landau carrying The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.

Interesting facts

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster, London, United Kingdom.

It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth realms.

Since 1100, there have been at least 16 royal weddings at Westminster Abbey. Only two were weddings of reigning monarchs (Henry I and Richard II), and there were none at all for more than five centuries between 1382 and 1919.

These are the last six Royal Weddings to be held at Westminster Abbey:

20 November 1947: The Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II), elder daughter of King George VI was married to The Duke of Edinburgh (who was Lt Philip Mountbatten until that morning)

6 May 1960: The Princess Margaret, second daughter of King George VI was married to Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon)

24 April 1963: Princess Alexandra of Kent was married to the Hon Angus Ogilvy

14 November 1973: The Princess Anne, only daughter of Elizabeth II was married to Captain Mark Phillips

23 July 1986: The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, second son of Elizabeth II, was married to Miss Sarah Ferguson

29 April 2011: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, grandson of Elizabeth II, was married to Miss Catherine Middleton

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THE ROYAL BRIDAL PARTY and FAMILY

This photograph was taken after the service in The Throne Room at Buckingham Palace

From left to right:

Front row Grace van Cutsem, Eliza Lopez, Prince Philip (grandfather of the Groom), Her Majesty The Queen (grandmother of the Groom), The Duke of Cambridge, The Duchess of Cambridge, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Louise Windsor, Billy Lowther-Pinkerton

Back row Tom Pettifer, The Duchess of Cornwall (stepmother of the Groom), Prince Charles (father of the Groom), Prince Harry (brother of the Groom and Best Man), Michael Middleton (father of the Bride), Carole Middleton (mother of the Bride), James Middleton (brother of the Bride), Pippa Middleton (sister of the Bride and Maid of Honour)

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THE ROYAL BRIDAL PARTY

This photograph was taken in The Throne Room at Buckingham Palace

From left to right Grace van Cutsem, Louise Windsor (standing), Eliza Lopez, The Duke of Cambridge, The Duchess of Cambridge, Tom Pettifer, Billy Lowther-Pinkerton, Margarita Armstrong-Jones

Interesting Facts

The wedding dress was exhibited at Buckingham Palace from 23 July to 3rd October 2011, along with other items from the event. Record numbers of visitors came to the Palace during that time and it is reported that around 8 million pounds (GBP) were raised towards the Duchess’ own charities and for renovations to Buckingham Palace.

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THE WEDDING KISS

On the balcony of Buckingham Palace

Interesting Facts

Buckingham Palace is the official residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, London, UK, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

On VE Day on 8th May 1945, the palace was the centre of British celebrations, with the King, Queen and the Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen, and Princess Margaret appearing on the balcony, with the palace's blacked-out windows behind them, to the cheers from a vast crowd in the Mall.

The balcony of Buckingham Palace is one of the most famous in the world. The first recorded Royal balcony appearance took place in 1851, when Queen Victoria stepped onto it during celebrations for the opening of the Great Exhibition.

It was King George VI (the current Queen’s late father) who introduced the custom of the RAF fly-past at the end of Trooping the Colour, when the Royal Family appear on the balcony.

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THE BRIDE AND GROOM

On the morning of the wedding, Prince William was created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus, with Catherine becoming Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge after the wedding.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

Authored by Kim Bolsover, Produced and published by Kielder Computers Ltd.