Prince William Wedding
Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry in April next year, sources revealed today a week after the couple announced their engagement.
The exact date will be announced shortly by Clarence House, although William was known to favour April 28th.
The Mail published exclusive pictures of Kate leaving Westminster Abbey last Wednesday night and it had since been regarded as a certainty for the venue.
The Abbey has space for 2,000 guests, while hundreds could potentially gather in Parliament Square and the surrounding streets.
Marrying in April: Prince William and Kate Middleton will have a spring wedding
St Paul’s Cathedral was regarded as the other main contender, but this was where Prince Charles married Diana back in 1981.
Holding the wedding at the Abbey will also have bad memories because it was where William’s mother’s funeral took place in 1997.
But the prince has already shown he will not hide away his family’s complicated family history by giving his fiancee his mother’s engagement ring.
The Royal household has been in deadlock over the timing of the ceremony for seven days, with courtiers struggling to secure an agreement.
William, 28, is understood to have insisted on a spring wedding and has now won over officials who wanted a summer ceremony to ensure good weather.
Aides had argued that a deluge of rain at an event likely to draw the biggest TV audience in history would only cement the image of ‘rainy Blighty’ in the mind of potential tourists.
Recce: Kate Middleton leaving Westminster Abbey last Wednesday
The date is a blow for the Liberal Democrats who fear it will eclipse the referendum on the electoral system the following week.
They were hoping for a wedding in mid-May instead, after the May 5 poll which was promised by the Tories as part of the coalition agreement.
Courtiers wanted to confirm the wedding date today to avoid a five-day state visit to the Gulf by the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Andrew starting tomorrow being overshadowed.
Kate and William made up their minds on Friday but deliberations have been protracted because a long list of mandarins all have to be allowed their say.
The situation has also been complicated by the surprise engagement announcement, which William sprung on aides with just two hour’s notice on Tuesday last week.
Discussions have been headed by William’s private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a former colonel in the SAS who has completed five tours of duty.
The couple’s families were the first to be consulted, including the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles, and Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton.
The Government and Scottish Parliament, Labour Party, Church, police and Army have also taken part in meetings with St James’s Palace officials.
Foreign heads of state such as President Barack Obama are understood to be keen to attend the wedding, though aides said they have not been a sticking point in the consultations.
