Royal wedding plans published

Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton have revealed eagerly-awaited details of their forthcoming wedding.

The pair will have the eyes of the world on them on Friday, April 29 when they tie the knot at Westminster Abbey.

St James’s Palace released a series of details about the happy day, which has been designated an official public holiday.

Information released included the route by which the bride will travel to the Abbey and confirmation that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will marry the couple.

Miss Middleton will travel by car to the Abbey along a route including The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and Parliament Square.

A royal spokesman could not confirm that the bride would depart for the ceremony from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, St James’s Palace or a private address.

The wedding service will began at 11 a.m.

Dean of Westminster the Very Rev. Dr John Hall will conduct the service.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will marry Prince William and Miss Middleton, and the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev. Richard Chartres, will give the address.

The newlyweds will return to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession along a route including Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall, St James’s Palace said.

Once inside the Palace, the Queen will hold a reception for the couple and guests drawn from the congregation representing the couple’s official and private lives.

The Prince of Wales will give a private dinner, followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace in the evening, for the couple and their close friends and family.

St James’s Palace issued the new details yesterday ahead of Miss Middleton’s 29th birthday on Sunday.

The pair announced their engagement in November, nine years after meeting as students at St Andrews University.

Their wedding is expected to draw a huge worldwide audience.

Britain will enjoy a bank holiday bonanza as millions get an extra day off to celebrate.

With Easter falling the weekend before, and May Day holiday on the following Monday, it means many people will enjoy two four-day weekends in a row.

The couple were said to be “completely over the moon” after getting the spring wedding they wanted in a venue they chose for its “staggering beauty” and 1,000-year royal history.

They are also keen on making the day a national celebration and a concert in Hyde Park to mark the occasion has been proposed.

St James’s Palace has said the wedding will be paid for by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Middleton family, although the taxpayer will pick up the bill for related costs such as policing.

Prince William has strong ties to Westminster Abbey in central London.

His grandmother, the Queen, was married and crowned in the historic place of worship, and the funeral of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was held there.

After issuing the new details, St James’s Palace said more would be revealed in due course.

Welcoming the announcement of the route of the Royal Wedding procession through Westminster, Colin Barrow, leader of Westminster City Council, said: “The news that the wedding procession will follow the traditional route in Westminster will thrill all those who plan to catch a glimpse of the Royal couple as they start their life together.

“We are delighted to help host the proceedings and will work hard alongside the Palace and the police to ensure the day is enjoyed by the hundreds of thousands of people who are expected to join the celebrations on the streets of Westminster.”