Prince William will marry Kate Middleton on Friday, April 29 next year at Westminster Abbey, St James's Palace has announced.

And the wedding - including the costs of the church service, music, flowers, decorations reception and honeymoon - will be paid for by the Royal family and the Middleton family. The public will pay for associated costs like security.

Downing Street announced that the wedding day would be a public holiday.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to Prince William, said the couple chose Westminster Abbey for its "staggering beauty", 1,000-year Royal history and intimacy despite its size.

He told reporters in a briefing at St James's Palace: "The venue has long associations with the Royal family - it is in many ways the Royal family's church - and of course with Prince William personally."

Mr Lowther-Pinkerton said those planning the nuptials were very conscious of Britain's precarious finances.

"All parties involved in the wedding, not least Prince William and Miss Middleton, want to ensure that a balance is struck between an enjoyable day and the current economic situation," he said.

"To that end the Royal family and the Middleton family will pay for the wedding."

He said this move drew directly from the precedent set by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's wedding in 1947 and Charles and Diana's nuptials in 1981.

Mr Lowther-Pinkerton said William and Miss Middleton were "completely over the moon" about their engagement. "They're now getting stuck into organising their wedding. They're giving us and the Household office very firm direction indeed."