UK CITIZENS QUIT EU VIA HISTORIC REFERENDUM VOTE 51%-48.1% (BREXIT)

#Brexit

UK CITIZENS QUIT EUROPEAN UNION VIA HISTORIC REFERENDUM VOTE:

COMMONERS vs ELITE - ONLY LONDON REMAINS.

"GOD SAVE THE QUEEN" UK ANTHEM MAY CHANGE.

GLOBAL MARKETS PLUNGE AFTER BREXIT VOTE.

DAVID CAMERON TO DELIVER SPEECH AFTER THE MARKETS OPEN.

 Sources:  BBC News, Bloomberg News, Young Turks,
The Guardian, Telegraph,  YouTube 

LEAVE EU:

Vote share

51.9%

VOTES17,410,742VOTES

REMAIN IN EU:

Vote share

48.1%

VOTES

16,141,241

VOTE

***** BREXIT: UK votes to leave EU in historic referendum

The UK has voted to leave the European Union after 43 years in a historic referendum.

Leave won by 52% to 48% with England and Wales voting strongly for Brexit, while London, Scotland and Northern Ireland backed staying in the EU.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage hailed it as the UK's "independence day" but the Remain camp called it a "catastrophe". 

The pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985 as the markets reacted to the results.

The referendum turnout was 71.8% - with more than 30 million people voting - the highest turnout at a UK election since 1992.

Wales and the majority of England outside London voted in large numbers for Brexit.

Labour's Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the Bank of England may have to intervene to shore up the pound, which lost 3% within moments of the first result showing a strong result for Leave in Sunderland and fell as much as 6.5% against the euro.

'Independence day'

UKIP leader Nigel Farage - who has campaigned for the past 20 years for Britain to leave the EU - told cheering supporters "this will be a victory for ordinary people, for decent people".

Mr Farage - who predicted a Remain win at the start of the night after polls suggested that would happen - said Thursday 23 June would "go down in history as our independence day".

He called on Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the referendum but campaigned passionately for a Remain vote, to quit "immediately".

A Labour source said: "If we vote to leave, Cameron should seriously consider his position."

But pro-Leave Conservatives including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have signed a letter to Mr Cameron urging him to stay on whatever the result.

Labour former Europe Minister Keith Vaz told the BBC the British people had voted with their "emotions" and rejected the advice of experts who had warned about the economic impact of leaving the EU.

He said the EU should call an emergency summit to deal with the aftermath of the vote, which he described as "catastrophic for our country, for the rest of Europe and for the rest of the world".

Germany's foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier described the referendum result as as "a sad day for Europe and Great Britain".

But Leave supporting Tory MP Liam Fox said voters had shown great "courage" by deciding to "change the course of history" for the UK and, he hoped, the rest of Europe.

And he called for a "period of calm, a period of reflection, to let it all sink in and to work through what the actual technicalities are," insisting that Mr Cameron must stay on as PM.

Exit process

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that the EU vote "makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union" after all 32 local authority areas returned majorities for Remain.

London has voted to stay in the EU by around 60% to 40%. 

However, no other region of England has voted in favour of remaining. 

The referendum has underlined the social and cultural gap between London and provincial England. 

Remain's defeat seems to have been primarily the product of the decisions made by voters living north of the M4. 

Throughout the Midlands and the North of England the level of support for Remain was well below what was required for it to win at least 50% of the vote across the UK as a whole. 

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Britain would be the first country to leave the EU since its formation - but a leave vote will not immediately mean Britain ceases to be a member of the 28-nation bloc.

That process could take a minimum of two years, with Leave campaigners suggesting during the referendum campaign that it should not be completed until 2020 - the date of the next scheduled general election.

The prime minister will have to decide when to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which would give the UK two years to negotiate its withdrawal.

Once Article 50 has been triggered a country can not rejoin without the consent of all member states.

Mr Cameron has previously said he would trigger Article 50 as soon as possible after a leave vote but Boris Johnson and Michael Gove who led the campaign to get Britain out of the EU have said he should not rush into it.

But they also said they want to make immediate changes before the UK actually leaves the EU, such as curbing the power of EU judges and limiting the free movement of workers, potentially in breach the UK's treaty obligations. 

The government will also have to negotiate its future trading relationship with the EU and fix trade deals with non-EU countries. 

In Whitehall and Westminster, there will now begin the massive task of unstitching the UK from more than 40 years of EU law, deciding which directives and regulations to keep, amend or ditch.

The Leave campaign argued during a bitter four-month referendum campaign that the only way Britain could "take back control" of its own affairs would be to leave the EU.

Leave dismissed warnings from economists and international bodies about the economic impact of Brexit as "scaremongering" by a self-serving elite.

Waity Katie Marries Her Prince! No Honeymoon Yet!

After Such An Elaborate Wedding Ceremony One Can Only Wonder Where The Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge Will Spend Their Honeymoon.

Perhaps Kenya, Africa? The Location Where He Supposedly Proposed To Her Last Year?

So It Looks As If Waity Katie's Cinderella Dreams Have Finally Come True!

Yesterday Morning I Watched The Wedding Of Prince William & Kate On Television.

Considering The Fact It Was Broadcast On Every Major Network, How Could I NOT See It?

I Initially Thought I Wouldn't Be The Least Bit Interested In The Royal Nuptials.

To My Surprise I Was Extremely Interested!!

I Must Admit I Did Enjoy Seeing What Appeared To Be Another Happy Couple Making It Legal!

In Today's World Marriage Is No Longer Of Great Importance.

To Avoid Commitment Many People Just "Shack Up".

How Nice To See The Marriage Union Is Still Being Honored.

So After 9 LONG Years "Waity Katie" Is Now The Duchess Of Cambridge!!

How Wonderful!

Sometimes I Guess Waiting For Prince Charming Is Worth It!

Smart Girl That Kate!

And Vice Versa When It Comes To Men Waiting For "Mrs. Right".

As For President Obama & Michelle NOT Being Invited To Witness This Blessed Occasion, Here's My Take On The Situation. You Don't Have To Agree.

No Personal Offense To Michelle, However I Sincerely Believe Prince William & Kate Wanted President Obama There.

But Since Michelle Obviously Broke Royal Protocol When She Publicly Hugged Queen Elizabeth II During The Obama's Visit To See The Monarch, Michelle Wasn't Welcome Again.

And Since The Windsors Are Sticklers For Protocol It Would Have Been Impolite To Invite President Obama But Not His Wife.

Thus It Was Better Not To Invite Them Both.

Again Just My Take On The Situation. You Don't Have To Agree.

Now Let's Just Hope That "Waity Katie" Adjusts To Royal Married Life Much Better Than Her Late Mother-In-Law Princess Diana.

Congrats!

God Bless The Marriage Union, No Matter The Couple!

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Prince William to return to work before honeymoon abroad


That was fun. Now back to work.

Prince William may have spent Friday exchanging historic vows and driving a decked-out Aston Martin, but come next week, he’ll be reporting back to duty. (It’s all fun and palace games till one's back to being a search-and-rescue pilot.)

The bikinis and bubbly will have to wait as royal officials announced that the newlywed will postpone a honeymoon abroad with his new wife.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen not to depart for a honeymoon immediately," St James's Palace said in a statement, referring to the couple by their new titles bestowed by Queen Elizabeth.

"The locations of both their private weekend before The Duke returns to work and their future honeymoon, which will be overseas, will not be disclosed in advance," it said, adding that the couple will spend the weekend in Britain, although not at their Welsh home.

Looks like the royal couple are keeping with tradition: Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent the first part of their honeymoon at the royal family's home in Hampshire, England.

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A pair of kisses seal marriage of William, Kate


Prince William and Catherine Middleton sealed their wedding vows with a traditional kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace Friday as millions in London and around the world roared their approval.

The short peck — and a slightly longer smooch a couple of minutes later — followed a glittering service at Westminster Abbey in which the prince and the newly created Duchess of Cambridge were pronounced husband and wife.

The kisses were followed by a traditional fly-by of vintage and modern planes from Britain's Royal Air Force.

About two hours later, the couple surprised crowds gathered outside the palace by emerging in a blue convertible Aston Martin and driving around for a few minutes. The car was decorated with a multicolored ribbon across the hood and dragged what appeared to be tin cans, a traditional British touch.

The couple took their vows at about 11:15 a.m. (6:15 a.m. ET) with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, officiating.

The prince, 28, dressed in the resplendent red tunic of the Irish Guards, appeared to initially struggle to get the wedding ring, made of Welsh gold, onto the elegant, tiara-bedecked Middleton's finger.

William said "I will" in a clear confident voice, when asked if he would "love, comfort, honor and keep" Middleton, 29. She appeared slightly emotional as she repeated her vows.

The prince was spotted winking at his new bride — the first "commoner" to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years — after they exchanged vows.

Middleton had arrived at the abbey on time at 11 a.m. and, as soon as she did, Buckingham Palace issued the long-awaited details of what she was wearing: a long-sleeved lace gown and veil, designed by Sarah Burton, creative director for Alexander McQueen.

According to the U.K.'s Press Association, Prince William told a joke at the altar before the ceremony, saying: "We were supposed to have just a small family affair."

The line was spotted by Tina Lannin, lipreader for O'Malley Communications, the Press Association said. She also spotted Prince Harry, William's best man, nervously comment "Right, she is here now," as Middleton arrived.

An estimated million well-wishers — as well as some protesters — flooded into the areas surrounding Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and other London landmarks.

Some were up at dawn waving flags for television cameras under steely gray skies and cool temperatures.

Cheers erupted as huge television screens showing the service began broadcasting at Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park.

'She is Beautiful'

Brenda Hunt-Stevenson, a 56-year-old retired teacher from Newfoundland, Canada, said there was only one thing on her mind.

I want to see that kiss on that balcony. That's going to clinch it for me. I don't care what Kate wears. She is beautiful anyway," she said.

Even astronauts on the International Space Station offered best wishes to the couple in a video posted on YouTube.

Some 8,000 reporters and support staff have descended on the capital to capture the occasion in words and images, and, while some question a British government estimate of a global audience of two billion, hundreds of millions are certain to tune in.

Security was tight and as of 11 a.m. local time, police reported 18 arrests had been made for a variety of offenses including, possessing an offensive weapon, sexual assault, assault, criminal damage, a drug offense and being drunk and disorderly, NBC News reported.

Ecstatic crowds
The ceremony ended at about 12 noon (7 a.m. ET) and the newly wed couple traveled along street lined with even more ecstatic crowds in an open carriage.

Both smiled and waved as they made the journey, surrounded by cavalry soldiers in dress uniforms to Buckingham Palace.
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The palace announced early Friday that the couple would be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Middleton will now be "Her Royal Highness" and also Princess William of Wales, but the latter title will not be used.

The second duke of Cambridge, Prince Adolphus Frederick, was the seventh son of King George III. Defying the Royal Marriage Act, he married his mistress, Sarah Louisa Fairbrother, an actress and a commoner, in 1847. Since the marriage wasn't legal, his children were all illegitimate.

In contrast to the clamor outside, inside the abbey all was airy and calm during the service. The long aisle leading to the altar was lined with maple and hornbeam trees as light streamed in through the high arched windows.

Some 1,900 guests filed into the abbey before the wedding, the vast majority of women in hats, some a full two feet across or high. Some looked like dinner plates.

One woman wore a bright red fascinator that resembled a flame licking her cheek. A BBC commentator noted there were some "very odd choices" in fashion walking through the abbey's door.

The guests included some 50 heads of state, British Prime Minister David Cameron, diplomats from around the world, along with celebrities such as Elton John, David Beckham and even the comic actor Rowan Atkinson, known for his portrayal of "Mr. Bean."

Light relief

The marriage is providing some welcome light relief amid general economic gloom in the U.K.

The year-old Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government is in the process of introducing swinging spending cuts designed to cut the deficit.

New figures for the first three months of 2011 showed that the U.K.'s GDP grew by just 0.5 percent, prompting the leader of the opposition Labor Party, Ed Miliband, to claim Wednesday that the economy had "flat-lined."

But while the wedding might lift the spirits of many in the country, some slightly dour economists have estimated that the extra public holiday created to allow people to join in the celebrations will cost billions of pounds, with one even saying it will knock a quarter of a percentage point off second-quarter GDP growth.

And not all Britons are celebrating. An Ipsos MORI poll for Reuters this month found 47 percent of Britons were either not very or not at all interested.

"It's just a wedding," said 25-year-old Ivan Smith. "Everyone is going mad about it. I couldn't care less."

However, for the majority, the marriage between William, second in line to the throne, and Middleton, dubbed "Waity Katie" for their long courtship, has cemented a recovery in the monarchy's popularity.

Three-quarters of those polled by Ipsos MORI on the wedding said they favored Britain remaining a monarchy.

A series of scandals involving senior royals, Britain's economic difficulties and Princess Diana's death in 1997 aged 36 in a car crash after her divorce from Prince Charles led many to question the future of an institution rooted in the imperial past.

But William's image as a more rounded, less distant figure than his father, and the fact that Middleton is the first "commoner" to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in over 350 years, appear to have worked in the monarchy's favor.

William has deliberately tried to keep the memory of his mother alive and gave Middleton his mother's sapphire and diamond engagement ring.

"Their marriage will breathe new life into the monarchy as the queen enters the twilight of her reign, bringing new blood and a fresh perspective to an institution that faces criticism for being elitist and out of touch," royal biographer Claudia Joseph told Reuters.


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Sources: Bitten & Bound, CNN, Daily Mail, Fox News, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps

Kate & Wills Approaching Nuptials: Who Still Cares??

Polls Show That Only About 6% Of Americans Have Even The Slightest Interest In Prince William & Kate Middleton's Approaching Nuptials.

Let's Not Forget That They Didn't Invite Pres. & Michelle Obama Either.

So How Many Of You Actually Give A Darn About This Extremely Expensive Privileged UK Event??

If You Are Unemployed & Still Care About Wills & Kate's Wedding Let Me Hear You Say YEAH!!

If You've Lost Your Home & Still Care About Wills And Kate's Wedding Let Me Hear You Say YEAH!!

What's That I Hear? Crickets??

I Thought So.






Royal Wedding Is Drawing a Yawn From Many Americans

How fascinated are Americans with Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s nuptials next week? According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, not very. Only 6 percent have been following news about the wedding very closely, and an additional 22 percent are following it somewhat closely.

Women are paying much more attention to the wedding than are men, particularly older women. A third of women under 40 are following news of the wedding at least somewhat closely, as are more than 4 in 10 women who are 40 or older. In comparison, half of men are not following news of the wedding at all. “It’s their British thing; it’s their custom,” Edward Rakas, 57, of Colchester, Conn., said in a follow-up interview after the poll was completed. “I guess they enjoy it, but it’s just not something I’m interested in.”

Women are also more apt to say they expect to watch the broadcast of the royal wedding next week. Older women are even more likely to schedule an early morning wake-up call for Friday.

Mary Nygaard, 67, of Washington, lived overseas for 25 years and has many British friends. Next week, she will join 27 women at a private home at 5 a.m., watch the proceedings on television and have an English breakfast (plus scones). “We’re going to wear special hats, and some of us will wear tiaras,” Mrs. Nygaard said. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

Miss Middleton has not worked in some time, but she was a buyer at a clothing store and worked at her parents’ party-supply company. American women paying any attention to the wedding are divided on whether she should seek employment after the wedding: 47 percent said it would be acceptable for her to hold a job, and 42 percent said she should concentrate on her royal responsibilities. A majority of men, though, said Miss Middleton should not work.

Denise Papcun, 38, of Pittsburgh, says that if Miss Middleton wants a job, she should get one, as long as it can be balanced with her official duties. In addition, “I hope maybe both of them follow in Diana’s footsteps and do charity work or something meaningful and it’s not just a title,” Mrs. Papcun said.

More than 13 years after her death, Prince William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, remains the most popular member of the royal family among Americans. Three-quarters of adults surveyed have a favorable opinion of her, including large majorities across age, gender, race, party affiliation and socioeconomic groups. And an overwhelming majority consider Diana’s ring to be a suitable engagement gift for Miss Middleton. Diana received the sapphire and diamond engagement ring from Prince Charles in 1981.

Americans are more divided over William’s father, Prince Charles: 38 percent have a favorable opinion of him, and 29 percent hold a negative view. There is little difference between the views of men and women or older and younger Americans.

Charles’s mother and William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her 85th birthday on Thursday, is viewed favorably by 61 percent of Americans over all, but she is more popular with women and with older Americans.

William is almost as well-liked as his grandmother: 57 percent of Americans surveyed have a positive opinion of him. Men under 40 are most likely to have no opinion at all about the young prince.

Many Americans are reserving judgment about William’s future bride. Less than half, 45 percent, have a favorable opinion, and only 5 percent have an unfavorable one. The rest are undecided or have not heard enough about Miss Middleton to offer an opinion.

“I think it’s a lot of hoopla, all that pomp and stuff,” said Eric Zeff, 49, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “They did that for Charles and Diana, and see how their marriage turned out.” (They were divorced in 1996.)

The nationwide telephone poll was conducted April 15 to April 20 with 1, 224 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.



Royal Wedding shows Diana's influence lives on


Just after announcing his engagement, Prince William told the world he had given Kate Middleton the distinctive sapphire and diamond ring belonging to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, as "my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement."

The prince was particularly close to his mother, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997, and both he and his brother Harry know how much his wedding would have meant to her. William is even reported to have taken his fiancee to visit Diana's tomb at her ancestral home, Althorp House, in central England, in the run-up to the big day.

Royal experts say the second-in-line to the British throne has been closely involved in the planning of the wedding, which has other echoes of Diana.

As well as taking place at Westminster Abbey, where his mother's funeral took place, after they are married, William and Kate will ride to Buckingham Palace in the open-topped 1902 State Landau carriage that carried Prince Charles and Diana after their wedding in 1981. The Glass Coach that transported Diana to St. Paul's Cathedral will be used if the weather is wet.

And while Diana cannot be at the wedding, William seems to have taken care to invite guests of whom his mother might have approved. These include Elton John, a friend of Diana's who sang "Candle in the Wind" at her memorial service, soccer star David Beckham and Madonna's former husband Guy Ritchie.

Arthur Edwards, royal photographer for The Sun tabloid newspaper for more than 30 years, said Prince William -- like his mother before him -- wants close control of media coverage. "He wants everything his way. He didn't want anybody to break the (engagement) story, for instance," Edwards told CNN

"William wanted to do it, he explained to us on the day of the engagement. He said 'I want this marriage for life.' And it was very organized and rational, the way he was speaking, and transparent, I thought. He was just very honest."

Kate too has described her respect for Diana, to whom she is often compared, saying "obviously I would have loved to have met her and she's obviously an inspirational woman to look up to."

Representatives of many of the charities closely associated with both William and his mother, such as the homeless project Centrepoint, will also be among the 1,900 wedding guests, and Ken Wharfe, who was Diana's bodyguard, said it is this that is her chief legacy.

"We all know what Diana's feelings would be today, she'd be immensely proud of her son. But she'll be remembered for the campaigning work she did to find a cure for AIDS. She was the first member of the royal family that was actually prepared to put her name to it. In the '80s, AIDS wasn't a subject that people talked about generally.

"I remember going with Diana to many charitable soup kitchens in central London, often without the glare of the media. I went with William as well, where she was actually instructing William. I think it will be her legacy of kindness and sincerity and the fact that she captivated the hearts of the normal man or woman on the street. Such was her popularity, she knew how to communicate ... remember the royal family do communicate, but in a way that is so traditionally royal."

Christopher Anderson, author of "William and Kate," agreed, saying that while the young prince is emotionally close to his father, "William is his mother's son, certainly in affairs of the heart."

"He has a connection with people and it's because of what she consciously did to make him aware of how real people live."

William has stressed in a television interview that no one is "trying to fill my mother's shoes," and royal aides will be keen to ensure lessons have been learned from her tragic demise.

According to Catherine Ostler, former editor of society magazine Tatler, despite earlier incidents of paparazzi photographers harassing Kate -- reminiscent of their treatment of Diana -- there now seems to be greater restraint by the tabloid media.

"I think it's a deliberate decision by editors and the palace to protect her and William," Ostler said. "We've all got this specter of Diana and how horribly it went wrong and how we all know it must be unbearable pressure for a girl that age from an ordinary background to cope with this instant celebrity. So they're pacing it."

And more importantly there's a big difference between the William-Kate relationship and that of Charles and Diana.

"They are much more of an equal partnership," Ostler said. "There was always a sense from day one, even when they were engaged ... when Charles and Diana went on a trip and it was a walkabout and they split up, everyone would want to be on the Diana side of the fence. Now everybody says people don't mind if they get Kate or William because William has star quality in his own right."

William appears to have chosen a confident and beautiful woman, equal to his late mother in her prime. Now royal watchers wait in anticipation to see if Kate becomes another "People's Princess."


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Sources: Bitten & Bound, CNN, Daily Mail, Huffington Post, NY Times, Google Maps

April 29th! William & Kate's Official Wedding Day At Westminster Abbey

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It's A date! Royal Wedding Set For April 29


Ending a week of speculation, the royal family announced on Tuesday that Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry on Friday, April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

The announcement, made at St. James's Palace, came a week after the pair made news of their engagement public, also via an official statement from St. James's Palace.

Prince William's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, said the couple chose the 1,000-year-old abbey in central London because despite its size — it holds 2,200 people — it has a sense of intimacy.

"Even at the altar, it seems like a parish church," he said.

William and Kate decided against celebrating their nuptials at St. Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents married in 1981.


Who's Paying

Retail researchers have estimated that the wedding could give a $1 billion boost to the British economy, but Lowther-Pinkerton said the couple were very mindful of the austere times facing many Britons following the coalition government's announcement of massive spending cuts.

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."

A royal aide said that meant the royal family and the Middletons would pay for the ceremony, reception and the honeymoon, while other costs, such as the bill for security, would be met by the taxpayer.

The royal aide said the couple, both 28, had always wanted a spring wedding and for it to be held on a Friday.

National holiday
Westminster Abbey, where kings are crowned, has close links with the British monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II was married there in 1947, as was her daughter Princess Ann, and son Prince Andrew. It also holds sad memories for William, as the site of Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.

Prior to Monday's announcement, it had been widely speculated that the nuptials would take place at Westminster Abbey. Middleton was photographed leaving the abbey last Wednesday night, after the church closed for a private viewing.

The wedding day will be a national holiday in Britain, known there as a bank holiday, and has been described as a semi-state occasion. It's also the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, whose name Middleton shares — though that is a coincidence.

"The wedding of Kate and William will be a happy and momentous occasion," said Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday. "We want to mark the day as one of national celebration, a public holiday will ensure the most people possible will have a chance to celebrate on the day."

At the time of the announcement, Queen Elizabeth was attending the annual meeting of Anglican leaders inside the abbey. The royal family was under increasing pressure to announce the wedding date before the queen leaves on a five-day state visit to the Gulf.

With the date and venue set, the couple — and needless to say the media — will now turn their attention to other wedding details like Middleton's dress, the guest list and the make up of the wedding party.

To help Middleton adjust to her new role as princess, the royal family has turned to the Countess of Wessex, Sophie, who is married to the queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward.

“The palace is very aware that she is going to be taking on the biggest role of her life and they are paving the way for there to be a support network for her,” said royal expert Camilla Tominey to NBC’s TODAY. “The queen is a massive fan of the Countess of Wessex and she’s very much of Kate’s ilk. There is a feeling that Sophie could help guide Kate into the role.”


Excitement in Britain

The upcoming royal wedding has been the story on everyone's lips in the U.K., and indeed around the world. Newspapers have been speculating about the date since the official engagement announcement, with dates in July and August also thought to be strong possibilities.

Middleton met William at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. They shared a student house in the seaside university town, where William initially studied art history before switching to geography.

Once the couple's relationship became public with a joint photo on a Swiss skiing holiday in 2004, Middleton became a media darling — especially after both graduated, ending a media agreement to leave William alone while he was at university. With her confident good looks and long brown hair, Middleton became one of the most photographed women in Britain.

The brunette fashion buyer was photographed attending public events, going to work, even getting a parking ticket — a level of attention that evoked the romance of William's parents, Charles and Diana.

It has been widely reported that for the last six months, the pair have lived together on the Welsh island of Anglesey, close to the RAF base where the prince is based. William is also a frequent visitor to the Middleton family house in the affluent village of Bucklebury, 50 miles west of London.

Prince William proposed to Middleton during a vacation in Kenya in October. He gave the future princess the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.

More than three-quarters of those surveyed for one opinion poll believed the wedding would be good for the monarchy while another suggested most Britons wanted William to be the next king instead of his father Prince Charles.











With My Mother's Ring I Thee Wed: Prince's Moving Tribute To Diana As He Announces Royal Wedding Next Year


He added: 'The timing is right now, we are both very, very happy.'

Kate said that joining the Royal Family was a 'daunting prospect' but added: 'Hopefully I'll take it in my stride and William's a great teacher so hopefully he'll be able to help me along the way.

'I'm really looking forward to spending my time with William.'

The Prince added: 'She's very good at flattery.'

Asked about the proposal, Kate said: 'It was very romantic, and it was very personal.'

Questioned if he got down on one knee to propose, William replied: 'That's going to stay a secret.'

Asked about why they decided to marry now, and how long they have been dating, William said: 'I don't remember how many years it's been, forgetful memory.

'I also didn't realise it was a race, otherwise I probably would have been a lot quicker, but also the time is right now, we're both very, very happy, and I'm very glad that I have done it.'

Miss Middleton added: 'Obviously we have been going out a long time and, you know, we had spoken about our future and it just seemed the natural step for both of us.'

On their relationship William said: 'Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we're down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she's got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.'

Kate added: 'All of the same, but you know, over the years William has looked after me, he's treated me very well, as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and also through the bad times.'

Moments earlier the couple had spent a few minutes in a private meeting with journalists as William introduced his fiancee to the press.

Kate was dressed in an eye-catching blue dress from the Issa fashion label founded by Brazilian designer Daniella Issa Helayel. The designer is known to be one of Kate's favourites.

William looked smart in a dark suit by Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes, who have dressed members of the royal family for more than 200 years.

Kate, also 28, had been dubbed 'Waity Katy' amid criticism she was hanging on for a proposal and did not have a proper job but now her wait is finally over.

She will formally be known as Catherine from now on.

David Cameron said William is 'extremely excited' and 'thrilled' as he appeared outside No10 to welcome the news this lunchtime.

The marriage will be the biggest royal event since the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981.

It is hoped the ceremony will give a huge boost to the nation and the economy as crippling public sector spending cuts hit home.

Bookies have made August 13th the early favourite for the wedding date and it is likely to take place at Westminster Abbey.

It is claimed personnel at the Abbey have already been contacted about a royal wedding in the second week of August, although St Paul's and Windsor Castle are other potential venues.

The Queen and the Queen Mother were both married in the Abbey but it also carries painful memories of William's mother's funeral in 1997.

Charles and Diana's fairytale ceremony was at St Paul's which has also been the recent location for major royal celebrations such as the Queen's 80th birthday.

In a full statement, Clarence House said: 'The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.

'The wedding will take place in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.

'Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya.

'Prince William has informed The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton's father.

'Following the marriage, the couple will live in North Wales, where Prince William will continue to serve with the Royal Air Force.'

The engagement was also officially announced simultaneously on Facebook and Twitter, coming days after the Queen signed up to the social networking site.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are absolutely delighted for them both.'

Prince Charles, in Dorset, said he was 'thrilled' and joked that the couple had been 'practicing long enough'.

His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, on her way into a theatre in central London, added: 'It's the most brilliant news. I'm just so happy and so are they. It's wicked.'

Michael and Carole Middleton appeared outside their home in Berkshire - where police were on guard - shortly before 4pm to talk publicly about their daughter's relationship for the first time.

They said they are 'absolutely delighted' and 'thrilled'.

Mr Middleton said: 'As you know Catherine and Prince William have been going out together for quite a number of years. Its great for us because we have got to know him extremely well.

'We think he is wonderful. They make a lovely couple, they're great to be with and we've had a lot of laughs together. We wish them every happiness for the future.'

Earl Spencer, William's uncle and the brother of Diana, said: 'It's wonderful news. Very exciting. My family are all thrilled for them both.'

Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband also said they were 'delighted' for the couple.

The Prime Minister was told of the engagement during the Cabinet meeting this morning and relayed it to ministers.

He emerged from No10 just before 1pm to express his joy at the announcement and revealed he had just spoken to the Prince.

'I spoke to Prince William a few moments ago and passed on my congratulations. He was obviously extremely excited about the news and thrilled about what lies in store. It was wonderful to have that word with him and pass on my best wishes,' he said.

Mr Cameron added: 'This is incredibly exciting news and I am sure the whole country will want to pass on their congratulations.'

Recounting how he was handed a note with the news during the Cabinet meeting, he said: 'There was a great cheer that went up and a banging on the table.'

He said: 'It's great to have a piece of unadulterated good news that everyone can celebrate and be happy for them. I am sure it will be something when the country will come together. I remember when William's mother got married, I slept on the Mall that night and joined in the celebrations. I'm sure lots of people will want to celebrate in lots of different ways.'

He added: 'As well as this being a great moment for national celebration, I think we also have to remember that this is two young people who love each other who have made this announcement, who are looking forward to their wedding, and we must give them plenty of space to think about the future and what they are about to do.'

Kate's security detail will now be instantly upgraded to give her round-the-clock protection, befitting a Princess in waiting and - for now at least - her parents are also under guard.

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed how the Middletons were guests at a private shooting party on the Queen's Scottish estate.

The move was seen as highly symbolic and an indication that the middle-class Middleton family were now firmly being welcomed into the royal fold.

It is now clear that Kate and William were already engaged at the time of the visit to Birkhall, Prince Charles' private residence on the Balmoral estate.

The invitation to Mr Middleton, a former airline despatcher, and ex-air hostess Carole shows William was keen to start off on the right foot with his future in-laws.

Kate and William first met at St Andrews University where they were both studying history of art and lived close to each other in the halls of residence during their first year.

It was at a charity fashion show in March 2002, when Kate modelled a sheer black lace dress, that she was said to have first turned the Prince's head.

They moved in together with friends in 2002 but are not thought to have become a proper item until around Christmas 2003.

Their romance was exposed on a skiing holiday in Klosters in 2004 but William famously proclaimed: 'I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30' - setting the stage for a very long wait.

They split up in April 2007 as William became increasingly involved in his career in the Armed Forces but were secretly united within weeks.

In the past few months, the pair have been 'road-testing' married life on Anglesey, in Wales, where William works as a search-and-rescue pilot - although officially Kate is still living at her parents.

There was a significant shift last month when they appeared in public together for a friend's wedding.

They notably walked into the ceremony in Gloucestershire side by side when usually they would take pains to avoid being pictured together.

The last time Kate was seen before that had been in July and it is thought she had been kept in the background ahead of the engagement announcement.

Travel chiefs are already saying the wedding will be a massive boost to UK tourism ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics in 2012.

VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: 'The wedding next year will mean that once again the eyes of the world will be turned to our nation.

'We will have a wonderful opportunity to showcase all that is best about the country - its heritage and its history and what being English is all about.'

With their engagement only just announced, divorce lawyers are already circling to warn that Kate should sign a pre-nuptial agreement before walking down the aisle.

A recent decision by the Supreme Court has strengthened the validity of pre-nups and effectively made them binding in English law.

Top divorce expert Isabel Thornton said today: 'In a more typical scenario, where two 28 year olds are soon to be married and a substantial disparity of wealth exists, one set of parents would undoubtedly be marching their offspring to see the lawyers as soon as possible.

'However, whether the Royals will do the same remains to be seen. With the risk of setting a precedent in mind, I am sure careful consideration will be paid to the issue before any final decision is made, particularly given the Anglican belief in the sanctity of marriage.'

Diana's private secretary Patrick Jephson added: 'There will be a tidal wave of sentimental slush, but I believe what I'm saying. You've got be practical. If she was my sister, I'd tell her to get a good pre-nup.'

Mr Jephson urged Kate to carve a definite role for herself and refuse to be 'a wife, a pretty face' and warned: 'Kate's not just going into a marriage, she's going into a business.'

'She has to agree on her position especially in relation to her future husband William. She needs to know what's expected of her. Is it going to be a joint operation?'

On her prospects of a happier life as a royal than Diana, he said: 'She is much older than Diana was. She's got more experience. She knows William better.'

He referred to the night before the Princess's wedding when she was told: 'You can't back out, your face is on the tea towels' saying Kate should 'screw the tea towels'.

'If you've got serious reservations, don't go through with it. It's such a public thing. If they don't get this one right, what's going to happen to the whole institution in the long run?'

However, he added: 'If you get it right, it's the best job in the world. It can be fantastic. They should set off with the firm intention of making it the happiest job in the world.'










William & Kate Laugh And Tease In First Post-Engagement Interview



Britain's Prince William carried his mother's engagement ring around Kenya in a rucksack for three weeks before he proposed to his girlfriend Kate Middleton, he said Tuesday after their engagement was announced.

The couple seemed happy and relaxed in their interview, teasing each other about his cooking and his romanticism, each drawing laughter from the other.

"She had 10 or 20 pictures of me up on her wall at university," William said.

No, she responded, it was Levi's ads.

It was me in Levi's, William replied without missing a beat.

They met as students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2002.

The prince said he'd been torn between asking Kate first if she would marry him, or asking her father for permission before her asked her.

Then he realized her father might say no, so he asked her first, he said.

The couple became more serious when talking about William's mother, the late Diana, princess of Wales.

"Obviously, she is not going to be around to share in the fun and excitement of it all," William said.

Giving Middleton his mother's engagement ring "is my way of keeping her close to it all," said the prince, who is second in line to the British throne.

His mother was killed in a car crash in 1997, the year after she and William's father Prince Charles divorced. They had been separated for several years before that.

"I would love to have met her," Middleton said. "She was an inspirational woman."

But William said there was "no pressure" for Middleton to emulate Diana.

"It's about carving your own future," he said. "No one is trying to fill my mother's shoes."

William and Middleton were friends for over a year at university, and were living together with other friends, before they started dating, they said.

The prince called that a "good foundation," saying "being friends with one another is a massive advantage."

He said his attempts to impress her by "cooking these amazing fancy dinners" had failed, and that she had had to hover in the background to help when he burned or otherwise ruined them.

But other qualities attracted her, he joked.

"I'm obviously extremely funny and she loves that," William said.

Middleton did laugh repeatedly during the interview.

She giggled when the prince asserted that "being a real romantic," he proposed well, and when he said that part of the reason they dated so long before the engagement was "to give her a chance to back out if she needed to."

They'll be married in London in the spring or summer of 2011, Prince Charles's office said Tuesday, saying it was too early to give more specifics.


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Sources: CNN, Daily Mail, MSNBC, Google Maps

William Chose Kate Because Of Trust! Next: Summer Wedding

The Royal Romance That Captivated A Nation: How Wills And Kate Kept Us Guessing For Eight Long Years



For the past eight years the nation has been kept on tenterhooks as just how serious Prince William was in his relationship with Kate Middleton.

But today it has finally been confirmed that she is the love of his life.

It has been such a long time coming, that poor Miss Middleton, 28, has earned the nickname 'Waity Katie', and her regular presence on his arm at the weddings of friends drew criticism that she has been hanging on for a proposal.

But her patience has finally paid off, and she can finally look forward to planning her dream wedding, set to take place next spring or summer.

The couple's long courtship developed after they became friends in 2001, when they met at St Andrews University.

It has been a far from easy ride for the bride-to-be, whose family, career and even fashion sense have come under close scrutiny over the past decade. Even her lack of blue blood has also been the focus of criticism.

Miss Middleton, who was studying history of art, had an early taste of the limelight of that lies ahead during their first year together, when William was spotted in the audience as she modelled in a charity fashion show.

The Prince, who read geography at the Scottish university, paid £200 to watch fellow students take to the runway where Miss Middleton, in a sheer black lace dress over a black bra and bikini bottoms, stole the show.

Though the pair would go on to live together during their second year, they did not start dating straight away. Miss Middleton dated fellow student Rupert Finch, while William was linked with close friend Jecca Craig.

It is not known exactly when William and Kate became an item but their romance was finally exposed after they were pictured on the ski slopes of Klosters together in March 2004.

William's statement on the same holiday was perhaps an indication of the wait Miss Middleton had coming. He said: 'I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28, or maybe 30.'

The following year, William was still non-committal about the relationship, and Miss Middleton was a noticeable absence at his father's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles.

Just three months later, however, she was on his arm at the wedding of William's close friend Hugh van Cutsem - the first of many the pair attended together.

Shortly after, their families met for the first time at their graduation ceremony. Now that their studies were over, it would be the first of many occasions that would spark rumours of an engagement.

Instead they went on to enjoy a string of lavish holidays, taking in the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya, and another skiing trip to Klosters, where they were pictured kissing for the first time, before William began his Army training at Sandhurst.

Breaks in his training were also punctuated by luxury getaways in Mustique and Ibiza.

However in April 2007 the couple split. But it was not to last long as just two months later the pair were seen kissing and dancing together at an Army party.

By May the following year, it seemed that the relationship was firmly back on track when Kate attended the wedding of William's cousin, Peter Phillips, to Autumn Kelly, on her own, while her beau attended another wedding in Africa.

Meanwhile, Miss Middleton responded to public criticism over her lack of career - one of the factors that earned her the 'Waity Katie' nickname, with a job as an accessories buyer with Jigsaw, the fashion chain owned by friends of her family.

The couple went on to spend increasing amounts of time with each others' parents - they spent New Year together in 2008 at Birkhall, Prince Charles’s private residence on the Balmoral estate.

But still, there was no news of a Royal wedding, not even when William joined the Middleton family on a skiing holiday in Courcheval in March this year.

When asked by a member of the public about the prospect of a royal wedding, William said: 'You'll have to wait a while yet.'

But the rumour mill went into overdrive when Miss Middleton's parents were spotted enjoying a shooting weekend at Birkhall earlier this month - a clear sign that the family had been accepted into the Royal fold.

And last week Royal aides would not rule out the prospect of an invitation for Miss Middleton to spend Christmas Day on the Sandringham estate for the first time - though this now looks less likely given that William has volunteered to work at RAF Valley in Anglesey on Christmas Day.

Though given that Miss Middleton has a lifetime of Royal formality ahead of her, she may be relishing the fact that this is the last 'normal’ Christmas she has left.


THE GIRLS HE LEFT BEHIND

No less than three of William's old flames attended the wedding of his friend Harry Meade in Gloucestershire last month.

While it is unlikely that, after ten years, any of these girls are brokenhearted, the Prince has left a string of beauties in his wake.

Jecca Craig, whom he met as a teenager, was the first to be romantically linked with him. William was said to have been so besotted with the heiress that they staged a mock engagement ceremony when he spent his gap year in Kenya on her family's estate.

Rose Farquhar was William’s first serious girlfriend, and dated the prince shortly after he left Eton.

And during his first year at St Andrews University, he dallied with Olivia Hunt, but the relationship soon fizzled out.



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Sources: Daily Mail, InStyle Mag., Youtube, Google Maps