No Tweeting from Westminster Abbey

 Any 140-character loving guests attending the April 29 wedding William and Kate will be sorely disappointed, as signal-blocking technology will be installed at Westminster Abbey to nix cellphone use.

According to Yahoo, the idea was suggested by members of the royal family and confirmed by police and security. They hope nixing phones and tweeting will cut down on news photos and videos featuring cellphone-toting guests, distracting ringtones and info about the wedding getting out ahead of the ceremony.

The absence of Twitter at the actual event doesn’t mean the web will go silent, obviously — in fact, talk of the Royal Wedding is growing rapidly on Facebook and Twitter.

And, hey, at least no one will be fired during the event — a Buckingham Palace guard was already sacked from his royal wedding day duties after calling the bride-to-be a “stuck up cow” and “posh bitch” on Facebook.

No Tweets Allowed at the Royal Wedding

10 Interesting Royal Wedding Facts

Think you know everything there is about the Royal Wedding?

At this point, the impending wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (soon to be Princess Catherine) has been covered in such exhaustive detail that we know what kind of ring she'll be wearing, who will be filling the seats of Westminster Abbey, and even what the guests will be chowing down on before and after the ceremony.

Yet, there are still one or two (or 10) things you might not know about the big event, or royal weddings in general. To make sure you approach this heavily-anticipated worldwide event adequately prepared, we've outlined some facts and figures that will make you the ruler of your own personal royal wedding party.

Read on my friends: 10 Royal Wedding Facts

Pippa has balls...Disco Balls!

Officials are apparently not happy with the disco balls produced by Pippa Middleton, sister of the bride and Maid of Honour.

We've all been to dull wedding receptions. The food stinks. The lights are too bright. A four-piece band is playing "The Girl from Ipanema," and nobody's dancing. According to the rumor mill, Kate Middleton's sister, Pippa, wants to avoid those all-too-common problems at the royal wedding reception with the help of some disco balls.

The Daily Mail reports that "Pip" wants to hang disco balls in the throne room of Buckingham Palace for the postwedding celebration. So, what's the big whoop? Pippa, who is Kate's chief bridesmaid as well as a professional event organizer, has apparently rubbed some officials the wrong way. Her glittery plans to bring "a younger atmosphere to the royal couple's evening reception" are indeed a stark contrast to the traditions of Buckingham Palace.

Officials were said to have been none too pleased with Pippa's plan to transform the royal residence to Studio 54, but the 27-year-old won the standoff. Her victory was no doubt in large thanks to her future brother-in-law. Again according to sources William stepped in and "insisted that the couple be allowed to properly let their hair down at night."

It's not just the disco balls that will encourage a party atmosphere. On Saturday morning, Prince Harry has planned an epic "survivor's breakfast" for those who partied all through the night. According to Martin Rogers of Yahoo!, the breakfast will include "bacon sandwiches and fry-ups -- an artery-clogging concoction of eggs, sausages, and other fried treats - traditional British hangover busters." Good thing. Because Harry plans to serve cocktails called "treasure chests" at the reception.

Pippa Middleton Hangs Disco Balls in Buckingham Palace - Yahoo! Buzz Log

Royal wedding guests to face security checks at the Abbey

Not really suprising...but will still be frustrating for guests, VIPs and dignitaries who are "dolled up to the nines"...to be body swept and scanned by some sweaty security guard!

It's not the type of welcome most wedding guests expect - ID checks and a tough security sweep before entering the church.

But then again, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding on Friday is no ordinary affair.

Britain hasn't seen a royal wedding of this size since Prince Charles married Diana in 1981 -- there were actually 200 more police on duty for that wedding, which had a longer procession route and a guest list of some 3,500 people, including foreign royals and heads of state.

Friday's wedding will offer much of the same pomp and circumstance with its 1,900 invited guests. Still, it presents a modern security nightmare for the 5,000 U.K. police officers on duty, who will be on the lookout for Irish dissident terrorists, Muslim extremists, anti-monarchists, protesters and ordinary riffraff who might blight the royal spectacle.

William & Kate: The Royal Wedding - Royal wedding guests to face security checks at the Abbey

Royal wedding buzz stirs monarchy debate in Canada

Whether it's about the cake, the kiss or the constant coverage, comments or complaints over the royal wedding are bound to slip into Canadian conversation on the eve of the big day.

But regardless of if they're rooting for the royals or nauseated by the blow-by-blow coverage, monarchists and republicans agree that Friday's grand event is getting Canadians thinking about their country's link to the monarchy, and whether it will endure.

"We relish the chance of having the monarchy in the news," says Tom Freda, co-founder and director of the Citizens for a Canadian Republic. "Apathy is the biggest problem we have in this debate."

Freda's non-profit group wishes Prince William and Kate Middleton well, but ultimately wants the country's head of state to be an elected governor general from Canada instead of a "non-resident monarch. "

"Simply being a celebrity is not enough to warrant being at the core of the Canadian state," he says.

"Especially when these people aren't Canadian and they don't live here."

William & Kate: The Royal Wedding - Royal wedding buzz stirs monarchy debate in Canada

Kate and Wills "calling the shots"!

 Do you believe it or not? I'm not sure. Could just be good PR.

Apparently Prince William and Kate Middleton are “calling the shots” over every aspect of their wedding as they refuse to allow courtiers or politicians to dictate to them.

The couple ignored warnings that a spring ceremony could be a washout, choosing Friday, April 29 as their big day, and will not allow protocol to get in the way of who they invite or who presides over the service.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, traditionally conducts major ceremonies at Westminster Abbey, the couple’s chosen venue, but he still has no idea whether he will be overlooked in favour of a minister with a closer personal relationship with the Prince.

A senior royal source Prince William and Catherine Middleton also have the last word on who is invited, and could veto some VIPs to make way for personal friends or deserving members of the public.


Read the rest of the Telegraph article here:

Prince William and Kate Middleton 'calling the shots' over every aspect of their wedding, aides reveal - Telegraph

Kate Middleton tipped to borrow Queen's tiara for wedding

A gambler stands to win £72,000 after betting that Kate Middleton will become the first 'commoner' to wear the Queen's tiara as she weds.

The bet that Miss Middleton will wear the diamond George III tiara was placed by a well-spoken middle-aged woman in Egham, Berkshire, according to the Sun.


The Russian fringe tiara is part of the crown jewels and was made in 1919 for Queen Mary. It has since been worn by the Queen mother, the Queen and Princess Anne at their weddings.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380592/Kate-Middleton-tipped-borrow-Queens-tiara-wedding-72-000-bet.html#ixzz1KbyMcVRe

The Royal Family's modern new couple

In terms of a romance, Prince William and Catherine Middleton's decade-long courtship has been thoroughly modern. A fairytale, no. Romeo and Juliet, definitely not.

With the Queen having watched the marriages of three of her four children disintegrate, there was never going to be overt pressure placed on Prince William to rush into wedlock.

So he was allowed to live with his future wife, from the middle class no less, not only as a flat mate at university, but as a couple in northern Wales.

Considering that Diana called Prince Charles 'Sir' up until their engagement, these were serious concessions for a family so entrenched in tradition.

Like many young couples, William and Catherine have had their bumps along the way.

They split up briefly in 2007 before reuniting and deciding to marry nearly a decade after their first meeting.
'That is what people do, the global western middle class experience, the gap year, university, cohabitation. 

Previous royal people that were part of a generation that could have done those things did not do those things,' British social commentator Peter York said.

'William and Kate are like their peers in that sense. It is not a classic royal marriage.'

Read the rest of this interesting article from Sky here: Sky News: The royal family's modern new couple

How to plan your day on April 29th!

Are you ready for April 29th? Want to know what's happening when? Pay attention...(all times GMT)

6.00am - Behind the scenes workers have been awake for hours, all through the night in fact, ensuring that the day will run smoothly. Police will be amongst the earliest risers, checking security is tight around the royal venues and routes, closing down the area within and around the processional route. Gardeners, street cleaners and city workers are preparing thr route for the Royal Wedding.

9.00am to 10.00am - Guests will start arriving from 9am. This will mean an array of royal dignitaries, heads of state, politicians, friend and family and the all-important celebrities!! In total the guest list is around 1900.

10.10am - Wills and Harry leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey. They are followed at a respectful distance by the remainder of the Royal Family, who themselves depart from Buckingham Palace. All travel in state cars.

10.50am - Kate, with her father Michael, set off in the Queen's Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (the car attacked by protesters in London in December, as it happens).

11.00am - The Wedding Ceremony!! The Westminster Abbey Service begins with the bride and her father walking down the aisle, and William will be waiting by the altar for her.

12.15pm - If it is sunny and dry weather, the 1902 State Landau carriage will transport the newlyweds to Buckingham Palace. If it is raining, the Glass Coach (used by Diana 30 years ago) will be used instead. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment will escort the Queen and Prince Philip, and two separate Ascot Landau carriages will take Harry and Pippa, Best Man and Maid of Honour, as well as the young page boys and bridesmaids.

12.40pm - just 600 guests are inivted to Buckingham Palace for a Champagne reception hosted by the Queen. 10,000 canapés will be prepared.

1.30pm - Wills and Kate - now married - will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, with hopefully a public kiss. This will be followed by a flypast of RAF airfraft.

2pm - Roads in London are reopened to civilian traffic.

3.30pm - Kate and Wills spend time with their guests - away from the paparazzi!

7.00pm - 300 of the couple's friends and family will attend a dinner hosted by Charles, Prince of Wales.

....and they lived Happy Ever After...?

Observations on Wills and Kate's Romance

Here are some views on Kate and Wills' romance - and relationship - but people close to the Royal Family.

He loves informality and wants to be treated like everyone else. He once asked a teacher [at Eton] who addressed him as Prince William to “drop the prince”
A source at Eton

He’ll be thrilled if she’s a hit with the public. He’s not like his father in this respect. Nothing would please him more than to find people surging past him so that they can get a good look at Kate
A palace aide


Kate was poised and good fun, and a lot of the guys fancied her. She was always much more of a man’s woman than a woman’s woman

A fellow student at St Andrews

For more quotes see here: Royal wedding: Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance in quotes - Telegraph

The 10 best on-screen weddings!

Remember some of these...?

Scott and Charlene....Rowan Atkinson as an incompetent vicar...Meryl Streep in "Mamma Mia"...?

10 of of the best on-screen wedding for your delectation!

The 10 best on-screen weddings - in pictures | Culture | The Observer

Westminster Abbey seating plan revealed

The seating plan for Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey has been revealed.

Close family members are to sit closest to the royal couple as they take their vows on Friday.

The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will sit across the aisle from the Middleton family.

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry will sit in the front row.

Carole Middleton will sit directly opposite the Queen, next to her husband Michael and her son James.

The remaining places on their front row are yet to be confirmed.

BBC News - Royal wedding: Westminster Abbey seating plan revealed

Windsors get more like the average British family

It's archaic, expensive, elitist, anti-democratic, discriminatory against Catholics and women, and prone to the most outrageous of scandals.

Yet the British monarchy is also the most successful of its kind in history, and continued global fascination and admiration mean billions around the world will be watching when the Queen's grandson William marries "commoner" Kate Middleton on April 29.

Why do we care so much? And why has this institution survived for more than a millennium when most other kings, queens, czars, emperors, kaisers, pharaohs and shahs have succumbed like lemmings off a cliff to revolution, war or indifference?

Some view it as simply the allure of what seems to be a modern fairy-tale evolving before our eyes. On April 29 that dynamic will be on overdrive due to a massive social media focus on the event.

"Spectacles have always been popular," Queen's University historian Sandra den Otter said in an interview, pointing to the "bread and circuses" strategy used by political leaders dating back to Roman times to placate the masses.

British pollster Andrew Hawkins said it's all about celebrity culture.

"The Queen is still the world's biggest celebrity, she's the most photographed and represented woman that there has ever been," he said. "The celebrities people look up to are here today and gone tomorrow, but here's something that goes back more than a thousand years."

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Windsors+more+like+average+British+family/4663857/story.html#ixzz1KKegTl54

Pupils make life-size model of Kate

Pupils from Holy Trinity International School's Prep have used recycled materials to make the model, dress, shoes and even flowers. They tied in their creation with art lessons where they were studying the Austrian symbolist painter, Gustav Klimt.

Jon Brunt, head of prep, said: "As we will be on holiday at the time of the Royal Wedding, we wanted the children to be able to take part in the royal celebrations and also use it as an opportunity to tie it in with our integrated arts curriculum.”

He added: “Miss Middleton's paper flowers and fashionable wedding hats were lovingly created by our younger pupils." It's wonderful what they have created from old plastic bottles and papers, fashioned into shoes and, most impressively, Kate’s wedding dress. Their royal canvases, as part of the wedding celebrations, encompassed many romantic elements."

Royal Couple will need "courage and clarity"

As the nation begins enjoying the first of its two bank holiday weekends, the couple will be spending their last weekend before they become husband and wife together privately - the Royal Wedding is just a week away.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams - the man who will marry them - has spoken of the "courage and the clarity" they will need to live out their marriage "in the full glare" of the public eye.

The Archbishop said the couple "knew what the cost of that might be" and urged people to support them. He described them as "deeply unpretentious people" who were clear about what mattered about their wedding day.

Let's hope he's right and that William and Kate have got their heads screwed on...and that Kate truly understands what she is getting herself into by marrying the son of one of the most famous (deceased) women on the planet.

Disobedient Kate?

Kate is set to follow in the footsteps of Diana (who would have been her mother-in-law) and omit the word "obey" from her marriage vows.

She will instead, in a similar to fashion to Diana back in 1981, promise to "love, comfort, honour and keep" Prince William, according to the Daily Mirror.

The revelation (not entirely unexpected) comes as Kate and William make final preparations for their wedding, just a week away.

Kate 'will omit obey vow at Abbey' - Yahoo! News UK

Wedding to be streamed on Youtube

This is probably the first 21st century, Web 2.0 friendly Royal Wedding!

The wedding will be broadcast live on YouTube as part of an operation to make it the most accessible royal event in history.

Live updates and unique material will also be released on the official royal wedding website, through the British Monarchy’s picture-sharing Flickr account, Twitter and Facebook.

For the first time, broadcast footage of a royal wedding will be streamed in real time on The Royal Channel (www.youtube/theroyalchannel) accompanied by a live multi-media blog put together by St James’s Palace.
Viewers will be able to click to get more information about points of interest along the processional route, for example, or see additional photographs of the happy couple.


Royal Wedding to be streamed live on YouTube | Mail Online

There are OTHER couples getting hitched on the 29th!

Easy to forget but there are other weddings taking place on 29 April!!

Yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton are not the only couple heading down the aisle a week on Friday. According to wedding website confetti.co.uk, an estimated 236 other brides and grooms will be making their vows, including a couple called Kayleigh and Tom, whose ceremony will be held a stone’s throw away from Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall’s residence of Highgrove, in Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

‘I like to think that Kate and Will are getting married on our wedding day, not the other way around,’ says 26-year-old Kayleigh, a headhunter, who lives with Tom, 30, a finance consultant, in Bristol.


‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely thrilled for them both — but my first reaction when they announced the date was to be really miffed.


‘We’d picked Friday, April 29, months before them, but suddenly the hotels and taxis around our venue all upped their prices because it became a Bank Holiday. That means the cost has risen by more than £1,500, and our guests will have to pay more, too.


‘It’s not just the money. Some of the shine and the excitement surrounding the run-up to our own wedding has gone because everyone is talking about someone else’s big day. I know it’s a huge occasion — and it’s lovely for the whole country — but our wedding is special, too.’


Prince William and Kate Middleton hijacked our wedding date | Mail Online

Brilliant - Royal Virility Performance

Fancy getting a little bit horny with your chap or chappess to celebrate the Royal Nuptials? 

Up for a bit of kinky "I'm Wills, you're Kate" role-play? A new beer is on the market - laced with Viagra!!

The new brew is called Royal Virility Performance, and has been specially created to mark the upcoming Royal Wedding. Downing just three bottles is equivalent to taking one pill of Viagra, which enhances men's sexual performance.

Neck one, and enjoy folks!!


New British Beer Is Laced With Viagra - FoxNews.com

Henry VIII won't like THIS Royal Menu

THE 650 royal wedding guests who have been invited to Buckingham Palace for the reception after the royal wedding next week shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about which fork to pick up for the fish course.

That’s because they are probably not going to be served any courses at all.

At the lunchtime reception, Queen Elizabeth is expected to lay out a modest spread of Champagne, wedding cake and two-bite appetizers, or canapes. While the kebab shops close to Buckingham Palace may welcome post-reception drop-ins from hungry alcohol-fueled guests, others have wondered at the decision to welcome diplomats and heads of state with finger food.


Personally we think Henry would be sloping off to the nearest Kebab shop for a Doner or 8 - where's the royal gluttony, sucking pigs and ale-a-plenty?!

A Royal Wedding Menu of Cake and Canapes - NYTimes.com