Prince William—second in line to the British throne after his father Prince Charles—and his college sweetheart Kate Middleton were married on Friday at a service replete with pomp and pageantry in London’s Westminster Abbey.
Prince William, 28, and Ms. Middleton, 29, exchanged vows before nearly 1,900 guests in the abbey and a television and Internet audience of billions around the world.
They were formally declared married by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the Church of England. Numerous members of Arab royalty, and many Arab leaders attended the formal ceremony.
Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets and an estimated 2 billion people watched the event broadcast live on television around the world.
Ms. Middleton arrived at the abbey at 1000 GMT to cheers from the flag-waving crowd outside, many of whom had camped overnight to get a good view. Local officials estimated the crowd would swell to 600,000 people.
The royal bride picked British label Alexander McQueen for her wedding dress, revealing the design to the world as she arrived at Westminster Abbey.
Sarah Burton, assistant to Mr. McQueen for over a decade before he committed suicide in 2010, designed the floor-length white dress with lace detailing. Ms. Burton, a Briton, was appointed creative director of McQueen last year. Ms. Middleton wore a diamond tiara and full veil.
“We do these things incredibly well,” Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain—who, as a young boy, slept on the streets of London the night before the wedding of Prince William’s parents Prince Charles and Diana Spencer in 1981—said in a Sky News television interview.
“People around the world will be watching and seeing some of the best of Britain,” he said.
Ms. Middleton is the first woman from outside royalty or the aristocracy to marry so close to the throne for 350 years. When William becomes Britain’s monarch, she will be queen. Queen Elizabeth II, William's grandmother, announced earlier Friday that the couple would be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Ms. Middleton will also become Princess William of Wales.
Friday’s celebrations are the UK’s biggest royal event since the funeral in 1997 of Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris after her marriage with Prince Charles ended in divorce.
By Abeer Tayel
