Accessibility links

Breaking News

Britain's Royal Newlyweds to Postpone Honeymoon


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace in London, April 30 2011, the day after their wedding
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace in London, April 30 2011, the day after their wedding

British royal officials say newlyweds Prince William and Catherine Middleton have decided to take their honeymoon at a later date.

Officials said Saturday that the couple will spend the weekend privately in Britain, and William will return to his duties as a military pilot next week.

The monarchy posted a photo on the Internet of the couple leaving Buckingham Palace Saturday morning hand-in-hand, but it is unclear where they will be spending their weekend.

Officials say the overseas location of their future honeymoon also will not be disclosed in advance.

The newly-named Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed Friday at London's Westminster Abbey, before nearly 2,000 guests.

An estimated 1 million well-wishers crowded the streets of London to witness the event, while an estimated 2 billion people around the world watched on television.

The royal spectacle broke records for live streaming on the Internet and attracted more than 2 million comments on social-networking site Twitter, bringing the British monarchy - one of the nation's oldest institutions - firmly into the modern age.

The couple shared their first public kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace shortly after the ceremony. They exchanged a second, longer kiss on the balcony to the delight of the crowds below.

Later, the Duke drove off with his bride in an open-top Aston Martin car with balloons tied to the back and a license plate reading "JU5T WED."

In the evening , the couple held a smaller, more private reception with about 300 family and friends at Buckingham Palace.

The groom's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, promised to leave the palace early to allow the younger crowd to party all night.

Well-known guests at Friday's wedding ceremony included Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe, British football (soccer) star David Beckham, and British music icon Elton John. Former British Prime Minister John Major also attended. Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were not invited to the wedding.

The couple appeared calm but slightly nervous as they said "I will."

They have said they are "incredibly moved" by the outpouring of affection toward them since their engagement last November, and thanked the public for joining in the celebration of what they said they hoped would be one of the happiest days of their lives.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

A wedding photo album

XS
SM
MD
LG