3 Weeks to Go – Countdown to Will & Kate’s Big Day

With 3 weeks to go, new information about the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is released almost daily. A lot of information related the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund has been added to the official wedding website. Other information released in the previous week include the role of the armed forces, and the schedule of the wedding day.

For information about the wedding dress, the tiara and the Royal guest list, we will have to wait until 29 April, but here is what we do know:

• The Royal Mint is producing an official commemorative coin, featuring the couple’s portrait, naturally. The coin comes in gold and silver, and cost between £10 and £5,450.
• Official stamps bearing Prince William and Miss Middleton’s engagement portraits will be released by Royal Mail on April 21st.
• Guests at the wedding receptions will be treated to two wedding cakes: a traditional fruit cake, decorated in floral homage to the four nations of Great Britain – England, Scotand, Wales and Ireland – will be made by Fiona Cairns of Leicestershire, while McVitie’s Cake Company will create a Windsor family recipe chocolate biscuit cake as specifically requested by the groom.
• Confirmed international guests: the King and Queen of Norway, the Crown Princess and Prince Daniel of Sweden, the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, The Queen of Spain, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Prince Albert II of Monaco and his bride-to-be Charlene Wittstock, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, the King and Queen of Greece, the Crown Prince of Greece, the Governor-General of Canada, Governor-General Bryce and Prime Minister Gillard of Australia.
• Prince Harry, who will act as his older brother’s best man, has yet to write his best man’s speech for the reception. However, the Prince is planning to “embarass” his brother during the speech (as is a usual best man speech tradition). Harry revealed he and three of the groom’s close friends will be speaking at the reception and they cheekily hope to make William “lose some hair” – but the speech won’t be too risque, what with grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in attendance and all.
• The program for the wedding day: The guests will start arriving at 8.30 a.m. the Royal guests, including the Queen, will arrive between 10.40 and 10.50 and Kate will arrive with her father, Michael, at 11 o’clock. The ceremony will take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. In the time in between the ceremony and the first reception, the bride and groom will tour London, official picture will be made and the couple will appear on the balcony for 10 minutes. At 3 pm the reception the Queen hosts will start at St James’ s Palace and at 8 pm, the reception hosted by the Prince of Wales starts.
• The armed forces will have a role on the wedding day. To read more, please click HERE.

To keep up-to-date with all the news about the royal wedding, visit one of the following threads:

Pre-Wedding Information for Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton

Prince William and Catherine Middleton Wedding Suggestions and Musings

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged British Royal Wedding 2011, Fashion, Prince Harry of Wales, Royal Souvenirs, Royal Stamps, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge.

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