William and Kate's Wedding Sealed with a Kiss

Britain's Prince William kisses his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding in London Friday, April, 29, 2011.

LONDON (AFP) – Prince William and Kate Middleton married Friday with a mix of glittering pageantry and spontaneity, kissing twice in front of a sea of revellers and breathing new life into Britain's monarchy.

A million people lined the streets and two billion TV viewers worldwide watched as Kate swept up the aisle of Westminster Abbey, resplendent in an ivory and white satin dress with a veil and flowing train.

The future king and queen briefly kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace then repeated it when the crowds begged for more -- going one better than William's parents Prince Charles and Diana when they wed in 1981.

Vintage and modern Royal Air Force warplanes then roared overhead in a flypast.

And in a surprise treat for the crowd, they also took a spin in a classic Aston Martin sportscar with a joke registration number and learner plates, reflecting their status as the new generation of British royalty.

Tourists and Britons alike flocked to London to see the culmination of a romance that began eight years ago when the second in line to the throne and his "commoner" bride were university students.

The couple are now known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- the titles were a wedding gift from William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The wedding's show of pomp mixed with genuine affection offers the royals a chance at renewal after Charles and Diana's traumatic public split and her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

"They are the most glamorous and classy couple. They are a new face for the monarchy," said Katie Oresko, a student from Chicago.

Yet Diana's absence was keenly felt despite the joyful atmosphere, with several pieces of music related to her life taking centre stage in the wedding of her eldest son.

Among 1,900 guests in the abbey were musician Elton John, footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria, and Australian swimming icon Ian Thorpe, along with 40 foreign royals and hundreds of dignitaries.

The Beckhams said the ceremony was "beautiful and heartfelt."

All eyes were on 29-year-old Kate's dress, and there were cheers when she emerged from her hotel in a robe by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, the British designer who committed suicide last year.

Led by her father Michael, Kate took four minutes to walk down the aisle of the abbey which was lined with trees to create the feel of an English garden.

William waited for her accompanied by his brother and best man Prince Harry, wearing the red tunic of the Irish Guards infantry regiment, the uniform of his highest military rank, despite his day job as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot.

He smiled and mouthed "you look beautiful" to his bride.

The first hymn, "Guide me, O thou great redeemer", was the last sung at Diana's funeral at the abbey 14 years ago.

The couple both said "I will" before repeating their vows, while William briefly struggled to fit the ring, made from Welsh gold, over her finger.

Kate, however, did not promise to obey her husband in her marriage vows -- echoing Diana.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams then pronounced them man and wife.

After the service, they travelled in an open carriage to Buckingham Palace along The Mall, as the crowds cheered and mounted soldiers in their finery rode alongside.

When the couple appeared on the balcony Kate could be seen mouthing "Wow" at the ocean of people. William then appeared to ask "Shall we kiss?" before briefly embracing his bride and blushing, following it up with another shortly afterwards.

Scotland Yard said at least one million people thronged the procession route, with 500,000 of them watching the balcony kisses.

There was one more surprise after the wedding reception at the palace.

William and Kate appeared in a vintage Aston Martin sporting bunting and balloons and the registration number "JU5T WED", and drove to Clarence House, his father's residence, nearby.

A yellow Sea King search and rescue helicopter -- the kind William flies -- hovered overhead.

Several hours after they tied the knot, Kate changed into an evening gown, also designed by Burton, and headed with William to Buckingham Palace to party late into the night with a group of some 300 friends.

Sandra Russell, 65, who is of French-British nationality, said she thought the marriage would be successful because Kate is "much older than Diana was at the time, much more mature and they are marrying for love."

One surprise remains intact after the wedding, however -- the couple's honeymoon destination is still a mystery.

About 5,500 street parties took place across Britain on Friday, including in St Andrews, where the couple met at university, and in the bride's home village of Bucklebury.

Around the world there were celebrations from Australia to Afghanistan, where British troops took a rare break from frontline duties to celebrate with a barbecue and alcohol-free beer.

In Paris, well-wishers visited a statue by the Pont d'Alma, the site of the crash that killed Diana, that has become an unofficial memorial to her.

[Source : AFP]