It's just about time for Prince William and Kate Middleton to exchange vows in front of an international audience of millions -- perhaps billions -- in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London.
The royal wedding is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Eastern Time). It will be streamed live on YouTube as well as here on The Huffington Post. Coverage begins an hour before the ceremony. (Scroll down for a complete schedule.)
Hype has been building up for the wedding ever since the couple publicly announced their engagement to the world on Nov. 16, 2010. "Save the date" faxes were sent by Queen Elizabeth II in January and invitations were sent in February.
That date has finally arrived. It's officially April 29, 2011 in the United Kingdom, date of the wedding, and our Royal Wedding countdown shows how close the ceremony actually is -- just a few hours away as of this posting.
Here's the schedule for the day, courtesy of the Associated Press:
— 0815 BST (3:15 a.m. EDT) — Guests begin arriving at the Great North Door of London's Westminster Abbey.
— 0950 BST (4:50 a.m. EDT) — Governors-general and prime ministers of realm countries, the diplomatic corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at the abbey.
— 1010 BST (5:10 a.m. EDT) — Prince William and Prince Harry leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.
— 1015 BST (5:15 a.m. EDT) — The princes arrive at Westminster Abbey.
— 1020 BST (5:20 a.m. EDT) — Members of foreign royal families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
— 1027 BST (5:27 a.m. EDT) — Middleton's mother, Carole, and brother, James, arrive at the abbey.
— 1030 BST (5:30 a.m. EDT) — Select members of Britain's royal family arrive at the abbey.
— 1040 BST (5:40 a.m. EDT) — Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, leave Buckingham Palace for the abbey as Prince Andrew and daughters Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie; Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie; Princess Anne and her husband Timothy Laurence arrive for the ceremony.
— 1042 BST (5:42 a.m. EDT) — Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, arrive at the abbey from Clarence House.
— 1045 BST (5:45 a.m. EDT) — The queen and Prince Philip arrive at the abbey.
— 1051 BST (5:51 a.m. EDT) — The bride, accompanied by her father, Michael, leaves the Goring Hotel for the abbey.
— 1055 BST (5:55 a.m. EDT) — Bridesmaids and pages arrive at the abbey from the Goring Hotel.
— around 1100 BST (6:00 a.m. EDT) — The bride arrives. Marriage ceremony, which will be relayed on audio speakers along the wedding route, begins.
— 1215 BST (7:15 a.m. EDT) — William and his new wife emerge from the abbey and depart in the 1902 State Landau, a carriage, and travel to Buckingham Palace, followed by the queen.
— 1230 BST (7:30 a.m. EDT) — The bride's carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace, followed by members of Britain's royal family and other foreign royals 10 minutes later.
— 1240 BST (7:40 a.m. EDT) — Guests for the wedding reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.
— 1325 BST (8:25 a.m. EDT) — William and Middleton, accompanied by the queen and their families, appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
— 1330 BST (8:30 a.m. EDT) — The royals watch a ceremonial flypast from the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight before returning inside for the queen's reception for some 600 guests.
— 1800 BST (1 p.m. EDT) — Private reception begins at Buckingham Palace for 300 guests.
Still have questions? Find all you need to know about the Royal Wedding with this guide, our live blog and our Big News page.
Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/29/royal-wedding-2011-time_n_855283.html
