LONDON (AP) - As Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot, Associated Press journalists are hunting down the most interesting details, from Westminster to points around the globe. Here’s the latest on the big event.
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8:22 a.m.
Big news on wedding garb! Well, small news. It’s not about the dress.
Prince William will be wearing the scarlet tunic of an Irish Guards officer, AP’s Gregory Katz reported Friday. Royal experts are saying his choice of ceremonial military dress signals his desire to reinforce his image as a dedicated military man, rather than the club-hopping party boy he was once characterized as.
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8:01 a.m.
BREAKING: Buckingham Palace says Prince William and Kate Middleton will receive the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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8:00 a.m.
Some headlines from the British newspapers:
_ The Times of London: “To marry her prince”
_ Daily Mirror: “Happiest day of our lives”
_ The Guardian: “Two people will marry today _ with 2 billion people watching”
_ Daily Express: “Today William and Kate invite the nation to … celebrate our happy day”
_ The Sun: “Mum would be so proud”
_ Daily Mail: “Smile that says the waiting’s over”
_ Financial Times: “Hand in marriage: Farewell to single life”
_ The Independent: (Under several wedding-related photos) “Not interested in the Royal Wedding? Turn now to page 6”
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7:56 a.m.
AP’s Jonathan Shenfield and Andrea Foa are working the crowds on the streets of London. Here’s some of what people are saying near Buckingham Palace and along the Mall.
_ Ingen Elise Kolste, consultant from Norway: “I love them. I think they are very good. When I saw William shaking hands with all of the people, he seems so like his mother and this is a good thing to be.”
_ Julie Lischer, visiting from Atlanta: “We have celebrities. Hollywood, that is kind of our royal family and it is not the same and we are just so happy for Will and Kate and having followed them from growing up, it’s just very exciting.”
_ Anna Jones, who works in a shop in Straffordshire, England: “We are so excited to be here _ we think we got one of the best spaces.”
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7:37 a.m.
Forget about the dress (for now). Let’s start with accessories:
Kate’s wedding ring was made out of Welsh gold by the Wartski company, which has long ties to the royal family.
AP’s Gregory Katz reports that Welsh gold, which is valued for its quality and scarcity, has been used in royal weddings since 1923. It has been worn by Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the late Princess Diana.
As you may have heard by now, that’s the only ring in the ceremony _ William has decided not to wear one. At least he’ll never have to worry about losing it.
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7:25 a.m.
A 1902 State Landau _ one of the royal carriages _ will be carrying William and Kate from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, the palace said Friday morning. That means they’ll have the top down _ actually, it doesn’t have a top _ so they may catch a raindrop or two if the weather turns south.
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7:13 a.m.
Is it too early to talk about beer? Not on royal wedding day. AP’s Fergus Bell, who’s roaming Trafalgar Square, says he saw people wheeling crates of beer to the bar tent.
Cheers, wedding watchers.
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7:03 a.m.
It’s cool and cloudy in London at the moment, but the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service, says there will be “sunny spells developing.” But scattered showers are possible, so if you’re in town, bring your brolly. (For the uninitiated, that’s an umbrella in these parts.)
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