User:Wackywace/prep


 * Good morning and welcome to live updates of the royal wedding of and . Wikinews will be following the events throughout the day and you can contact us with your opinions as the wedding progresses either on our website, or on Twitter or Facebook. The wedding service will begin later this morning, and William and Kate's family will be in attendance at the Abbey. After the service the royal couple will travel to Buckingham Palace for the, and the bride, groom, and both their families including , will appear on the balcony.


 * 600,000 people are expected to be in London today to celebrate the marriage, and it is thought many millions will watch it around the world on television. Several hundred people have been camping along the route the couple will take for several days in a hope of seeing the newlyweds. 1,900 people have been invited to attend the ceremony inside the Abbey, including 50 foreign state heads. Kate yesterday took part in a final rehearsal with the, , and the pageboys and bridesmaids, yesterday, which William did not attend. William and Kate last night said in a message in the that they had been "incredibly moved" by the support for their marriage. The message said,


 * "We are both so delighted that you are able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be one of the happiest days of our lives. The affection shown to us by so many people during our engagement has been incredibly moving, and has touched us both deeply. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone most sincerely for their kindness."


 * Rail companies have said they expect 400,000 people to travel to the capital by train this morning, but insist they will be able to handle the significantly increased passenger numbers. Thousands of international journalists have also come to London, and will be reporting from specially constructed news studios around the capital. Police officials at raided numerous properties&mdash;occupied, it was reported, by &mdash;yesterday because of the wedding, but  seized on the raids as "disproportionate". The weather in London is expected to begin as cloudy and dry, brightening throughout the morning. Forecasters have warned of a 30 percent risk of rain at the time when William and Kate leave the Abbey after the ceremony, and an even greater risk of heavy showers towards the end of the day.


 * For a bit of background, here's the story so far. William was educated at, and Kate at , during which time &mdash;William's mother&mdash;was killed in a car crash in Paris, while William was aged 15. The couple met at , and moved in with each other in a flat on a quiet street. In 2004, the pair were pictured in Switzerland, before their first kiss in public two years later. But in 2007, the couple split&mdash;William began training as an  officer and it was thought the pressures of royal life began to strain the pair. "It's a surprise, because it had seemed very stable and very steady," BBC journalist  reported at the time. But several months later, they were back together again.


 * Last year, William was posted as a helicopter pilot in, Wales, and Kate joined him on the island, before their engagement was announced in November. "We are both very, very happy," William said, and Middleton said marriage into the Royal Family was a "daunting prospect," but, she added, "hopefully I'll take it in my stride." And today, they are to be married. The preparations have been continuing for weeks, and the  have been practicing maneuvers they will be performing on London's streets this morning, as is shown in the images below.