Middletons go home ... £250,000 poorer: Family’s huge bill for hotel, banquets, outfits and jewellery

By ROBERT VERKAIK

All smiles: Pippa, in jeans showing off the figure that has won her fans on Facebook, leads her mother Carole, brother James and father Michael out of the Goring Hotel yesterday


After a long day and night of celebrating, the Middletons finally emerged from the five-star Goring Hotel yesterday... perhaps thinking: ‘And about time, too.’

As speculation intensifies over the family’s wealth, inquiries have revealed that the wedding has cost them at least £250,000.

The bill for the exclusive hire of the 71-room hotel near Buckingham Palace is estimated at £85,000 alone. The Royal Suite, where Kate spent her last nights as a single woman is so exclusive, it has not been officially priced.


Rear of the Year? It's already in the bag: Pippa says a final farewell before starting the journey home


But the 200-strong crowd that cheered the family outside the hotel did not detect any regrets as they headed for their chauffeur-driven car, waving and smiling.

Pippa, 27 – carrying a bag and wearing skin-tight white jeans that accentuated the derriere that has inspired many Facebook tribute sites – led out her parents Carole and Michael and younger brother James, 23.


Pricey night: The bill for the exclusive hire of the 71-room Goring Hotel is believed to cost £85,000


The family is also estimated to have paid £25,000 for two parties at the hotel. On Thursday, Kate treated 120 friends and family to a buffet. And after Friday’s ceremony, Carole and Michael hosted an extravagant wedding party for a wider circle. Beluga caviar on The Goring restaurant menu is £400 for 100g while a bottle of Dom Perignon can cost £1,530.

Even if some Middleton guests paid for their rooms and the family secured a discount they will still be facing a bill approaching £100,000.

Last night the hotel said the terms of the booking were private. Kate’s bridal gown, designed by Sarah Burton, is said to have cost up to £40,000. Carole’s outfit by Catherine Walker would have cost £10,000 and Pippa’s dress, also by Sarah Burton, about £20,000.

Kate’s earrings, from Robinson Pelham, are believed to have set her parents back £15,000. A pendant and earrings for Carole, earrings for Pippa and gold tie sticks for Michael and James cost about £30,000.

The bridal shoes, designed at Alexander McQueen, and bridal flowers would have cost at least £3,000. Morning suits for Michael and James, by Gieves & Hawkes, would have cost £10,000. The Middletons would have also paid for suits and dresses for the evening, costing up to £20,000.


My hat: Mr Middleton loses his topper as he exits the bride's Rolls-Royce



Proud moment: The father of the bride looks on as Prince William is joined by Kate at the altar

source: dailymail

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Her Royal Hotness will be next to wed...

By SARAH OLIVER and KATIE NICHOLL

'Very close': Pippa Middleton last month in the arms of her 30-year-old City broker boyfriend Alex Loudon


It was the day Royal Maid of Honour Pippa Middleton dazzled the world in a dress that left very little to the imagination . . . but it emerged that she may have kept something secret after all.

For it seems that Carole and Michael’s second daughter is engaged in all but name to her City broker boyfriend Alex Loudon.

The couple have stayed silent about the future of their relationship for fear of detracting attention from William and Kate.


Catching Harry's eye: Pippa and the Prince on the Palace balcony. He had already walked arm-in-arm with her down the Abbey aisle


The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Harry, who flirtatiously walked her arm-in-arm back down the aisle after the wedding ceremony, were two of her most immediate admirers in the Abbey. Outside, her appearance ignited the blogosphere and almost led to the crash of Twitter. In America and Australia too, Pippa was declared a knockout.

Those in the Abbey who watched her arrival thought just one thing – that Pippa looked smoking-hot in what was probably the kind of dress Kate would have chosen if she had been a Bucklebury bride and not marrying into the House of Windsor.


We are amused: Pippa pulls a face as a beaming Harry makes a wisecrack


But the revelation of the day was not just what a wonderful rear view Pippa offers – her bottom now has its own internet appreciation society, which already had 54,000 members last night – it was her polish, her self-possession, her grace and her diligence towards her sister.

Just as the fraternal bonds between William and Harry were plain to see, the Middleton girls seemed to have a powerful, loving link, with Pippa the best supporting actress in her sister’s romantic drama.


Pippa with Alex on Bond Street where tailors Ede and Ravenscroft was closed to the public while he was fitted for his suit for the wedding


Much has been written about Kate, already the subject of several biographies, but what do we know of Pippa? Philippa Charlotte Middleton is Carole and Michael Middleton’s second daughter (she is 27 to Kate’s 29) and their middle child. She was not even at school when her parents founded their company, Party Pieces, on which they would build the family’s financial and social success.

She lived the first ten years of her life in a four-bedroom Victorian villa in Bradfield Southend, Berkshire, before the family moved in 1995 to the mansion where they remain today, two miles away in the village of Bucklebury.

Like her sister, Pippa attended Marlborough College in Wiltshire before following in her footsteps to a Scottish university. But while Kate chose St Andrews, where she met her Prince, Pippa selected the party town of Edinburgh.


Without overstepping the mark, he managed to deliver just enough of his trademark cheeky charm to add a youthful sparkle to the day


Chelsy may have been back with him for the big day, but there's no wedding on the horizon for them


source: dailymail

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Same place, same pose... but two very different stories

By POLLY DUNBAR

Happy: William and Kate surrounded by, clockwise bottom right, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Miss Eliza Lopes, Miss Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor, Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton


The echoes of a Royal wedding from an earlier era are difficult to ignore.

The backdrop is the same: the opulent red-and-gold decor of the grand Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. And the mischievous smiles on the faces of some of the bridesmaids and page boys – and endearingly bewildered expressions on the others – are strikingly similar.


The 1981 wedding party. From back, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Diana and Charles, Edward van Cutsem; front: Lord Nicholas Windsor, Clementine Hambro, Catherine Cameron, India Hicks, Sarah-Jane Gaselee and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones


But, 30 years after the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, the official wedding picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton also reflects the differences between the two couples' relationships.

The photograph of Charles and Diana, taken by Patrick Lichfield, seemed to capture a moment of spontaneous informality, with the wedding party collapsing in a fit of giggles. But, as we now know, the warmth was not reflected in the marriage itself.

By contrast, Kate and William's picture, by photographer Hugo Burnand, appears more formal, despite little Tom Pettifer's insistence on leaning in as close to the bride as possible.


Full of joy and not a care in the world: William and Kate smile broadly as they stand arm-in-arm in the official wedding album


Despite the organised nature of their shot, they look relaxed, their smiles unforced, and her hand rests on his knee.

Mario Testino may have received praise for his engagement portraits of William and Kate, but their choice of Hugo Burnand to take their official wedding pictures has cemented the latter's status as the Royal Family's favourite photographer.

Mr Burnand, 47, has been entrusted with capturing many of the Royals' most important occasions in recent years, including Prince Charles's 60th birthday and his marriage to Camilla. He has also won the respect of the Queen and Princes William and Harry after taking their pictures on previous occasions.


The family photo: Front row left to right is Grace van Cutsem, Eliza Lopes, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Louise Windsor, William Lowther-Pinkerton. Back Row left to right is Tom Pettifer, Camilla, Charles, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate, Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, James Middleton and Philippa Middleton


Mr Burnand, 47, has been entrusted with capturing many of the Royals' most important occasions in recent years


source: dailymail

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Whisked away by helicopter... but Wills's back to work on Tuesday

By IAN GALLAGHER

Newly-weds: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace as they prepare to board a helicopter to fly off on their honeymoon


Honeymoon postponed to a later date

Couple staying in an undisclosed location in Britain, possibly Scotland

The Middletons return to their quiet country home in Berkshire


She awoke at Buckingham Palace a Princess, the first day of a new life that must have once been impossible to contemplate.


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk hand in hand after a lavish bash for 300 people on Friday night


After a light breakfast, the new Duchess of Cambridge emerged from the garden entrance of the Queen’s official residence still on a high, and still wearing the joyous smile that bewitched billions on Friday.

The couple are thought to have spent their first night as man and wife in the ground-floor Belgian Suite of the Palace, which is traditionally reserved for visiting heads of state.


Day of joy: The newly-weds thanked Buckingham Palace footmen and spoke briefly to the pilot before boarding the helicopter


As they strolled hand-in-hand along a gravel path and out on to the lawn, they were bathed in bright sunshine.

Wearing a light blue dress, dark jacket and platform shoes, the same ones she wore at the Goring Hotel on her last night as a commoner, Kate giggled at Prince William’s asides and looked relaxed and confident.

They had wanted a people’s wedding, with limited pomp, and in keeping with that unfussy spirit William announced his intention to go straight back to work.


Taking flight: The Queen's helicopter, a maroon Sikorsky with its own crest, takes the Royal couple from Buckingham Palace to a secret location to 'unwind'


It came as a surprise. Sources had previously indicated that the couple would jet off immediately for a two-week break, somewhere ‘hot and sunny’

But postponing the honeymoon to a later date, William, who wore his trademark chinos, light blue shirt and navy jacket, will now return to his job as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot on Anglesey, probably as early as Tuesday.

Saturday night, however, the couple were staying at an undisclosed location in Britain, possibly Scotland, where they planned to ‘unwind’ over the long weekend.


Maid of honour Pippa Middleton, brother James and their mother Carole emerge from the Goring Hotel on Saturday after Friday night's wedding celebration


Shortly after the happy couple left the Palace, Kate’s family checked out of the exclusive Goring Hotel nearby, posing briefly for photographs in their casual clothes.

Kate’s father Michael told the gathered crowd: ‘We had a wonderful time.’

The family then returned to their quiet country home in Chapel Row, near Bucklebury, Berkshire. The village has been bedecked with Union Jacks and bunting as the residents held their own wedding festivities.


Party's over: The scaffolding is removed from the Goring Hotel, central London after the Middleton's departed on Saturday afternoon


Memorial: Kate's wedding bouquet was returned to lie on the tomb of the unknown soldier at Westminster Abbey - a tradition for all Royal brides


Busy day at the Abbey: Tourists flock to Westminster Abbey on Saturday where the trees are still in place after the Royal Wedding on Friday


Clear-up: Cleaners sweep up rubbish left behind outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday after Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, celebrated their marriage on Friday


Sleepy: Guests leave the Buckingham Palace party. The guests started to depart at 11pm on Friday and the last left at 3am on Saturday


source: dailymail

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'Where are the black people?' asks Sherri Shepherd as The View hosts discuss Royal Wedding

By Daily Mail Reporter


Burning question: Sherri Shepherd was searching for black people at the Royal wedding on The View today


Never mind who wore what, the View's Sherri Shepherd had another more controversial question about the Royal Wedding today.

'Where are the black people?' the outspoken actress, 44, asked as the panellists critiqued Prince William and Kate Middleton's ceremony.

The star said she had earlier searched through the footage of guests at Westminster Abbey.


'Audrey Jones our producer was looking for the black people in the wedding and we found our Rosa Parks moment, because we were like 'where are the black people'?' she said.

'It was like where's Waldo, where are the black people?' she added.

'We found one little black child in the choir but where's the black people at this wedding?' she repeated.

'Wait a minute the Calvary guy, from New York,' said Goldie Hawn, 65, who was a guest host for the day.

Hot topic: The panel discussed the Royal Ceremony today


'Well the guests, there they are,' said Sherri, pointing to an area in the Abbey reserved for foreign royals, Governor generals and high-level diplomats.

'They are segregated but they are at the front so we have our Rosa Parks moment,' she added referring to the African-American civil rights activist Rosa Parks who refused to obey a bus driver's order to give up her seat for a white passenger on December 1, 1955.

'I don't know why they put all the black people over here but they are at the front of the wedding so I ain't complaining, they got in the front,' added Sherri.

The women also mocked the Queen and the dresses of princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.

'Rosa Parks moment': Sherri pointed to a screen showing a small group of black people at the front of the congregation


Joy Behar, 68, said the Queen of England looked like: 'A bumble bee with a drinking problem,' live on air.

'Holy Moly, who wears yellow?' continued the comedian, who was wearing a crinkled brown suit.

'I've never seen a Queen wearing yellow, she looks like a taxi cabkeep that meter running Queenie,' she added.

When talking of the outlandish Philip Treacy hats of Eugenie and Beatrice host Sherri Shepherd said: 'Oh my god, that is Lady Gaga. Straight.'

Joy Behar said the Queen looked like 'a bumble bee with a drinking problem'


'They look like they are auditioning for Let's Make a Deal, you know that show?' said Joy, referring to an old NBC game show where audience members used to dress in hilarious costumes, often like clowns.

'They look like horns,' said Sherri.

'Like a deer in the headlights,' added Goldie Hawn

The cackling celebrities from The View were not the only Americans to take a pop at the Royal Wedding.

Actress and comedian Kathy Griffin, 50, also took the opportunity to have a dig at the Royals during a TV Guide Network special that broadcast after the wedding.

'Look at Posh's second head,' Ms Griffin said, referring to Victoria Beckham's Phillip Treacy hat.


Joke: Actress Kathy Griffin said the Queen looked like she had taken a nap during the wedding service


Spotting Guy Ritchie among the congregation gave the comedian a chance to make a joke about his ex-wife Madonna.

'That’s gotta hurt Madonna. Madonna’s at home in her apartment with Sarah Furgeson and they are eating donut holes and crying,' she told her panelists, including author Jackie Collins.

She added that the Queen had decided to 'take a nap' during the service, describing it as 'fantastic.'

'I am out, I am Queen, I can decide I am bored. Spice it up I never heard this song,' she imagined the Queen as saying.



source:dailymail

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How best man brother quipped his way through the wedding... but not everyone was amused (we're talking about you, sister Pippa)

By Daily Mail Reporter


Kate's second dress was a strapless white satin gazar evening dress with a circle skirt and diamante embroidered detail round the waist.
William stuck to the safe bet of a dinner jacket and bow tie


-William and Kate leave Buckingham Palace by helicopter this morning

-Mystery surrounding couple's honeymoon destination
-Couple spent first married night together at the Palace

-Prince Charles quipped about his son going bald during speeches

-Harry leaves party in minibus at 3am - while Chelsy Davy leaves in car with Beatrice and Eugenie

It was the most nerve-wracking moment of the whole day. No, not Kate Middleton walking down the aisle - Prince Harry's best man speech.

He is infamous for his bad jokes and the Queen and Prince Philip opted to stay away from Buckingham Palace as Harry turned Palace jester last night.

And Prince Charles was reportedly in jovial mood - joking about his newly-married son going bald. William hit back with a joked about his father's waistline.


This morning the couple flew out of Buckingham Palace in a helicopter as they head off on their honeymoon - but their destination remains a mystery.

Last night joker Prince Harry struck again with a quip about his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh being dwarfed by Kate Middleton, who stood tall in three-inch heels alongside her prince.

His stunning second sister-in-law Pippa, 27, did not appear amused – but she will need to get used to Harry’s humour.

After the lavish Palace party for 300 family and friends last night guests slowly began to leave the party from 11pm onwards with the last departing at 3am.

Prince Harry boarded a minibus with around a dozen over people while Kate Middleton and Prince William spent their first night as a married couple in one of the suites at the Palace.

Chelsy Davy was seen leaving in a car with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. There was a short 20 second blast of fireworks at the end of the party.

Palace joker: Prince Harry leaves Buckingham Palace in a coach - while wedding guest Chelsy Davy left in a royal car with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

Casually dressed, the newly-wed couple leave Buckingham Palace this morning to head off on their honeymoon

Mystery: The couple are heading off on their honeymoon - although their destination is unknown. Kenya and Scotland are the 3-1 favourites, bookmakers said

Royal honeymoon: Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, fly off from Buckingham Palace this morning


The older guests were seen leaving earlier in the evening before the last of the partygoers got into cars at 3am - or walked off down The Mall.

Some partygoers could be seen kissing in the back of taxis as the vehicles left the lavish late night event.

Prince Charles, who kept a low-profile throughout the wedding say, was this morning back in his Aston Martin car that William used to drive Kate to Clarence House yesterday afternoon.

Long day: Princesses Beatrice and Eugiene leave in a royal car with Chelsy Davy, centre

Royal departure: Prince Charles is driven away from Clarence House in his Aston Martin which William used to drive Kate yesterday with the numberplate 'Just Wed'

Flashback: William drives his new wife in his father's soft top, decorated in balloons, out of Buckingham Palace and down to Clarence House


After a very public wedding watched by an estimated two billion people, the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be hoping for some privacy on their honeymoon.

The royals are expected to set off to a mystery location today and William has taken a fortnight's leave from his job as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot for the holiday.

The destination has so far been shrouded in secrecy, with William having reportedly not even told his new wife where they are going, but speculation is rife over possible choices.

The Duchess had switched into a new white outfit for last night's party - also created by Sarah Burton who designed her wedding gown.

The second dress was a strapless white satin gazar evening dress with a circle skirt and diamante embroidered detail round the waist, St James's Palace said.
Kate was also wearing a white angora bolero cardigan.

Princess Beatrice leaves the Palace in a purple and gold outfit after the evening celebration for 300 close friends and family

Morning after: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is driven away from Clarence House this morning after last night's celebration at Buckingham Palace

All change: Pippa Middleton, right, and Carole Middleton, left, in fresh outfits for evening celebration

EVEN KATE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE SHE'S GOING ON HONEYMOON TODAY

The royal couple's honeymoon destination remains a closely-guarded secret as they try to enjoy a private break together after the most public of weddings.

The Caribbean, Australia, Kenya and Jordan are among the exotic destinations that William and Kate could fly to.

Bookmakers had this morning made Kenya the 3-1 joint favourite after a punter had tried to place a £5,000 stake.

But they may continue their wedding theme of championing the UK and spend part of their break in Scotland, where both the Queen and the Prince of Wales have private homes they could use.

Bookies are also offering 3-1 odds on William and Kate heading north of the border.

The Duke is known to have a deep affection for Africa, and would be on safe romantic territory if he chose to take his wife to Kenya, where he proposed to her last year.

Jordan, with its plethora of ancient sites, has also been touted as a possibility for the couple's honeymoon.

The Middle Eastern country would no doubt have nostalgic appeal for Kate as her family spent two years there when she was a child. However its proximity to hotspots such as Syria could count against the country.

If they are keen to escape the prying eyes of the media, a secluded Caribbean island might be a safe choice.

Bequia and Necker Island all have the benefit of being easily secured, as does the ultra-exclusive Mustique, where Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton are frequent visitors.

Lizard Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, has also emerged as a contender.

However, with William resuming his pilot duties in two weeks, the significant jetlag likely from such a far-flung trip could rule it out.

They may also be tempted by Chile, as they both spent time in the South American country during their gap years before university.

Thirty years ago, William's parents the Prince and Princess of Wales spent the first stage of their honeymoon in Romsey in Hampshire, where they stayed at Broadlands, the family home of the Mountbattens.

The second part of their holiday was spent on board the royal yacht Britannia. They boarded at the Rock of Gibraltar before cruising to Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, the Greek islands and Egypt.

Finally, they went to Scotland to spend time with the Royal Family in Balmoral.

Honeymoon destination odds

3/1 Kenya; 3/1 Scotland; 7/2 Jordan; 11/2 Cornwall, 6/1 South Africa,7/1 Caribbean, 10/1 Mustique; 10/1 Tanzania, 20/1 Seychelles, 20/1 Saint Tropez, 25/1 Australia, 25/1 Monaco, 25/1 Maldives, 33/1 Wales (all odds from William Hill)

Just wed: Couple return to Buckingham Palace last night for the evening reception with 300 guests where Prince harry delivered his best man speech

One last look: Unable to resist a backward glance, Kate leaves the balcony with her proud husband


The couple left with Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall. The royal party looked happy and relaxed.

The heir to the throne and his son, the new Duke of Cambridge, were dressed in dinner jackets with black bow ties.

Kate had her hair down in her favourite style for the private par
ty.

Camilla wore a light blue hand-embroidered high-collared floor length Anna Valentine dress for the evening.

The new Duchess's family had left the Goring Hotel shortly before 7.30pm.

Her sister Pippa had changed from her bridesmaid dress into a long emerald green sleeveless dress with a jewelled embellishment on the front and a plunging neckline.

Her hair was pinned up at the back and she was carrying a clutch bag.

Kate Middleton, in her gown for the evening, left Clarence House alongside Camilla Parker Bowles for the short journey to Buckingham Palace

Helping hand: Prince Charles holds Eliza Lopes while her grandmother, the Duchess of Cornwall, looks on

Welcome to the Firm: The Middletons share the public's acclaim on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Kate's parents Mike and Carole are on the left, next to Prince Charles holding the Duchess of Cornwall's granddaughter Eliza Lopes. The bride's sister Pippa stands between Princes Philip and Harry


Kate's mother Carole Middleton smiled after stumbling slightly as she came down the stairs at the hotel and her son James placed a guiding hand on her back as she climbed into a silver people carrier.

Yesterday, bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem had no qualms about showing her annoyance at the traditions of the day.

The three-year-old covered her ears grumpily as the flypast took place noisily overhead.

She may, too, have been grimacing about the soppy sweet nothings being whispered just over her left shoulder.

A lip reader’s analysis showed that, following their first kiss, William touchingly told his new bride ‘I love you’ before going in for a second crowd-thrilling embrace.

‘Let’s give them another one. l love you. One more kiss, one more kiss, okay,’ he said.

After the final kiss he gently mocked the enthusiasm of the cheering hordes, saying: ‘Come on! Come on! More! More! More!’

Prince Charles was also more tactile than usual, as he lifted up his wife’s young granddaughter Eliza Lopes so she could get a better view.

Charmed: Prince Philip has more success with the head bridesmaid

Unamused: Infamous joker Prince Harry provokes a grimace from Pippa


source:dailymail

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