Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's beautiful offical wedding photos released

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The official wedding photos of William and Kate have been released.

The three photos were taken minutes after the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Buckingham Palace after tying the knot at Westminster Abbey.

The portraits were taken by photographer Hugo Bernand in the Palace's Throne Room. One shows the future King and Queen surrounded by their bridesmaids and page boys. Another shows the two standing alone together, with the Duchess looking like one of those little models of the bride that you find on top of wedding cakes. The other picture shows the happy couple with their two families and the bridesmaids and page boys. During the wedding William was dressed in the redcoat of the Irish Guards, of which he is an honorary Colonel.

Amongst the bridesmaids was 3-year-old Grace van Cutsem who, as the newlyweds kissed on the Palace balcony in front of a million people lining The Mall and 2 billion watching on TV worldwide, was seen putting her hands over her ears in response at the loud cheering.

Because she is a commoner with no royal or aristocratic blood, Catherine will not be officially known as Princess Catherine, but will be given the female versions of the new titles given to her husband by the Queen upon his marriage to Catherine. He was made Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. Thus Catherine's full title is Her Royal Highness Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus or, for short, Princess William or the Duchess of Cambridge. She's not the only royal to take a male name as part of her title. The wife of the Queen's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, is known as Princess Michael of Kent.

But it's likely that the people will call her Princess Catherine anyway, just as they called Diana Princess Diana, even though she didn't officially have the title.

The wedding was watched by 2 billion people around the world - the largest TV audience of all time - and, including those watching online, was watched by 34 million people in the UK, the largest UK TV audience of all time, beating the 32.3 million who watched the 1966 World Cup Final.


Same place, same pose... but two very different stories: Why Kate and William's official photo points to a happier future than Charles and Di


By Polly Dunbar
1st May 2011
Daily Mail

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.

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.


Happy: William and Kate surrounded by, clockwise bottom right, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Miss Eliza Lopes, Miss Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor (who is 9th in line to the Throne), Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton


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

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.

Yet it is the small touches that are most telling. In Lichfield's picture, Charles looks curiously detached, but Kate and William's togetherness is plain to see.


Full of joy and not a care in the world: The future King and Queen 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




The noise and crowds were a bit too much for Grace van Cutsem on the balcony during the kiss, but the photographer said she was adorable and knew how to pose for pictures (pictured bottom with Eliza Lopes)

An Old Harrovian and seasoned society photographer known for his charm and discretion, as well as his talent for portraits, Mr Burnand represents a more traditional choice than Mr Testino, who is famed for his glossy celebrity and fashion photoshoots.

However, Mr Burnand has photographed his share of A-listers, including Bill Clinton, President Mikhail Gorbachev, Baroness Thatcher, Victoria Beckham and Michael Jackson. He was also responsible for taking the pictures at the 1996 wedding of David and Samantha Cameron.

The Royal Wedding commission was a major coup for the London-based father of four, who has worked at Tatler magazine since 1993.

Yesterday, he described it as 'the gig of the century', adding: 'It was amazing, incredible, and there were a couple of moments where I did pinch myself.'

Of the mood in the Throne Room, he said: 'From where I was, and from their point of view, it was two families coming together and that was the feeling – the sense of family and love going between everyone.'

He described the happy couple as 'just so nice as individuals and as a pair', and revealed that Kate, who has worked as a photographer for her parents' company Party Pieces, had contributed her own ideas for the pictures.

Mr Burnand got to know Prince William when he photographed him on his polo pony and at Windsor Castle as part of the wedding party for his father's second marriage in 2005.

He shares with the Prince a tragedy in his past: he, too, lost his mother in a car accident. Susan Gordon died in 1964, the year after he was born.

His stepmother Ursy Burnand, whom his father Peter married in 1967, is also a photographer – and was one of his assistants on the Royal Wedding shoot.

Born in Cannes, France, Mr Burnand won his first photography competition at the age of seven, at Cheam School, which was also attended by Prince Philip and Prince Charles.

During his time at Harrow, he became the school's unofficial photographer, taking portraits of school-leavers.

He did not become a professional photographer until 1991, after a string of jobs including stable hand and insurance broker.

dailymail.co.uk
 
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