VOA News April 29, 2011
The newly married Prince William and his bride Catherine, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have appeared on a balcony at Buckingham Palace and shared a public kiss.
Crowds gathered in the traffic circle in front of the palace as soon as the gates were opened. When the newlyweds appeared on the balcony, the crowds roared their approval.
Catherine appeared to say "wow" to her new husband as they emerged and waved to the well-wishers below. The couple looked relieved and happy as they gave each other a brief peck on the lips. After a few moments of cheers from the crowd, they leaned in for a longer kiss.
They were joined on the balcony by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Catherine's parents, and some of their youngest attendants.
Aircraft from the Royal Air Force and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight staged a "flyover" of the palace just minutes later. Catherine pointed out the planes to the smallest flower girl, who had her hands over her ears.
After the rest of the bridal party left the balcony, William and Catherine lingered for a final moment, waving, before going inside.
Earlier in the day, William and Catherine took their wedding vows in an elaborate and regal ceremony at Westminster Abbey. It was the most spectacular wedding Britain has seen since the 1981 wedding of William's parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
The young couple appeared solemn and slightly nervous as they said "I will" in front of 1,900 guests and an estimated two billion viewers on television, the Internet, or other media. Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets and parks of London for a glimpse of the royal couple on video screens.
Among the guests were Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe, British football (soccer) star David Beckham, and British music icon Elton John. Former Prime Minister John Major also attended. However, former prime minister's Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were not invited to the wedding.
Five thousand police officers have been deployed in London to handle the massive crowds.
The couple have said they are "incredibly moved" by the outpouring of affection toward them since their engagement last November, and have thanked the public for joining in the celebration of what they hope will be one of the happiest days of their lives.