A British royal wedding - with a modern twist (News Feature)

By Anna Tomforde Nov 23, 2010, 16:04 GMT

London - The 'wedding of the century' between Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 next year will no doubt be a grand occasion.

By choosing Westminster Abbey, the coronation church of British monarchs as the venue for their big day, William and Catherine, as the bride is now officially known, have opted for glamour, history and tradition for a fairy tale wedding.

'We know that the world will be watching on April 29, and the couple are very keen indeed that the spectacle should be a classic example of what Britain does best,' said Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Prince William's private secretary.

However, despite the tradition and the glorious surroundings, both William and Kate were keen to 'ensure that a balance is struck between an enjoyable day and the current economic situation,' added the spokesman.

It will now be up to the royal planners to show how the apparent contradiction between staging a spectacular wedding - while at the same time being mindful of the impact on millions of austere economic times - can be pulled off. Part of the story is likely to be told in the list of the 2,000 or so wedding guests.

In addition to the crowned heads of Europe, it is expected to include presidents and prime ministers, soldiers, pop stars, former student friends, and some 'ordinary members of the public.'

Royal critics have already dismissed the celebrations as a deliberate attempt to distract from economic reality by offering 'bread and circuses' to the population.

But supporters have pointed out that the wedding will bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the capital, triggering revenue of an estimated 1 billion pounds (1.58 billion dollars). Millions more will watch the ceremony on TV around the world.

Royal watchers, however, believe that the fresh and unconventional attitude William and Kate have displayed towards their relationship, and their future role, during their recent public appearances will prove to be a greater talking point than the cost of the wedding.

'Slowly and subtly, the monarchy is changing, and William will be an agent of that change,' Times commentator Philip Collins wrote recently.

As the leaders of the royals' next generation, William and Kate 'perfectly embodied' the contemporary appeal of the monarchy, he added.

According to opinion polls, that view is widely held among the British public. Up and down the country, communities have already made preparations for village fetes to mark the wedding day.

The wedding, which will be marked by a public holiday, falls on the Friday after Easter. It will give millions of Britons an excuse to take an extensive break from work, employers said.

For Queen Elizabeth II, the long-awaited marriage of her favourite grandson comes just days after her 85th birthday, on April 21. The following year, the queen is due to mark her 60 years on the throne with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

A number of recent opinion polls have shown that a majority of Britons would even like the monarchy to skip a generation, so that William would be crowned king instead of his father, Prince Charles, the current heir to the throne.

While that is unlikely to happen, 56 per cent of Britons would like it to, the polls showed. And 64 per cent of Britons believed that William and Kate would be 'better for the long-term prospect of the monarchy' than Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

According to the Times, the story of William and Kate is one that 'contains some modern manners. But basically it's a fairy tale.'

Read more about Great Britain Royalty