Prince William and Kate Middleton announce wedding date

St James’s Palace has announced that the wedding – including the costs of the church service, music, flowers, decorations, reception and honeymoon – will be paid for by the Royal family and Kate Middleton’s family.

The public will pay for associated costs like security.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to Prince William, said the couple chose Westminster Abbey for its “staggering beauty”, 1,000-year Royal history and intimacy despite its size.

He told reporters in a briefing at St James’s Palace: “The venue has long associations with the Royal family – it is in many ways the Royal family’s church – and of course with Prince William personally.

“For Miss Middleton, the associations she has with the Abbey are quite simply the same as any British person would have for such a glorious and holy place.”

Westminster Abbey was the favourite venue to host the wedding after Miss Middleton was photographed leaving the historic place of worship in central London last week.

The abbey was also the venue of William’s mother’s funeral. As a 15-year-old boy the Prince walked behind the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales, following her death in 1997.

Public holiday

A public holiday will be held on the Royal wedding day, Downing street announced today.

The extra day off on April 29 next year was agreed at Cabinet this morning.

The Scottish Government is expected to make its own announcement in Holyrood shortly, as public holidays are a devolved matter north of the border.

The announcement means that millions of workers will have two days off that week, as Easter Monday Bank Holiday falls on April 25 next year.

William names the day - and upsets the Lib Dems
Not the date all the Lib Dems wanted, writes Political Editor Gary Gibbon.

I hear that some Lib Dem senior ministers have been grumbling around Whitehall that William and Kate naming the day as 29 April and making it a Bank Holiday might distract attention from their cherished Coalition concession, the 5 May referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV).

Some senior Lib Dems felt that their main hope of winning the battle was a late focus on the issue that no-one had wanted to look at before.

Of course, they could end up basking in the after-glow of a refreshed and rejuvenated population that has been street-partying like crazy.

Or it may be that not many people were ever going to focus on the issue and the Royal Wedding changed nothing.

Read more on the politics blog 

Costs considered

Mr Lowther-Pinkerton said those planning the nuptials were very conscious of Britain’s precarious finances.

“All parties involved in the wedding, not least Prince William and Miss Middleton, want to ensure that a balance is struck between an enjoyable day and the current economic situation,” he said.

“To that end the Royal family and the Middleton family will pay for the wedding.”

What exactly the total taxpayer bill will be is something that will be agonised over from now until long after Wills and Kate walk down the aisle, but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport put an estimate for the whole caboodle as a seven figure sum, somewhere up to or just over £10m. This including lining the route with flags and balloons, managing press access, stewarding and - the biggest cost - policing.

FactCheck investigates who'll pay for what next April - including the £2.9bn Royal Wedding bank holiday.

Bishop suspended

Meanwhile, a Bishop from the Church of England who made “deeply offensive” comments about the Royal wedding, has been suspended from public ministry.

The Bishop of London, the Right Reverand Richard Chartres has asked the Right Reverand Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, to withdraw from public ministry until further notice.

Bishop Broadbent apparently wrote on his Facebook page that the marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton would only last seven years and allegedly referred to the Royal Family as philanderers.

The Bishop of London is reportedly “appalled” by the comments.

In a statement the Bishop of London said: “I was appalled by the Bishop of Willesden’s comments about the forthcoming royal marriage.

“In common with most of the country, I share the joy which the news of the engagement has brought.

“I have now had an opportunity to discuss with Bishop Peter how his comments came to be made and I have noted his unreserved apology.

“Nevertheless, I have asked him to withdraw from public ministry until further notice.

“I have been in touch with St James’s Palace to express my own dismay on behalf of the Church.”

Yesterday Broadbent apologised for his remarks in a statement. He said he had conveyed his “sincere regrets” to the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton for any “distress” caused.