Royal couple delay mystery honeymoon

William and Kate – titled the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – celebrated their marriage on Friday with an evening reception at Buckingham Palace along with 300 family and friends.

The bride switched to a strapless white satin gazar evening gown for the evening celebrations – her second dress designed by Sarah Burton.

Leaving Clarence House with husband William, the Duchess said the couple had enjoyed a “great day”.

“I am glad the weather held off. We had a great day,” Kate said of the wedding which attracted a global audience of an estimated two billion people.

Despite a very public wedding the royal couple are expected to enjoy some privacy on their honeymoon. William and Kate have opted to delay their trip and will spend the weekend privatley in the UK.

The couple left London on Saturday morning by helicopter to an undisclosed destination.

William will return to his job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot next week before the couple finally jet off on their overseas honeymoon.

The destination has so far been shrouded in secrecy, with William having reportedly not even told his new wife where they are going.

‘Fairy tale wedding’

Broadcasters said on Saturday more than 24 million viewers watched BBC1 and ITV1 coverage of the marriage.

At the black-tie evening reception, which started with dinner in the palace’s lavish ballroom and ended with dancing into the small hours, Prince Harry gave his best man’s speech.

The best man was later pictured leaving Buckingham Palace in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Royal Wedding: Special Report. Click here for pictures, video and analysis of the big day

Earlier on Friday for the wedding ceremony, the Duchess wore an ivory gown with lace applique floral detail, also designed by Burton.

Around a million people turned out to celebrate the wedding and those who flocked to witness their Buckingham Palace balcony appearance were treated to not one, but two kisses from the couple.

In a surprise for the crowds, William and Kate left their wedding reception in the Prince of Wales’s blue Aston Martin with the groom at the wheel.

The sports car was decorated with red, white and blue ribbons, with balloons tied to the back and a rear number plate which read “JU5T WED”, all thanks to best man Prince Harry and other family and friends.

The former Miss Middleton had started the day a commoner but by its end had become HRH the Duchess of Cambridge – as William was made a duke by the Queen on Friday morning.

The future king and his beautiful bride, who will now one day be Queen, had pledged their love for one another at Westminster Abbey.

A congregation of 1,900 and up to two billion people saw their vows, as they were beamed live around world.

And the service took place in the presence of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton and other guests in the abbey.

Official photos released

The official photographs of William and Kate’s wedding were released on Saturday and show a happy couple surrounded by their family on their big day.

The pictures, taken in Buckingham Palace’s throne room immediately after the bride and groom arrived from Westminster Abbey capture the Royal Family and the Middletons.

Three photos have been released, with one showing just the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and a second of the happy couple with their bridesmaids and pageboys.

The final image adds the bride and groom’s parents – the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and Michael and Carole Middleton – along with the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, best man Prince Harry, Kate’s sister Pippa, her maid of honour, and brother James.

Click here to view the photos in full and see more from the wedding day.