Who Shine at the Wedding?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey (April 29, 2011)
Prince William was created Duke of Cambridge by the Queen on the eve of his wedding. The last holder of that title was Prince Alexander of Teck, great uncle of Queen Elizabeth II

The royal fashion clearly dictates the sense and style of the guests at the recent royal wedding. Royalty's chic fascinators and hats clearly charmed the fashion world and the unique extravaganza of pageantry temporarily brought us to the dreamy road of a fairyland. Here, I will present to you my favourite personalities during the ceremony and why...

The Royal Fashion

Wearing hat and fascinator has become an integral part of the fashion lifestyle of the British royal family. When its members are doing public engagements they always wear a hat, a fascinator sometimes is reserve for parties like Royal Ascot or wedding. For funeral, a black hat/pill box hat is required. When they organize a formal public event, they always emphasized on the formal invitation that wearing a hat is considered necessary, if not, very much preferred.

In the last royal wedding of Prince William, hats and fascinators became the famous decoration among women on top of their heads again. Some of those designs are funny and weird, others are stunning and gorgeous, but overall, it was an extraordinary display of a lifestyle in grandeur and elegance. There are only few women I saw who didn't wear a hat or fascinator, like Samantha Cameron, the aristocratic wife of British Prime Minister, David Cameron. 

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II with her elegant hat. The Queen still looked fabulous and stylish even at the age of 85

The ever gorgeous Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of the Queen's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, with her fascinator hat

The future bride of Prince Albert of Monaco, Charlene Wittstock

Princess Beatrice of York, daughter of the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. The one standing in her head is not a hat but a fascinator

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex (wife of the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward)

Another Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips, donned a fascinator hat

My favorite hat designs are those of the Queen and Lady Gabriella Windsor, who looked so vibrant and glamorous even at the age of 85. Another glamorous woman in the event was Lady Gabriella Windsor who always looked so stunning and gorgeous.

Her Majesty, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, third cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and second cousin of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

Princess Mathilde of Belgium, wife of the Duke of Brabant, Prince Philippe, son and successor of King Albert II of Belgium (a third cousin to both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh)

Queen Sonja, wife of King Harald V of Norway. She is the first commoner woman to marry a Norwegian King. Harald is second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and third cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh

Princess Victoria, heir-apparent of King Carl XVI of Sweden, another third cousin of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Victoria attended the wedding with her husband, Daniel Westling

The Towering Fruit Cake
Indeed, the couple's wedding cake is one sumptuous site to look at to, it made my stomach growled in hunger.

The multi-tiered fruit cake. Photo from the Associated Press

The eight-tiered cake is made by Fiona Cairns, it is designed using a Lambeth technique with several flowers design: daffodils, thistle, hyacinth, blossoms of William among others. It is a fruit cake with cream and white icing and with the initials of the couple drizzled beside the cake.

The Father of the Bride
The family's background, being commoners and middle-class, has been the subject of spit and unfavourable treatment from the aristocrats and conservative royalists, most criticism focused on Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, who had been accused of having the tendency of social climbing, her lacked of proper social etiquette became controversial lately, but Kate's father was slightly different.

The father of the bride, Mr. Michael Middleton, a former British Airways pilot

He exudes proper manner and decorum. He looked so reserve, shy, humble and calm. I admired the way he handled the pressure all through out the ceremony, he was so elegant and dignified. I can sensed through his facial expression how proud he is for his daughter, a very common feeling of a typical father. Whether his daughter is marrying the future King or an ordinary man, the father's emotion on her wedding day measures the same, and that's how I see in Mr. Michael Middleton's face.

The Best Man
Prince Harry was more cute and irresistible than the groom, I don't know if it's me who noticed it, but the third-in-line to the British throne has never been so gorgeous and handsome on the day of his brother's wedding. Or maybe because of his elegant military uniform?

Prince Harry of Wales

The Prince has recently promoted into a rank of a Captain in the Army Air Corps

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
Despite age, the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh looked so regal and charming as ever. The Queen who just turned 85 last April 21 has no sign of slowing down and still actively performing her duties to the Kingdom, this means, it takes many more decades before Prince William could take over the throne as his father is the heir-apparent and still looked fabulous and very healthy. Prince Philip will turn 90 this June 10, 2011 but the Duke still exudes the same sense of humour during his younger days.

The Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on their way to Westminster Church

His physical strength did not falter and can still walk straight without the aid of a cane or anything. He looked so handsome in his Irish Guard uniform during the ceremony and I noticed both he and the Queen had no eyeglasses while chanting hymns during the mass. At the couple's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip cracked jokes to Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry who were standing beside him.