Will Kate arrive beneath a brolly? Forecasters predict thunder storms in London for Royal Wedding

By Fay Schlesinger


Final preparations: Regent Street is awash with Union Jack flags ready for the Royal Wedding this Friday - but the weather forecast is threatening to put a dampener on the excitement


The world’s first glimpse of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress could be obscured by brollies, warn weather experts.

Despite earlier predictions that the sun would shine on the royal newlyweds, updated forecasts today indicated a strong chance of thunder storms, lightning and brisk winds.

The Met Office said temperatures would be 'noticeably cooler' due to a north-easterly breeze, with 'rumblings of thunder' across southern England.


Apart from flunkeys with oversized umbrellas having to protect Kate's hair and gown on the short walk from her car to the Westminster Abbey entrance, a shower would also spoil the couple's plans for an open-top journey back to Buckingham Palace.

The entire Royal Family will travel in covered glass coaches if it rains, a St James’s Palace spokesman confirmed yesterday.

Aisling Creevey, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: 'It is looking at the moment that there are going to be quite brisk north-easterly winds, showers and possibly a few rumblings of thunder - that's sneaking into the charts at the moment.

'We wouldn't rule out the odd lightning strike as well. At the moment we're waiting to see how much sunshine is going to come off that day. If there's more sunshine there's more of a risk of heavier showers.'

After a scorching bank holiday weekend and the hottest April day for more than 60 years, rain would be a major disappointment for William – who insisted on a spring wedding despite warnings from aides that the decision could backfire and reinforce Britain's rainy reputation in front of a worldwide audience of two billion.

But, as he is understood to have pointed out previously, it poured during the 1953 coronation of his grandmother the Queen – and that took place in June.

Contingency plans have been drawn up by courtiers to cater for every eventuality on Friday.

William and Kate plan to use the open-top 1902 State Landau but in wet weather they will use the Glass Coach which transported Lady Diana Spencer to St Paul's Cathedral for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.

The couple’s separate journeys to the 11am ceremony will not be affected as they are both travelling by car.

Final preparations: William and Kate will be hoping they miss the showers when they marry at Westminster Abbey on April 29


And once at the palace following the ceremony, their much-awaited balcony appearance will happen 'virtually no matter what... with no plans to alter the timing', a royal aide insisted.

It is not possible to erect a gazebo or awning on the slim balcony. In the event of torrential rain William, 28, and his bride, 29, will either decide to clutch umbrellas or once again rely on courtiers during their appearance – and the much-awaited kiss – alongside their families at 1.25pm.

A St James's Palace courtier said: 'It will be up to them personally on the day whether they want to hold an umbrella.

'There is no point in worrying about things that are out of our control until the day itself.'

The Ministry of Defence insisted that a flypast scheduled for 1.30pm and featuring a Lancaster, Hurricane, Spitfire, two Tornado GR4 and two Typhoons was 'very robust'.

A spokesman said: 'It’s all calculated around visibility and cloud base. At this time of year the weather is very unlikely to have an effect.'

• Amid the excitement of the wedding service, William and Kate will enjoy one private moment with their families.

After their vows, the newlyweds will pass through the small arched south door of the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor – the patron saint of difficult marriages – behind the altar to sign the marriage register.

No television cameras will be allowed to capture the private moment. Close family members are expected to act as witnesses.

The four day forecast

One DOES have other family commitments, you know...
While Kate and William were entirely preoccupied with the big day, it was family business as usual for the Queen.

Her grandson Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn Kelly celebrated their baby daughter’s christening in a quiet corner of Gloucestershire at the weekend.

The ceremony for the Queen’s first great granddaughter, Savannah Phillips, was held at the Church of the Holy Cross in Avening.

The Queen and Prince Philip attended the christening of their great grand-daughter Savannah at the Holy Cross Church in Avening, Gloucestershire


Dressed in a traditional cream-coloured silk-and-lace gown, the fourth-month-old baby – who is 12th in line to the throne – behaved beautifully as she was cooed over by her doting relatives in the sundrenched village near Princess Anne’s home, Gatcombe Park.

The Queen, in striking lime-green suit and hat, looked on proudly as she stood beside Peter, 33, and his Canadian-born wife outside the church, whose timber frame dates back to the 14th century.

Mrs Phillips, 32, was brought up a Roman Catholic but renounced her faith shortly before their wedding in May 2008 so her husband-to-be did not have to giveup his claim to the throne. Also there were Peter’s mother and father Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, together with Anne’s second husband Tim Laurence.

His sister Zara, 29, accompanied by her rugby player fiance Mike Tindall, wore a patterned shift dress and fascinator.

Amateur photographer Ian Mcdonald, 69, who captured the intimate scene at midday on Saturday, told the Mail: ‘It could not have been further from a state occasion.

It was just the family getting together to welcome a new little one. The Queen could have been any proud grandma

Enjoy it while you can: Woolacombe's beach was also packed with sun worshipers today. But for how long will the hot weather hold out?

Funfair weather friends: A couple cool down while enjoying a ride on Brighton Pier

Unseasonal weather: People enjoying the sun and the sea in Cleveland today - but it is expected to be cooler from tomorrow

Sunrise on a new dawn: Bluebells in Micheldever Wood, near Basingstoke, as the sun makes its way into the sky on Easter morning


source:dailymail

Royal wedding memorabilia of Prince William and Kate Middleton are shown at a souvenir shop

Royal wedding memorabilia of Prince William and Kate Middleton are shown at a souvenir shop in central London, on April 24, 2011, before the royal wedding between Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.



Actors Camilla Luddington (L) and Nico Evers-Swindell, who star as Kate Middleton and Britain's Prince William in a television film entitled 'William and Kate: The Movie' pose for photographs outside Westminster Abbey in London, on April 25, 2011. The film, inspired by the royal wedding, premiered in the United States on April 18. Britain's Prince William will marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, on April 29, 2011.




Gay Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell (C) holds a wedding card addressed to Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton in front of Buckingham Palace in London on April 25, 2011. Tatchell is in favour of changing the law which prevents gay couples getting married. Currently the law only allows civil partnerships for gay couples. Britain's Prince William is to marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011.



People queue to visit Westminster Abbey, in central London, on April 25, 2011. Britain's Prince William will marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, on April 29, 2011.




Workmen build a media stand opposite Westminster Abbey, in central London, on April 25, 2011. Britain's Prince William will marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, on April 29, 2011.



A commemorative plate for Diana, Princess of Wales is pictured with a souvenir plate for the royal wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton on a market stall, in London, on April 25, 2011. Britain's Prince William is to marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011.



Guest on his way to a wedding stops and buys souvenirs from a stall selling memorabilia for the royal wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, in London, on April 25, 2011. Britain's Prince William is to marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011.



Tourists are pictured walking along The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in central London, on April 25, 2011. Britain's Prince William is to marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011.


source: daylife
photo: Gettyimages

Best hoof forward: The 11 police horses in the running to escort William and Kate's carriage

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

But do their coats match? The eleven horses of the Metropolitan Police's Grey Escort, nine of them will escort William and Kate's carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace on Friday


William and Kate's first journey as husband and wife will be escorted by nine of the coolest heads the Metropolitan Police has to offer - the force's famous grey horses.

But while the matter of invites has long been settled for human guests at the wedding, the animals of the Met's Grey Escort are still waiting to learn if they will have the honour of accompanying the royal couple's carriage.

The force has selected 11 horses with the calmest temperaments to escort the royal carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after the wedding but only nine will actually step onto the Mall on the big day.

And while guests must worry about what to wear - the horses of the Grey Escort are also assessed on whether their coat will match their peers.


Hard at work: The horses are being put through their paces at the Met's mounted division headquarters in Ditton, Surrey, left. Lucy Davies holding her mount Benjamin in the ceremonial dress, right


Grey Escorts are used in several high-profile ceremonial events.

All the animals, which have to be grey in colour, are used as operational police horses and work on general patrols and cover events such as football matches.

On the big day the horses and officers will not purely be used in a ceremonial capacity, but they will also assist in the event of an incident.

A selection process has identified the best 11 greys for the job. They have demonstrated a calm temperament and are now in the process of being put through various exercises and routines.

The extra two horses have been selected to ensure there is sufficient cover.

The Mounted Branch has led processions for many years including Princess Diana's wedding, the Duke of York's wedding, the funeral of the Queen Mother, Trooping the Colour and some state visits.


Long-standing role: The Met's Grey Escort at the Queen's coronation. The horses are a central part of many official engagements


Standing by: The horses will also be used to control crowds should anything go wrong on the big day


source: dailymail

'I considered shooting myself after end of affair with Diana,' James Hewitt reveals in U.S. TV interview

By Daily Mail Reporter


Searing truth: The former military man told Inside Edition he had planned to shoot himself during a trip to France - until his mother made him take her along


James Hewitt has claimed he considered committing suicide following his five-year affair with Princess Diana.

The former military man said he had planned to shoot himself during a trip to France - until his mother made him take her along.

'I got in my car and loaded a few things up to get on the ferry to go to France - to shoot myself,' he said.


'Then my mother insisted on coming with me. If she hadn't, I would probably have shot myself. So I owe her my life really.

'I felt I had let people down - probably myself, my family, my friends, the nation, the army, my regiment. Other than that, no one at all.'

Hewitt, 52, opened up about life after Diana during an interview on U.S. television show Inside Edition.

The Princess, who died aged 36 in August 1997, acknowledged her affair with the former household cavalry officer after her divorce from Prince Charles.

Affair: Diana blushes as she presents James Hewitt with the Captain and Subalterns Cup after he led his army polo team to victory at Tidworth in 1989 - at the height of their affair

By royal admission: Princess Diana, who died aged 36 in August 1997, acknowledged her affair with the former household cavalry officer after her divorce from Prince Charles


Rumours later circulated that Hewitt, not Charles, could be the father of Diana's son Prince Harry.

But the ex-army man has claimed the young Prince was born before he and Diana began their affair.


'No I am not,' he said, when asked once again whether he was Harry's father. 'I am not happy talking about it. It's out of respect for everyone.'

Hewitt came under fire for trying to sell love letters he received from Diana for £10 million.

He also helped write a book about the Princess following her death, but insists he still misses her.

'I think we all miss her,' he said. 'But I've tried to move on with my life.'

The full interview with Hewitt airs in the United States today.

It was revealed last week that Hewitt is to trade upon his increasingly tenuous links to the Royal Family by throwing a Royal Wedding party at his bar in Spain – with himself as ‘guest of honour’.

He has been living in Marbella in exile after his scandalous attempt to sell her letters for £10 million.

The ‘comeback cad’, as he’s been dubbed, has cheekily given his approval for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding and is planning a lavish Royal-themed day at his bar, Polo House, on April 29, complete with a big screen showing the ceremony.

Diana admitted to having the five-year affair during her sensational Panorama interview in 1995.

He first met Princess Diana at a party in London's Mayfair in 1986. She was 25, he 28.

Although six years ago, he was hypnotised for a television programme in which he 'revealed' that his affair with Diana had begun earlier than he had previously stated, commencing in 1982, not 1986 - before the birth of Prince Harry.

My story: In another interview on Larry King Live in 2003
, Hewitt discussed his relationship with the princess, the controversy over his going public with her personal correspondence and recent press reports of his attempts to auction the letters


When they met, Diana was in the middle of a famous 39-day trial separation from her then husband Prince Charles.

Diana took Hewitt on as a horse-riding instructor for her and her two sons. Their relationship lasted until 1992 when Diana is reported to have stopped taking Hewitt's calls.

In 1994 Hewitt broke cover and collaborated with writer Anna Pasternak on Princess In Love, a sordid account of his affair with Diana.

Diana was said to be distraught by this betrayal, telling Martin Bashir in the Panorama interview: 'Yes, I adored him. Yes, I was in love with him. But I was very let down.'

'I was in love with him': Diana admitted to having the five-year affair during her sensational Panorama interview in 1995


Hewitt later tried to tried to sell 60 love letters he received from the Princess for a reported £10million.

In 1999, two years after Diana died in Paris, he published his autobiography, Love and War in which he revealed intimate details about his affair.

He told how Diana seduced him and how they made love in her four-poster bed and on a bathroom floor.



source:dailymail

Will it rain on William and Kate's big day? Forecasters predict heavy showers in London for Royal Wedding

By Daily Mail Reporter


-Wedding day will be 'warmer than average', say forecasters
-Supermarket sales soar after rush for barbecue foods

Final preparations: Regent Street is awash with Union Jack flags ready for the Royal Wedding this Friday - but the weather forecast is threatening to put a dampener on the excitement


The Royal Wedding could be hit by heavy showers, forecasters have said as cloudier and cooler weather spread across the country today after a scorching Easter Sunday.

After an Easter weekend of sunny weather, downpours could hit both central London and Kate Middleton's hometown of Bucklebury, Berkshire on Friday.

Today London Regent's Street was awash with Union Jacks ready for Friday's celebration. With everything in place Prince William and his bride-to-be will be hoping they avoid a downpour.


However, forecasters are predicting that Friday will be warm - even if it is wet.

Helen Rossington, a senior forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: 'At the moment, it is looking like temperatures will probably be a little bit above average (on the day) and there is a risk of heavy showers.

'Temperatures will probably be somewhere in the high teens but it is difficult to pin down so far ahead.

'The weather is always changing, there is that risk that we are seeing on the current outlook that we have at the moment, but nearer the time the models might change a little bit.'

Tom Morgan, a spokesman for the Met Office, warned that the Royal Wedding day would feel much cooler in England and Wales than this bank holiday weekend.

Final preparations: William and Kate will be hoping they miss the showers when they marry at Westminster Abbey on April 29


'Generally in the London area there will be fairly cloudy skies with occasional brighter spells, but also a risk of showery rain at times,' he said.

'A brisk north-easterly wind will make it feel much chillier than of late.'

If bookmakers have an inside track on Friday's weather, all indications are that the couple will be able to take their first journey as man and wife in an open carriage.

The latest odds suggest that London will stay dry - at least for the duration of the ceremony.

Bookmaker William Hills is offering 1/5 odds that it will not be raining when the Royal party arrives at the Abbey. They are also offering 1/10 odds that the newlyweds will be able to return to Buckingham Palace after the service in an open carriage.

'The latest forecast suggests that the rain should stay away on the big day, at least until after the service,' said Hill's Royal spokesman Rupert Adams

And the rest of the country should enjoy much better weather as hundreds of street parties take place.

Western England, western Wales, the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland were forecast to enjoy a 'bright' day.

'All of these areas look like they are going to see a bright day with decent sunny spells and pleasant warm temperatures into the mid to high teens,' Mr Morgan said.

Bank holiday sun: People flock to the beach at Saltburn-by-the-Sea in Cleveland as the warm weather continues today - before many return to work tomorrow

Unseasonal weather: People enjoying the sun and the sea in Cleveland today - but it is expected to be cooler from tomorrow


If it rains, Prince William and Kate Middleton will leave Westminster Abbey in the Glass Coach, rather than the open-top 1902 State Landau.

The forecast comes after much of the country basked in a heatwave this bank holiday with predictions that this month will beat the 2007 record as the warmest ever April.

Many areas of London reached highs of 27C (around 82F) on Saturday with Wisley, Surrey, registering 27.8C.

Yesterday saw cooler weather with a top temperature of 25.3C (around 78F) in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, and a maximum of 24C (75F) across London.

A weak cold front over Scotland and Northern Ireland will push south today bringing cloud and some drizzle to areas such as the Pennines and mountain areas of Wales.

Temperatures will rise to a high of 22C (72F) in London and the south of the country, and between 11C and 14C (52F to 57F) in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Lindsay Dove, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: 'Today will be noticeably cooler, across the south it will be maybe two or three degrees cooler than yesterday.

Busy bank holiday: Sonic, Bobby and Dora prepare to take daytrippers along the beach in Saltburn-by-the-Sea today. Yesterday was the warmest Easter Sunday for more than 60 years

Warm weather: Three children enjoy rides on donkeys along the beach as the country continues to bask in summer-like temperatures... and on Friday there's another Bank Holiday


'Tomorrow, it will be much cooler again.

'You are looking tomorrow at a maximum of 18C in London (64F) with Scotland and Northern Ireland looking at the same temperatures of 11C to 14C. There is going to be a breeze across the South East which is what will make it feel much cooler.'

The soaring weather last week was welcomed by retailers who reported an increase in sales, which they put down to the heat.

Supermarket chain Waitrose reported that sales on Saturday had reached more than £114.7m, up 15 per cent on last year. The store said that demand was driven by sales of barbecue foods, which had risen by 25 per cent compared with the same period in 2010.

Around ten million people took advantage of the unusual combination of good weather and a Bank Holiday weekend to take in a domestic break, according to Visit England.

In Bournemouth, 90,000 ice creams were sold over the weekend, and every one of the resort’s 16,000 hotel rooms was booked.

Changing seasons: Just days ago this field in Hambledon, Hampshire, was covered in a yellow carpet of flowers - but the view has been rapidly changed by the hot weather and the same field is now a sea of dandelion clocks

All change: Days ago the same field in Hambledon was a sea of dandelions. Yesterday was the hottest Easter Sunday for more than 60 years

The same field is now attracting pheasants scratching around for seed

Sunrise on a new dawn: Bluebells in Micheldever Wood, near Basingstoke, as the sun makes its way into the sky on Easter morning


source:dailymail

Pictured: Aerial view of the devastation left by tornado

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Ripped up: Debris is strewn around this home in Bridgeton St Louis County. Miraculously only three people suffered minor injuries during the storm


It was like being in a horror movie, says passenger

This was the scene of devastation today left by a tornado which hit several counties in St Louis and tore off the roof of the city's International airport.

Almost 50,000 homes had power cuts as the storm flattened dozens of homes in Maryland Heights and Bridgeton and threw cars into the air. Miraculously only three people suffered minor injuries.

Five were taken to hospital with cuts and many more treated at Lambert airport after half the windows in the main terminal were blown out sending debris raining down on passengers.

The airport - crowded with travellers heading home for Easter - was so badly damaged it was shut down on Saturday but was planning to run a reduced flight schedule by Sunday morning.


Battered: In this aerial photograph, homes have been destroyed in Bridgeton with neighbours surveying the damage


Empty shell: An officer cautiously climbs stairs of what was once a family home as colleagues search debris


One American Airlines 757 jet sustained significant damage, and four other American planes had minor damage. Five or six flights had to be diverted from St. Louis.

Winds were so severe they blew an airport shuttle bus to the end of a car park where it teetered over the edge.

If the power is restored to the terminal, it is expected to operate at around 70 per cent of its normal capacity. Around a 1,000 workers are involved in the clean-up operation.

Airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said: 'There are a number of things we can be thankful for. It's a miracle there were no fatalities.'


Gaping: A large hole is seen in the roof of the main terminal. Five people were treated in hospital for cuts when half the windows were blown out by the storm


Destruction: Storm damage is seen next to a parking garage outside terminal one at St. Louis International


Smashed up: The aftermath of the tornado which sprayed debris over the airfield and burst glass in the airport


Sirens went off inside the airport and staff scrambled to rush hundreds of passengers into bathrooms and offices to ride out the storm.

Dianna Merrill, a mail carrier from St. Louis, was waiting inside the terminal to fly to New York when the storm hit.

She said: 'Glass was blowing everywhere. The ceiling was falling. The glass was hitting us in the face. Hail and rain were coming in.

'The wind was blowing debris all over the place. It was like being in a horror movie. Grown men were crying. It was horrible.'


Perilous: A shuttle bus was blown across a car park and left teetering dangerously over the edge


source: dailymail

How it's difficult to avoid haunting comparisons with Diana

By CATHERINE OSTLER

Backwards glance: It's difficult to avoid haunting comparisons between Kate Middleton (right) and William's mother, Diana, pictured shortly after her engagement to Prince Charles


For so many of us, it is difficult to avoid the haunting comparison. When willowy Kate Middleton goes walkabout wearing an elegant suit and that optimistic smile, it’s the woman who would have been her mother-in-law who springs disconcertingly to mind.

Diana was, of course, the last beautiful young woman to marry an heir to the throne — precipitating a fashion fever and thousands of young girls’ dreams of wearing a puff-ball dress as they were swept off their feet by their prince.

Just like Diana before her marriage, Kate Middleton can start a trend in minutes. This time, it’s royal blue and fitted tweed rather than knickerbockers and pie-crust collars.


Sham: While we all wanted to believe in the fairytale wedding of Charles and Diana, it actually made fools of us all


Like Diana, Kate seems to be a natural at meeting ‘ordinary’ people. She has happily flipped pancakes in Belfast, and christened a lifeboat with champagne in Anglesey.

These appearances have been deemed ‘triumphs’ by Palace aides.

Certainly, with her striking looks and personable manner, Kate is a hit with the public; and yet I sense that Britain is not as gripped by joyous wedding anticipation as the monarchy and the British Establishment might wish.


Equal partnership: Kate has so much more in common with William than Diana ever had with Prince Charles


Full of confidence: Kate is ten years older than Diana was on her wedding day


source: dailymail