The Royal kiss: So tender … so unlike Charles and Diana

Published on 29/04/2011 20:34

Prince William and his bride's long-awaited kiss was playful and tender - a world away from his parents' awkward embrace.

Body language expert Elizabeth Kuhnke said the public display of affection - fun, flirtatious and respectful - showed a "deep love" between the two.

The highly anticipated moment came shortly after William and Kate emerged in front of thousands at Buckingham Palace.

While William smiled broadly, Kate dropped her composure for a moment. Visibly stunned by the vast crowds below, she mouthed, "Oh wow…", before waving in delight.

"The first kiss went so quickly," Mrs Kuhnke said. "The real kiss was the second kiss, perhaps because they hadn't planned it.

• 360 photo: Royal couple on the balcony at Buckingham Palace

"It lasted a bit longer. William held it a bit longer, before Catherine opened her eyes, looked up to the right and pulled away, almost in shyness.

"It was almost as if she was saying, 'All right we have done it now', but he held it a bit longer and you could tell he loved her through the look in his eyes."

Body language expert Judi James echoed her interpretation. "The kisses were swift and lacking in discernible passion," she said. "The second kiss was more rewarding, but also sudden with no lingering eye-gaze or tender body or face touch to give it the edge of passion, which was rather a good thing. The kisses looked normal and touching."

Pageboys and bridesmades

Despite the pressure and pomp, the six children who made up Kate Middleton's troupe of bridesmaids and pageboys rose to the occasion like professionals, assuming the look of solemnity befitting the event.

Dressed in ivory, bridesmaids Eliza Lopes, three, Grace van Cutsem, three, Lady Louise Windsor, seven, and Margarita Armstrong-Jones, eight, wore pleated skirts, puff sleeves and gold sashes tied in a bow, created by Nicki Macfarlane.

The younger bridesmaids wore ivy and lily of the valley hair wreaths, inspired by the headdress worn by Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, at her wedding in 1981.

Pageboys Tom Pettifer, eight, and Billy Lowther-Pinkerton, ten, were dressed in the red tunic of a Foot Guards officer. The look, dating from the 1820s, draws its insignia from the Irish Guards.

The mother of the bride: A study in sky-blue silk

AFTER rumours of controversial last-minute dress changes, Carole Middleton's outfit was finally revealed when she arrived, smiling, at Westminster Abbey.

The mother of the bride wore a Catherine Walker sky-blue silk shantung "Sydney" day dress with short pleated sleeves and pleated pockets. Over that she wore a sky-blue wool crpe coatdress with matching satin piping and braid trimming at the waist and cuffs. Her flattering choice met with approval from fashion commentators.

Mrs Middleton also donned a hat by Berkshire-based designer Jane Corbett.

It had been reported that Mrs Middleton ditched an outfit designed by Lindka Cierach, as well as a 400 hat by milliner Jess Collett, just weeks before the wedding.

Ms Corbett said: "I am thrilled to have had the honour of designing and making a hat for Carole Middleton for this very special day."

The sister: Perfect Pippa catches a prince's eye

It IS every bride's worst nightmare: being upstaged by your bridesmaid on your wedding day. And Pippa Middleton threatened to do just that when she arrived in Westminster Abbey ahead of her older sister in a knockout ivory dress.

The 27-year-old maid of honour wore a simple, slinky number, also by Alexander McQueen, with cap sleeves and a soft cowl neck. Like her sister, she wore her hair in a half-up, half-down style, with the top held back with a lily of the valley hairpiece.

She caught the eye of Prince Harry, who was seen checking her out a number of times.

Thousands of people on the Twitter online messaging site commented she looked "absolutely stunning", making her name one of the day's hot topics, while for others she was the "most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life".

Comedian Al Murray tweeted "bagsy Pippa Middleton", while Piers Morgan mused "Prince Harry & Pippa Middleton - anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Her dress had a very identifiably McQueen goddess shape," said fashion commentator John Davidson. "It complemented her sister's dress very well, and I liked that the whole wedding party wore ivory. It may not be traditional, but against the red carpet and all those bright uniforms, I can't think of another colour which would have worked nearly as well."

Stunning it may have been, but it was also a little sexier than the average bridesmaid's dress, and, when pictured alone, Pippa Middleton might have passed for any beautiful modern bride on her wedding day. (Alice Wyllie]