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Minutes earlier, two coaches had brought Camilla's family and then the royals, headed by William and Harry, who wore morning dress tailcoats. A huge cheer went up as the princes, looking tanned from their recent Swiss skiing vacation, stepped from the coach.
While they took their seats to await their father, the band hit the playful notes of "Mustang Sally."
Later in the day, the royal couple – who will take their honeymoon at Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands, for about 10 days – saw their union blessed in a special service at St George's Chapel, inside Windsor Castle. There they were joined by Prime Minister Tony Blair and wife Cherie, and celebrity guests including Phil Collins, Sting's wife Trudie Styler, Joan Rivers and more.
Early in the dedication, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, the couple and the congregation made a pledge of penitence: "We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these misdoings" – said to be the version with the harshest words available to the couple.
The most poignant moment came when the couple, titled simply Charles and Camilla by the Archbishop, were asked to underline their devotion to one another. The two also had a blessing from the Queen, who beamed as she stood behind the couple on the steps of the chapel.
And while a few protestors greeted the civil ceremony, only to be whisked away by police – as was a lone streaker – fate was with the newlyweds: The arctic weather and sleet predicted for Saturday never arrived. (Though it did hit on Friday, the original wedding date until it was pre-empted by the Pope's funeral.)
Instead, the sun shined on Windsor, and even the usually contentious Daily Mail, which has been critical of Charles recently, threw its weight behind the couple with the front-page banner headline, "The Best of Luck."
