Prince William and Kate Middleton Wedding

Prince William and Kate Middleton will wed on Friday, April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey, the historic London Church where his mother Diana’s funeral was held in 1997, according to royal officials.

The couple wants to turn their wedding day into an international party in what is set to be the biggest royal event in Britain since William’s parents Prince Charles and Diana married in 1981, aides said.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkington, the prince’s private secretary, told the BBC that the pair wanted a spring wedding, and feel that the abbey, despite its huge size, offered intimacy.

Lowther-Pinkington said, “We know that the world will be watching on April 29, and the couple are very, very keen indeed that the spectacle should be a classic example of what Britain does best,”

The wedding is to be paid for by the royal family and the Middletons, with the government meeting the security and transport costs, in a bid to ease public concerns as Britain faces harsh economic austerity measures.

British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the day, the first Friday after the Easter weekend, would be marked with a special public holiday.

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