London Evening Standard/London It was a glittering congregation. The first of the 1,900 guests, who included friends of the couple, charity workers and members of the armed forces as well as the dignitaries demanded by protocol snaked in through the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey at 8.30am. Among the earliest to take her seat just after 9am was Prince Harry’s on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy, dressed in a teal satin top and a modest fascinator.There were cheers from the crowd when they spotted David and Victoria Beckham at 9.18am. The former England captain, sporting stubble, wore a Ralph Lauren suit with the OBE he received in 2003 pinned to his right lapel. His wife Victoria, who is pregnant with their fourth child, wore a navy maternity dress she designed herself with a hat by Philip Treacy.Beckham was later seen chatting to film director Guy Ritchie. Ben Fogle, television presenter and friend of the groom, waved to the crowd as he arrived. His pregnant wife Marina wore a bright green dress with a beige coat and fascinator.Earlier, Fogle had written on Twitter: “Quick walk with the dogs while the girls have their hair done. Very excited. London feels electric.”
Prince William’s uncle Earl Spencer queued with his fiancée Karen Gordon and his four children Kitty, Eliza, Emilia and Louis, who took their place in the North Lantern area of the Abbey. Other royal relatives seen arriving included the Queen’s nephew, furniture designer David Linley. Sir John Major, a former guardian of Prince William, arrived with wife Norma.Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, a friend of Prince Charles, wore one of the day’s most eye-catching outfits, an electric blue Deborah Milner dress and matching Philip Treacy hat. Singer Joss Stone wore a coral dress and matching jacket. She became friends with William when she sang at the Concert for Diana in 2007. Among the last of the celebrity guests to take their seats were Sir Elton John and his civil partner David Furnish.
Current political figures and foreign leaders arrived after most of the guests had sat down. Commons Speaker John Bercow and his wife Sally got there shortly after 9.40am. Sally, who had earlier tweeted that her children had covered her outfit in Cheerios, towered over her husband, wearing a knee-length grey and black patterned dress with a plunging neckline.Foreign Secretary William Hague arrived with his wife Ffion, who is in a wheelchair after breaking her leg last week while walking in Kent.Mayor Boris Johnson was one of the last guests to arrive with his wife Marina. Foreign royals invited to the ceremony included Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso of Lesotho, who met William through Harry’s charity Sentebale, which helps orphans in the poor southern African country.