Prince William and Kate’s Royal Wedding details revealed

(Copyright Mario Testino 2011)

The official Royal Wedding programme has been released one day ahead of the service at Westminster Abbey.

In a message printed at the beginning, Prince William and Kate Middleton say they are deeply touched by people’s reactions as they prepare for “one of the happiest days of our lives”.

Royal Wedding vows

Kate Middleton will not promise to “obey” Prince William when she says her vows.

Instead Miss Middleton will pledge to “love, comfort, honour and keep” him.

Diana, Princess of Wales, also opted not to “obey” the Prince of Wales during their wedding ceremony in 1981.

The Queen, Princess Margaret and the Princess Royal all said they would obey their husbands.

With William choosing not to wear a wedding ring, only the prince will say “With this ring I thee wed” as he places the golden band on Kate’s finger.

And less than a day before he does, William delighted crowds waiting patiently on the Mall ahead of the wedding by embarking on an impromptu walkabout. On Thursday evening, the Prince unexpectedly left Clarence House at around 8.30pm, where he is to spend his final night of bachelorhood, to shake hands with thrilled onlookers.

Looking relaxed and happy, he chatted with fans on both sides of the street and took time to pose for pictures.

The crowd's beguiling enthusiasm: a vsnapshot from Channel 4 News reporter Katie Razzall:

It's an interesting development when someone camping outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the Royal Wedding successfully persuades you that they're not entirely mad. But that's what happened to me today. 

I went down to the Mall, all cynical and questioning, wondering why all these people were willing to sleep on the streets just so they could catch a glimpse of the royal couple. Then an admittedly rather cool Dad in a leather jacket told me he was saving a spot so his 5 and 7-year old children could watch the Royal Wedding live instead of on the telly and my heart melted. 

While my children are being packed off to Devon, he's camping out for 2 nights so his kids have something to remember. That's parenting right there.

Royal Wedding Hymns

Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen three of their favourite songs for their wedding day.

The words of ‘Guide me, O thou great redeemer’ – better known today as the Welsh rugby anthem Bread of Heaven – is the first to be performed on the wedding day.

Read more: Republicans beware - Royal happiness ahead?

The hymn was also sung at the funeral service of William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and at a memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.

The piece ‘Love divine, all loves excelling’ written by Charles Wesley, who penned more than 6,000 hymns during the 18th century, is another famous song picked by Kate and William.

The final hymn will be the stirring Jerusalem, a favourite at Last Night of the Proms, the Women’s Institute and weddings.

Royal Wedding music

Kate Middleton will walk up the aisle to the sounds of a coronation anthem.

Her bridal processional music will be the soaring choral masterpiece “I was glad” by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry from Psalm 122.

It was composed for the crowning of Prince William’s great-great-great grandfather Edward VII at Westminster Abbey in 1902, but is also popular at weddings.

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “The music will build up before the words begin. It will be quite dramatic. A lot of these pieces have been chosen for their theatre.”

Royal Wedding reading

Kate Middleton’s brother James will give the only reading at the Royal Wedding, declaring: “Let love be genuine”.

The youngest Middleton sibling was chosen by the bride and groom-to-be for the all-important task of delivering The Lesson in front of a congregation of 1,900 and a global television audience of millions.

William and Kate selected the reading after spending time with the clergy in preparation for the ceremony.

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “It was their personal preference. It spoke to them.”

From the Great Lectern, Mr Middleton, 23, who runs a cake making company, will read from Romans 12: 1-2, 9-18, which proclaims: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds”.