ROYAL WEDDING SPECIAL: Boys give marriage thumbs-up

 

Good on yer, papa

By Clive Goodman

IT WAS the sign of approval Charles had yearned for—a double thumbs-up from his rebel son Harry that said: Go for it, Dad.

And on a day of royal stiffness and formality, it was the clown prince and his brother William who brought smiles to Windsor's wedding faces.

Any thoughts that Diana's two boys were against their father's marriage to Camilla were swept aside by a wave of winks, nudges and larking about that showed their support for him loud and clear.

Laughing Harry, 20, hit his stride early, teasing Charles and his new stepmum as they left the Guildhall in Windsor following yesterday's civil service.

First he flicked a cheeky salute at the new Duke and Duchess of Cownwall as they got into their waiting limo. Then he gave that thumbs-up to Charles as they drove away.

Earlier the pair had fooled around, pretending to hold back while Charles and Camilla posed for pictures. But as they'd emerged from the Guildhall it was clear they were pleased with the way things had gone off, as our News of the World lipreader discovered.

"Well I'm happy with that," William told his new stepbrother Tom Parker Bowles. "Yup, me too," Tom replied after both had acted as witnesses at the wedding.

Later as the royal party walked from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel for the blessing, the double act was at it again.

Harry burst out laughing when a gust of wind blew his brother's carefully combed hair out of place to reveal a huge bald spot.

Kiss

William groaned: "The wind's blowing my hair all over the place." Harry replied: "Watch out, it could go waaarrggh!" roughing his own hair up like an afro.

Even inside the chapel the brothers kept up the banter while waiting for Charles and Camilla. William blew a kiss to one guest.

And when William looked across the aisle to see his new in-laws on the other side he asked Harry: "Where are all our family?"

Celebrity guests too got in on the act. When funnyman Rowan Atkinson pulled out his invite at church he joked: "Ah. Here's my lunch ticket." And when he spotted fellow comic Stephen Fry outside he pointed to a fleur de lys on his waistcoat and asked: "Is that your coat of arms?"

Stephen revealed he'd bought the couple special coffee beans that are eaten and regurgitated by weasels to improve the taste. "They're highly prized," he quipped.

Their jovial mood was matched by most of the crowd of 15,000 who had gathered in Windsor to catch a glimpse of Charles and Camilla on their big day.

But there were also boos at one point from placard-carrying pro-Diana protesters. And police had to hustle away gay rights activist Peter Tatchell and even catch a streaker.

Some staunch royal fans had waited for hours to see the couple—like Mike and Julia Coxon of Sunningdale, Berkshire.

Julie said: "Charles and Camilla looked very comfortable and Camilla was beaming from ear to ear. She looked like the happiest woman in the world."

Lisa Foster, 31, had queued in front of the Guildhall for 10 hours. She thought Camilla looked wonderful. "Her outfit was beautiful. I was so glad to see them linking arms as they left the Guildhall," she said. Mum Andrea Molyneux, 35, said: "Camilla looked elegant and Charles cut a dashing figure. They make a lovely couple." Barbara Murray, of Attleborough, Norfolk, had camped outside the Guildhall in two dome tents the night before along with five other members of her family. "We have come to give Charles our support as he doesn't seem to have much," said Barbara, 41.

But amid the celebrations there was ill feeling in the crowd with some booing because the couple didn't spend time to greet them on the way from the Guildhall to the castle.

Charles and Camilla chose to be driven past the crowds lining the streets. But the royal waves were not enough for some.

Ten-year-old Alessandra Cerri from nearby Bracknell said: "We waited for four hours to see Charles and Camilla and they drove past so quick." And John Saunders, of Cheltenham, said: "With so many people being against this match it would have been an ideal opportunity for the couple to see the people who are happy for them."

Disgust

Former royal press spokesman Dicky Arbiter said the royal couple should have walked around and chatted to the well-wishers before heading to St George's Chapel. "It wouldn't have killed them to have done it,"

Some spectators unveiled a banner clearly showing their disgust at the couple's wedding, branding it "illegal, immoral and shameful". Other protesters included gay rights activist Peter Tatchell who was carrying placards calling for the legalisation of gay marriage. He was escorted away by police.

And minutes after Charles and Camilla tied the knot at the Guildhall, a streaker ran towards the royal car out of sight of British TV cameras. The sandy-haired man was quickly surrounded by five policemen, handcuffed and led away grinning.

It's doubtful whether Charles or Camilla would have seen the funny side of such bare-faced cheek—but the clown princes would.

They had one last prank in store for Charles and Camilla before their honeymoon in Scotland.

As the couple walked out to their Bentley for the trip to RAF Northolt they discovered the princes and Tom had used shaving foam to write "Prince" and "Duchess" on the windscreen like a chav-style sun visor—with Just Married and balloons on the back.

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