Royal newlyweds spring honeymoon surprise

LONDON — Prince William and his new bride sprang a surprise, announcing they would not leave immediately on honeymoon and the prince will return to his day job as a helicopter pilot next week.
A statement from St James's Palace on Saturday said William and Kate would spend the weekend in Britain following their wedding and have a honeymoon abroad in the future but it "will not be disclosed in advance".
The prince "will return to work as a search and rescue pilot next week", it added.
The announcement appeared to be a way of throwing the media off their trail amid fears that photographers would pursue the couple wherever they chose to spend their honeymoon.
The prince is known to enjoy outwitting the media, whom he still holds responsible for the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 as she was being pursued by photographers.
The prince's office stressed that the couple "have asked that their privacy be respected during the coming weekend and during their honeymoon".
The royal family is thought to be prepared to take legal action to prevent any media outlet attempting to disrupt the trip.
So after being the focus of the world on Friday, watched by an estimated global television audience of two billion, William will return to the rural tranquility of his Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Anglesey, northwest Wales.
After a night of partying, the couple departed from Buckingham Palace on Saturday by helicopter.
The Duchess of Cambridge, as Kate is now officially known, wore a belted short blue dress, with a cropped black jacket and black wedge heels, while the prince was dressed in an open-necked white shirt, dark blazer and beige chinos.
The smiling couple held hands as they strolled through the palace grounds, then shook hands with royal staff before leaving.
The pageantry of their wedding service had given way to a night of dinner and dancing for the royal couple and 300 guests, who partied until 3:00 am.
The new duchess said Friday the couple had had a "great day" and expressed relief that the forecast rain never came.
Speculation about their secret honeymoon destination has focused on Africa, as William proposed to Kate in Kenya last year.
Jordan has also been touted as a possibility and would have nostalgic appeal for Kate as her family lived in the kingdom for two years when she was a child.
But given the current upheaval in the Middle East, it might be considered a compromised choice.
A secluded Caribbean island would allow the couple to escape the prying eyes of the media.
Bequia and Necker Island have the benefit of being easily secured, and Kate's wealthy entrepreneur parents are frequent visitors to the ultra-exclusive Mustique.
Lizard Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, has also emerged as a contender.
Amid estimations that the wedding was watched by roughly a third of the world's population, the BBC said almost 25 million people saw it live in Britain alone, with nearly 35 million catching some of their coverage throughout the day.
More details emerged in the press of the ceremony.
With the help of lipreaders, media reported that as Kate walked up the aisle William's best man and brother, Prince Harry, turned to him at the altar and said: "Wait till you see the dress".
The ivory satin and lace wedding gown by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, featuring a hand-embroidered veil and lace sleeves, received unanimous praise from media and fashion experts.
The colourful party in Buckingham Palace was revealed in full detail in Sunday's newspapers, which described a night of heart-felt speeches and raucous dancing topped off with bacon sandwiches served in the early hours.
Harry, organiser in chief of the festivities, kicked off proceedings with a highly entertaining speech, telling guests assembled to eat in the palace Ballroom that William was the perfect brother: "What a dude."
William was reported to have declared that his new wife was "my rock" during his speech -- and also joked that he was pleased his father "could still fit into his Royal Navy uniform."
After a magnificent dinner, the younger generation partied into the early hours in the palace Throne Room drinking champagne and cocktails to music played by pop starlet Ellie Goulding and a DJ.
The party then continued for several hours at the nearby Goring hotel, where the Middleton family had stayed for the wedding.

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