St James’s Palace also revealed the four bridesmaids and two page boys who will accompany the bride down the aisle at Westminster Abbey, in the biggest royal wedding since William’s late mother Diana married Prince Charles in 1981.
They include the young niece of one of Diana’s bridesmaids, as well as the granddaughter of Prince Charles’ second wife, Camilla.
“Prince William has asked his brother, Prince Harry, to be his best man,” said a statement from St. James’s Palace, adding: “Miss Catherine Middleton has asked her sister, Miss Philippa Middleton, to be her maid of honour.”
William, 28, has been close to his brother Harry, 26, since their mother died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 and it was widely predicted that he would pick him to be his ‘supporter’, as the best man is known in royal weddings.
Harry had expressed his delight at news of his brother’s engagement in November, saying: “It means I get a sister, which I have always wanted.”
The younger prince, who was once well known for his love of partying but has settled down in recent years as he concentrates on a military career, is now responsible for planning William’s stag night.
William is also following in the footsteps of his father, who chose younger brother Prince Andrew to be his supporter when he married Diana at St Paul’s Cathedral 30 years ago.
Kate’s choice is also no surprise, as the 29-year-old is close to her younger sister. They also have a brother, James.
Philippa, 27, known as Pippa, is a regular on the London social circuit and also works in the family mail-order business Party Pieces.
The palace also revealed Monday the names of the young members of the family or close friends who traditionally accompany the bride down the aisle.
Louise Windsor, the seven-year-old daughter of Prince Charles’ brother Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie, is the lead bridesmaid.
Another is Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the eight-year-old daughter of Viscount Linley and the granddaughter of the queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret. Margarita’s aunt, Sarah, was one of Diana’s bridesmaids.
Eliza Lopes is the three-year-old granddaughter of Prince Charles’ second wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Grace van Cutsem, three, is William’s goddaughter and the daughter of a good friend of the prince.
The page boys are Tom Pettifer, the eight-year-old son of William’s ex-nanny Tiggy Pettifer and his godson, and Billy Lowther-Pinkerton, the ten-year-old son of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to William and Harry.
All the bridesmaids and page boys will be dressed to match the bride, but just as the palace has given nothing away about the dress Kate will be wearing on the big day, it refused to say anything about the children’s outfits.
William and Kate met in 2001 at St Andrews University in Scotland where they were both studying art history, and after years of speculation, they finally announced their engagement in November last year. [source]
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