The royal wedding is underway. Soon after Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey, she was escorted down the aisle by her father and the ceremony began. It went without a hitch although there was a moment when Prince William seems to have difficulty in slipping the ring onto her finger since it looked to be a very tight fit.
Daily Mail reported that when Kate first joined William at the altar, the 28-year-old prince whispered, "You look beautiful," to his radiant bride. Moments later, they exchanged their vows. "I, William Arthur Philip Louis, take thee, Catherine Elizabeth, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse," he vowed. "For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish, till death us do part."
In his sermon, Bishop of London Richard Chartres told the newlywed, "William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another."
"A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life."
"I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day."
William and Kate's prayer read, "God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage. In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy. Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen."