Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton will be "a classic example of what Britain does best," the prince's private secretary said Tuesday, after palace officials announced the couple will be married on April 29, 2011 at the historic Westminster Abbey in downtown London.
Clarence House issued a statement saying the royal wedding would be held at Westminster Abbey, where William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II was also married.
The historic church in central London has been the venue for 14 royal weddings and every coronation since 1066.
There had been some question as to whether the couple would choose the church as their wedding venue, since it's the same location where William's mother Princess Diana's funeral was held.
The cost of the wedding itself will be shared by the royal family and the Middletons, said the statement from Clarence House. However, British taxpayers will pick up the tab for security, transportation and related costs.
"We know that the world will be watching on the 29th of April, and the couple are very, very keen indeed that the spectacle should be a classic example of what Britain does best," said William's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton.
Lowther-Pinkerton told reporters Tuesday the couple chose the location because it is relatively intimate despite its size. The church holds 2,200 people.
He said the couple is "very much in charge of the arrangements" but has a lot of support from those around them.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday the wedding would be "a happy and momentous occasion" and would be marked by a public holiday. The wedding date falls on a Friday, and is the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena. Catherine is Middleton's proper first name.
CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy said anticipation is building for the nuptials next year.
"These royal weddings are rare events," Kennedy told CTV's Canada AM. "I think the last one anything like this was back in 1981 when Prince Charles and Diana were married. So it's going to be a very, very big affair."
Apparently not all Brits are excited about the engagement. Bishop Pete Broadbent was suspended Tuesday after saying online that he thought the marriage would last about seven years and that he planned to be on a "republican day trip of France" on the day of the wedding.
A statement from St. James's Palace, where both Princes William and Harry have their offices, said the couple is mindful of the difficult economic times in Britain. While the Royal Family earns millions of pounds a year from its land holdings and other sources, the House of Windsor still received 38 million pounds of taxpayers' money last year. The Queen also receives 7.9 million pounds a year for staff and other costs.
While many Brits may grumble about the high cost of a royal wedding, experts say they likely don't mean it.
Patrick Jephson, a long-time private secretary to Diana, said because the wedding will be compared to previous nuptials and other lavish affairs, "the palace won't want to be seen as downgrading it."
Jephson argued that millions of royal watchers would be disappointed if the palace cut back on the pomp and pageantry.
"What do you want to lose?" Jephson said. "The number of bridesmaids? The ride in the coach? The mounted escort? The Beefeaters? You can do it, but you'll regret it, and people around the world will be disappointed.
"This is about making people happy, not about wearing a hairshirt," he said.
The couple announced their engagement earlier this month. William, who is second in line to the throne, proposed in October while they were on vacation in Kenya.
William and Middleton are both 28. They met eight years ago while they were both attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
The couple reportedly wanted a spring wedding.
With files from The Associated Press
