Royal Wedding Live Update 7: The Balcony Kiss

The countdown to the kiss is on. After Kate, William, and many others both royal and non-royal involved in the wedding arrived at Buckingham Palace around 12:30 pm, there was a bit of a time delay before Kate and William were expected to appear on the balcony.

With the coverage on NBC, there’s actually a “Countdown to the Kiss” giving viewers a chance to count down to the exact moment that they will kiss. The kiss is supposedly going to happen at 25 minutes after the hour. In addition to the balcony appearance, there will be a flyover by Royal airplanes. This kiss on the balcony will be the couple kissing as husband and wife for the first time.

Crowds of people have now filled in the area in front of Buckingham Palace. After the procession from Westminster Abbey, the area in front of the palace was opened for crowds to fill in and hoards of people crowd around the gates and the Queen Victoria memorial.

At 1:25 pm in London, Kate and William step out onto the balcony, waving to the crowds of people who have now gathered right in front of Buckingham Palace. After Kate and William wave for a bit by themselves, other members of the wedding party come out on the balcony as well, including the little bridesmaids and page boys. The Queen, Kate’s parents, and others close to the couple also appear.

The kiss is a highly anticipated moment, but it comes and goes very quickly. Commentators comment on how short the kiss was, only around two seconds. William is apparently not one for public displays of affection, but this is almost required, as everyone expects it with a Royal Wedding. Slow motion on television helps to capture this romantic moment for a better look.

After their kiss, William and Kate continue to wave. It seems that some of the other royals are not present on the balcony, and there’s speculation that more may be joining them later.

After William gives Kate one more public kiss, the royal flyover takes place. It’s quite magnificent as three planes take the route over Buckingham Palace. These are R.A.F. pilots. A group of four planes flies over after this, and these planes are more modern than the first group.

Everyone then exits the balcony. William and Kate are last to wave goodbye to everyone waiting outside. Attention now turns to what will come next. For William and Kate and their guests, it’s the several receptions that they have to follow. For the people in the crowd, street parties are expected to take place later. But what’s certain is that the celebrations are by no means over quite yet for the fabulous event.