Revealed: Ring of steel behind wedding of year
THE vast security operation for the society wedding of the year in the tranquil setting of a quintessentially English village was revealed yesterday.
Pippa Middleton married hedge fund manager James Matthews in an idyllic ceremony at St Mark’s Church in Englefield, Berkshire, on Saturday.
Those attending the glamorous evening reception in the nearby parish of Bucklebury were told to arrive at the village hall, called The Victory Room, between 7pm and 8pm.
Guests who drove themselves parked in a field just around the corner before walking back and having their identity checked in a corrugated iron building – jokingly dubbed the “nerve centre”.
Others who arrived in the back of luxury cars and taxis also had to undergo what security staff described as an “accreditation” process.
The one guest who seemed to avoid the checks was Prince Harry’s actress girlfriend Meghan Markle, 35, who was taken straight to the £6million home after the Prince made a 100-mile roundtrip to collect her.
One guest revealed: “We had to send a photo and a password to use. We’ve been told nothing about the party – not even the food we’re having.”
Groups were then whisked off towards a fleet of Range Rover Discoveries parked on the Bucklebury Recreation Ground and driven in convoys of five or six vehicles, past the church and a children’s farm, to the Middleton’s home just over half a mile away.
Ferry
The vehicles would then return – often forming queues in the small residential street as villagers tried to go about their normal lives on a Saturday evening – and collected more guests.
Tennis legend Roger Federer and his wife Mirka, former British favourite Tim Henman and wife Lucy, James’s brother, TV star Spencer Matthews and ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby were among guests who had to be vetted.
It took more than an hour and a half to ferry all the guests to the reception.
But they were all in place for a spectacular 10-minute Spitfire display which was donated for free by the Boultbee Flight Academy.
Around 200 guests then made their way to a £100,000 glass marquee constructed in the grounds of the estate which was decorated with “an enchanted forest theme” featuring trees with purple fibre optic lights.
Guests were treated to luxury food including 17lb of beluga caviar worth £40,000, haggis and Scottish lamb at the black-tie bash.
Luxury caterer Table Talk, which used to employ the bride as an event organiser, provided the catering. It is understood the champagne served was £75-a-bottle 2010 Blanc de Noir Millington by the Sussex winery Nyetimber. A movie of how Pippa, 33, met and fell in love with James Matthews, 41 was beamed across the back wall of the Middleton’s home during the reception. The groom, in a speech which delighted guests, praised his new in-laws and told how his new wife could be quite competitive, quoting her as saying: “I don’t think I am competitive, I just want to be the best I can which just involves beating everybody else.” He is also understood to have paid an emotional tribute to his older brother Michael, who died
at 23 after becoming the youngest Briton to climb Everest. The speeches, which were still being heard after 11.30pm, included an account of how James’ and Pippa’s love blossomed. As the speech drew to a close, best man Justin Johannson announced that “the moment you’ve all been waiting for” had arrived and the newlywed couple had their first dance together as a married couple. Within the marquee a tremendous light show synched with the music as the guests filled the dance floor. Increasing numbers of security personnel stood guard outside as the party got into full swing.
Police officers, parked in large trucks, were stationed on the roads leading towards the narrow country lane throughout. Pippa’s nuptials are rumoured to have cost in the region of £700,000.
That includes the bride’s £200,000 engagement ring – a dazzling 3.5carat Asscher-cut diamond set in a halo of smaller stones on a platinum band. British designer Giles Deacon was paid about £40,000 to produce the lace dress for Pippa’s big day, which she paired with custom-made £2,000 heels by Manolo Blahnik.