Estimated 2 billion watched Prince William and Kate Middleton wed

An incredible two billion people were expected to tune in and log on to watch history in the making Friday when Prince William and Kate Middleton were pronounced husband and wife.

The nuptials mark the 16th royal wedding at Westminster Abbey.  The wedding day is a national holiday for Britons.

The wedding is expected to revitalize the monarchy and the elegant, beautiful and composed bride’s star power was on full display.

The nervous bride and groom declared their “I will” after smooth recitals of their vows.  There was a sweet and romantic exchange before the vows when Prince William whispered an “I love you” and “you look beautiful” to Middleton at the altar.

The abbey bells rang out for three hours after the service.

Approximately one million people lined the streets of London for the historic event. Cheers erupted among the crowds outside when the vows were completed and when the couple emerged from the abbey.

The couple travelled to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey in a 1902 State Landau open-topped carriage with their new titles: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The prince has also became the Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus and his new wife has also become the Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus.

The rain held off for the royal couple. The sun even peeked out briefly as Middleton emerged from her limousine in front of Westminster Abbey and during the carriage ride to the palace.

The Duke and Duchess exchanged two slightly self-conscious kisses as husband and wife on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, drawing loud cheers from onlookers.

And royal watchers finally got the answer to the burning question of who designed the bride’s wedding dress. Middleton wore an elegant and traditional ivory and lace gown designed by Sarah Burton and her train was two metres and 70 centimetres long. Her hair was half up and half down and adorned with a Cartier tiara originally worn by the Queen Mother. The bride’s earrings were a gift from her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and which feature diamond oak leaves and a diamond acorn, in honour of the family’s new coat of arms.

Middleton’s dress drew comparisons to the wedding gown the late Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, wore in 1956.

William, who’s second in line to the British throne, wore the scarlet tunic of an Irish Guards officer — marking his strong support of the armed forces.

Maid of honour Pippa Middleton wore a simple column dress and best man Prince Harry was decked out in formal military attire.

And as was widely anticipated and wagered upon, Queen Elizabeth II donned a yellow hat.

But the biggest question will remain to be answered for some time: will this marriage be able to endure the intense media scrutiny and pressures of royal life? Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip have been married for 64 years. Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s union crumbled after 15 years.

Royal watchers camped out along the processional route got a nice surprise Thursday night when Prince William emerged from Clarence House to greet well-wishers.

Middleton spent Thursday night at the Goring Hotel with her family.

The 1,900 guests, including diplomats, sports figures and celebrities, began filing into the abbey just after 3:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. London time).

The ceremony began at 6 a.m. Eastern time.

Click here to view the official wedding programme (.pdf).

Hours after the wedding, William and Kate took a drive in Prince Charles’ 1969 Aston Martin Volante with the licence plate “JU5T WED.” They drove from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House.

Two parties were planned for Friday: one hosted by the Queen for 650 guests and another celebration in the evening for 300. The Queen and Prince Phillip have promised to retire early to allow the young royals to party and to allow Prince Harry to deliver his best man’s speech without his grandparents around.

Harry has also planned an all-night dance party and a breakfast Saturday morning.

For more on the Royal Wedding visit citytv.com/royalwedding.

With files from the Associated Press