Official royal wedding list, seating plan released

LONDON

Many of the guests were confirmed weeks ago, but others like singer Joss Stone and actor Rowan Atkinson, also known as Mr. Bean, are new additions to the confirmed list.

Royalty from countries including Bahrain, Denmark, Spain and Morocco will also be there.

Other previously confirmed guests include soccer star David Beckham and wife Victoria, Madonna's ex-husband director Guy Ritchie and singer Elton John.

John was a close friend of William's mother, Princess Diana. He sang his song "Candle in the Wind" at her funeral in 1997.

St. James's Palace also released the seating plan at Westminster Abbey, which showed that relatives of Princess Diana are sitting across the aisle from the royal family, joining the Middletons in an exception to the traditional division of a church into a bride's side and groom's side.

Although about 1,900 guests have been invited to the couple's wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey, half of them will sit in the section of the abbey where views of the altar are restricted, and they will have to rely upon video screens to follow the service.

Queen Elizabeth II and other royal family members will sit in the front row across the aisle from Middleton's parents and brother James. They will be closest to the abbey's sanctuary, where William and his bride will stand.

About 600 of the guests will then attend a champagne and canapés reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the queen.

Also, British government officials say there are more than 5,500 street parties planned in honor of the big day.

In London alone, there are some 800 applications for road closures on April 29.

Officials say they are also aware of thousands of other parties that do not require official permission, meaning the numbers are probably a whole lot higher.

ABC7 anchors David Ono and Michelle Tuzee are traveling to London for the royal wedding. Look for their live reports beginning next week on Eyewitness News.

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