Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Event/Special
The Royal Wedding:
Aired April 29, 2011 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And also, we haven't discussed yet the tiara and the head dress she'll be wearing. All these things -- I mean, it's not just about the dress. We're hearing all sorts of rumors, but if it is this famous King George III tiara, the one queen and the queen mother wore on their day, it's a real anointment of this young woman as a future queen.
And that is very significant for this country. It's the first wedding we've had since Diana and Charles in 1981, 30 years ago, where you actually see somebody who may be queen.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're seeing the current prime minister, David Cameron, and his wife, leaving 10 Downing Street.
MORGAN: He's wearing a morning suit. Big controversy over this, originally Downing street leaked that he would be doing what you're doing, Anderson, making a fashion faux pas and wearing a lounge suit, but he listened to the media mob and I think listened on to what I was wearing and turned out in a morning suit. There is Nick Clegg, who is the deputy prime minister. He's turned up with his elegant Spanish wife Miriam. She's wearing a very exotic head dress there.
CAT DEELEY, CNN WEDDING CONTRIBUTOR: I think that's Steven Jones.
MORGAN: No, that's Nick Clegg.
DEELEY: The hat. No, the hat.
MORGAN: Who the hell is Steve Jones? I got this horribly wrong? Did I misidentify my deputy prime minister? The hat is Steven Jones.
DEELEY: I think so.
MORGAN: I think this is a very -- this is a racy number for me, deputy prime minister's wife to wear.
VERA WANG, DESIGNER: Everyone is making a splash today and hats by Steven Jones, Philip Tracy and Jeff Collett (ph).
COOPER: If you're just joining us at the top of the hour. It is 10:00 a.m. here in London. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East Coast of the United States.
In about 10 minutes now, we're watching dignitaries, family members arriving, for the royal wedding at Westminster Abbey. We've seen dignitaries from around the world.
MORGAN: That's current British cabinet minister William Hague, and his wife Fiona who is in a wheelchair, I'm not sure why.
COOPER: In 10 minutes, the bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales will be leaving Clarence House. That's where they spent the last night, Clarence House, the official residence of Prince Charles, their father, when he's in London. They are going to arrive at the abbey at 10:15. So, that will be a big moment. That's going to be the first time we have seen William on this morning as well as his brother.
MORGAN: The senior British political figures -- that's Foreign Secretary William Hague, his wife had some kind of accident. But she's not normally in a wheelchair.
DEELEY: What's the bridegroom wearing? We talk about the dress, but he's wearing an army uniform, right?
WANG: His uniform. And that's, you know, again the setting, the tradition, showing, you know, his Britishness.
MORGAN: It's a red uniform. It's the colonel of the Irish Guards, it's an honorary title that he holds and also the helicopter wings from his RAF helicopter work, as well on the uniform as a wing across his left breast.
COOPER: He went to Sandhurst, military academy, after going to university.
MORGAN: In fact, my brother-in-law trained him at Sandhurst for two years. And he trained both William and Harry. He said they're both top guys, very down to earth.
DEELEY: I was going to say, good students?
MORGAN: He said amazing soldiers. Really just two of the best.
COOPER: Richard Quest -- Richard, this is the prime minister arriving, yes?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes. Love that.
The prime minister, David Cameron, and Samantha Cameron, arriving at Westminster Abbey, getting a rousing cheer, being greeted upon arrival by the dean of Westminster at the abbey. That's -- that will be a pleasing one for the prime minister that he was so well-received.
And now, we are into that point of the time when the big guns start to get fired. Over the next few moments, Prince Harry and William will leave from the Goring Hotel -- I beg your pardon -- they will leave from Clarence House, the Middletons, James and Carole Middleton, will leave from the Goring Hotel.
And then a ballet begins, Anderson, across central London around Westminster because one arrives, the other leaves. The next arrive, the other leaves. So it goes on the way through, until 11:00 when Catherine Middleton, the duchess of Cambridge-to-be, arrives at Westminster Abbey.
The prime minister is taking his place in Westminster Abbey. This is a sign now that we are very much within the hour of all the big arrivals. The last to arrive before the bride will, of course, be the queen and we're seeing some of the guard of honor lining up to the right of me just over here -- Anderson.
COOPER: We are going to be -- want to bring you the departure of the prince and his brother, prince harry and Prince William. We're going to take a short break and we'll bring that to you live in just a moment, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: You're looking at the view inside Westminster Abbey, nearly full. For about the last hour, the congregation has been arriving. It is a busy hour for the bride and bridegroom's family. Prince William and his best man will leave Clarence House to head to Westminster Abbey. Clarence House is the official residence of their father, Prince Charles.
Ten minutes later, the bride's mother, Carole Middleton, and her brother James leave the Goring Hotel. At 25 past the hour, we'll see the first members of the queen's family leave Buckingham Palace. Thirty-eight past the hour, Prince Charles, Camilla will depart Clarence House. And in just a few minutes later, Queen Elizabeth and duke of Edinburgh --
DEELEY: Well done.
COOPER: Thank you.
The grandparents of the groom arrive at the abbey. They are the last to arrive before the bride.
The grand finale, of course, is the bride arriving with her father, Michael Middleton. They are expected to arrive at Westminster Abbey about five minutes later, and that will be the first time the world sees her dress, without a doubt been the best kept secret in London.
They're going to be going to the abbey not in a coach or a carriage or landau, they're going to be going in a Rolls Royce, which is the same Rolls Royce that Charles and Camilla were in when they were attacked --
MORGAN: You hear the crowd chanting "We want wills." So, the excitement is mounting down there. And, in any moment, I think we'll be seeing the bridegroom and all his glory and best man.
WANG: I can also reveal that Kate's mom, Carole, is wearing Catherine Walker. She's wearing pale blue Catherine Walker, and a Jane Corbin hat.
MORGAN: I also solve the mystery of why the foreign secretary of Great Britain's wife was s in a wheelchair. She fell over this evening, the foreign secretary's (INAUDIBLE) home, which you get if you become foreign secretary, last Friday and she broke her shin somewhere, but she was determined, the show must go on. So, she bravely and valiantly came to the wedding.
COOPER: Come and carry on. Very British.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: That's very interesting choice for Kate's mom.
WANG: And Diana was very big fan of Catherine Walker and she passed away last September and I think it's really nice that Kate's mom chose, you know, her today.
MORGAN: And again, the Diana theme running right through this whole wedding, everybody wanting her memory to stay alive. That's a really touching thing that Kate Middleton's mom would do that.
COOPER: Do you think that's a coincidence or do you think that's something that they knew --
MORGAN: No, it won't be coincidence.
WANG: That's an interesting point more so for the dress for Kate. Maybe it's not Sarah Burton. Maybe it's Jenny Peckham.
DEELEY: (INAUDIBLE) you hedging your bets? You came in here --
WANG: All these things, even the fact that Carole chose Catherine Walker, that's just, it's tradition they're going for -- they want to help these labels as well.
(CROSSTALK)
WANG: It is. Absolutely.
MORGAN: We don't know what she's wearing. Quite amazing.
WANG: When the Emanuels were designing Princess Diana's dress they actually made two dresses in case one was discovered and then the other one was hidden away.
COOPER: We're also here with Vera Wang. She's joining us in New York. She's watching us.
Vera, do you expect the dress to be anything like the dress Diana wore, which is sort of this meringue of a dress?
VERA WANG, FASHION DESIGNER: I'm getting very critical now.
COOPER: That's what somebody said on the program last night.
DEELEY: It's not the time, Anderson.
WANG: I feel guilty about the Emanuels. I think, I would say -- I would venture to say probably not fairly securely there. But I think it should be something extraordinarily couture and I would love to see it have incredible scale and everything. Really takes this level of an event to wear a dress that extraordinary. I mean, really couture --
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: And, Vera, we're seeing Prince William and his brother Prince Harry. For the first time, we get a glimpse of the red uniform that Prince William was wearing.
MORGAN: Irish Guards.
COOPER: Let's listen to the crowd.
(CHEERING)
MORGAN: Really bursting here.
(CHEERING)
WANG: I think this is just what this country needs.
MORGAN: This is electrifying.
COOPER: It really is an event that this country, sort of the likes of which you were saying, haven't seen since --
MORGAN: Diana's funeral and the queen mother's funeral were sad occasions. We certainly would have heard any scenes like this. And I think Diana's funeral, Diana's wedding was like this, but I think this is bigger.
WANG: Yes, and I think for people of my generation and younger, here the monarchy was feeling a little bit tired, feeling a little bit stuffy, perhaps, and I think this just breathes a whole new life into it again.
MORGAN: You see the blue sash that William has over his red uniform and that is the Knights of the Order of the Garter, we were talking about earlier in relation it to John Major and Margaret Thatcher. It's a very, very prestigious honor.
COOPER: Also, these are -- I mean they are not just wearing, you know, costumes or uniforms, they actually, you know --
MORGAN: These guards are serving.
COOPER: They have served in Afghanistan.
MORGAN: These boys are serving members of the armed forces. They're wearing their uniforms.
COOPER: William is a helicopter pilot, search and rescue team.
MORGAN: Wearing the wings on the red uniform.
COOPER: Going by the --
MORGAN: Hope Harry has remembered the ring.
(LAUGHTER)
DEELEY: It depends if he went to bed last night.
MORGAN: Cat, are you priced that only -- there's only going to be one ring, William is not going to wear a ring?
DEELEY: Yes, I was actually. It's going to be made from the Welsh gold nugget, isn't it, that all the other rings have been made from. And I think the big thing, the biggest sign of all, is her wearing Diana's engagement ring, you know? I think it's -- I think it's a really great way --
MORGAN: I think it's great he's not wearing a ring actually. I do. His father wore one from the same tiny Welsh mine where this gold comes from and he wore one when he married one when he married Camilla. It's all from the same gold.
WANG: William actually gave Kate a ring last night apparently with his crest on it.
MORGAN: This crowd noise is unbelievable.
COOPER: Let's listen in again.
(CHEERING)
COOPER: I think this really electrifies.
MORGAN: This is the moment that the British monarchy has been completely re-energized. After Diana died, there was a sense of debate in this country and around the world -- do we need a monarchy anymore? The great shining light had gone. For a long time, they've been in the doldrums, but this is the moment today when you can see with these extraordinary scenes, there must be millions here, all going completely crazy.
This is the moment I'm looking at it and saying -- the monarchy is back.
WANG: And this young kids in the crowd, old people in the crowd, spanning all generations.
MORGAN: These two are now the biggest stars on the planet, because I don't remember these scenes when Brad married Angelina, this is it.
DEELEY: You forget Hollywood. Today, the biggest red carpet is here in London.
COOPER: There really is the sense that these two have been raised differently than previous generations of royals and they're more connected in a way than other generations. MORGAN: It's his father. You know, let's not forget Prince Charles, he always gets a negative wrap. They're about to arrive.
(CHEERING)
MORGAN: What I like about this, Anderson, the last time those boys will have been into the abbey in any formal sense was for their mother's funeral when we will remember them having to walk behind their coffin, very young teenage boys. Terrible ordeal for them. To have this amazingly happy occasion, I think is just a wonderful thing to watch.
WANG: Those images of them walking behind the coffin, are definitely engrained in our brains and I think you're right, Piers. I think we have to look at what a fantastic job Prince Charles actually did. You know, they were teenagers at the time they lost their mother and although she kind of set up the infrastructure, it was Charles that actually, you know, led them through the terrible teenage years where you're just awful.
MORGAN: You were saying, you can't beat a man in a uniform, can you?
WANG: No.
MORGAN: Eat your heart out, Hollywood. You haven't got heartthrobs like these two.
WANG: These are the heartthrobs of the nation right now.
MORGAN: Biggest stars in the world right now.
COOPER: Greeted by the dean of Westminster. Westminster Abbey, obviously, has a long tradition with the royal family. In fact, it's the people who head Westminster are actually appointed by the royal family through 10 Downing Street.
Richard Quest is standing by outside.
Richard, amazing scene when to see these two actually leave the vehicle, obviously, the crowd there are incredibly appreciative.
QUEST: Absolutely. An extraordinary scene, Prince William wearing the uniform of the Irish Guards, a colonel in the Irish Guards, which is his highest honorary rank. The sash he is wearing, a reflection of the fact that he is a Knight of the Order of the Garter and reflecting the fact that he is part of the RAF, his uniform has the wings of the Royal Air Force.
Prince Harry, wearing his uniform as a captain in the blues and royals of the Household Cavalry, entirely appropriate that they are both wearing their best, highest uniforms from the military ranks that they serve in her majesty's forces.
As we walk through the abbey, this gives us a moment to describe where they are, they've left the nave where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, they're passing through the choir, that's where (INAUDIBLE), through the choir and stools where members of the governments are and they are entering the transept, the north and the south.
And the front there you see, the place where the ceremony will take place, the sanctuary. Just next to the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, which is the scene where it will take place. William, of course, in many years to come, will be standing on this very pavement, this checkerboard part pavement, where the coronation takes place. This part of the abbey was specifically built very large, with plenty of room, because that is where the coronation chair will be held.
And William now greeting various members of the Middletons family and his own family, Anderson.
COOPER: And Carole Middleton, the mother of Kate Middleton, will be leaving next. They are at the Goring Hotel where they've spent the night. Kate Middleton, obviously, will be the last of all to leave. She'll be going to Westminster Abbey with her father in a Rolls Royce provided by the royal family.
There you see William talking to Princess Diana's brother.
DEELEY: Harry talking to the Spencer (ph).
MORGAN: I was wondering if he was talking to Diana's sister there, I'm not sure.
DEELEY: The lady in the white hat.
MORGAN: Might be one of Diana's sisters.
COOPER: Earl Spencer off to the left talking with Harry.
Have they maintained a close relationship over the years? That's one of the things he talked about at Diana's funeral of sort of --
MORGAN: Earl Spencer has remained in touch with them quite a lot and I think he's been a pretty good uncle to them. You know, he's a polarizing figure, controversial in this country certainly, but I think he's tried to do his best by them.
But I can't imagine what we discussed earlier, I think that Diana was a wonderful mother to these boys and taught them a lot of empathy. They're very tactile when they meet the public and they're great with children and old people and so on. But they get this kind of look here from their father, the charm, the manners.
COOPER: Let's watch and listen to the sounds inside Westminster Abbey.
(MUSIC)
COOPER: Looking at more guests arriving. Any moment now we expect Kate --
MORGAN: People thought that was Muhammad al-Fayed (ph), it's not. That would have been quite a turn out if he arrived.
DEELEY: There's Carole, that's Kate's mom. She's wearing Catherine Walker, pale blue, and a Jane Corbin hat. And wasn't that James?
COOPER: That's Kate's brother. Yes. Kate has a brother and also a sister, Pippa -- and Pippa will be maid of honor.
PENNIE: So, how is she going to come out of the hotel and not be seen, I wonder?
PENNIE: They've covered the main entrance over at the hotel last night.
PENNIE: OK.
COOPER: And, again, you're seeing that, that's the designer that Princess Diana favored.
WANG: Catherine Walker. Yes.
DEELEY: Nikki, what about the bridesmaids' dresses?
NIKKI PENNIE: (INAUDIBLE) Alice Temperley.
MORGAN: Really?
PENNIE: Very feminine, hippie, designs. Go with the right tune of the bridesmaids.
COOPER: Very quick break. It will be break we take for the next more than hour and a half of our coverage. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back for our continuing coverage. We'll be taking no more breaks. You'll be watching the wedding live as it happens without commercial interruptions.
You're watching the vehicle bringing Carole Middleton, the mother of the bride, Kate Middleton. Also, her brother is inside the vehicle. We're watching this with Cat Deeley and Piers Morgan.
MORGAN: It was possibly the king of Tonga.
COOPER: We're also joined by Nikki Pennie, a stylist, former stylist for Kate Middleton, and Vera Wang, fashion designer, remarkable designer who's joining us in New York watching this.
Vera, were you surprised to see Carole Middleton wearing a Catherine Walker?
WANG: Actually, not at all. It answered one of my questions, Anderson, which is we now know the bride is definitely not wearing Catherine Walker. And there was talk about that for a very, very long time, so is that really put one of the mysteries to rest right now. MORGAN: I'm hearing two rumors from the scene. It's either Sarah Burton or Alice Temperley is what they're all saying. Word is beginning to creep out and that's what my people are saying down there. So, this is quite exciting.
WANG: It might be Alice Temperley for the bridesmaids.
COOPER: We're also seeing busses. So, I think they prefer be called something else.
MORGAN: Royal passenger wagons.
COOPER: Transporters. You can call them whatever you want.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Have you apologized yet for the Diana wore meringue to her wedding.
COOPER: That was what somebody on my program said, I didn't mean it offensively. Is that an offense?
WANG: No, it was a dress of the times.
COOPER: I just meant it was kind of a poofy dress.
MORGAN: Puffy dress.
COOPER: All right. Never mind.
PENNIE: It was the longest train we'd ever seen. 25 feet.
COOPER: Right.
MORGAN: The phrase you used was one of the greatest most majestic dresses.
COOPER: Looking at other members of the royal family who have the indignity of riding in buses. As opposed to -
MORGAN: One of these for a while, that's for sure.
COOPER: Quite the last time was Charles and Camilla's wedding, which I covered and was shocked to see them being moved around in, like, airport shuttle buses.
PENNIE: You know, what it's probably singing going on in there. Couple of drinks and - having a glass of champagne.
COOPER: Yes. But Vera, the kind of dress you anticipate Kate wearing, you - it would be very different than the kind that Diana wore?
WANG: Are you speaking to me, Anderson?
COOPER: Yes, Vera. WANG: I think it's not so much about the volume of the skirt, which I think could be spectacular, or it could be narrow, with great long train behind it. I just feel it should or hopefully is, dramatic, because she's got the height and the figure and the silhouette and I think she's young and very sophisticated and beautiful. So I'm kind of expecting something a little bit more on the eloquent side.
I think Diana was all about whimsy and youth and as you say, meringue, as everyone likes to say, but really it was about a certain lightness and it was about a certain charm and I think this is a very different kind of bride and possibly should be a very different kind of dress in terms of construction and detailing.
Does that make any sense?
COOPER: And Vera, this is Carole Middleton. What do you make of what she's wearing?
WANG: I think that would be very elegant and very expected. It reminds me a little bit, I think, of what Camilla wore when she got married to Prince Charles. So perfectly great taste. She is a lovely figure. Very, very safe, elegant, subtle. What I would probably expect. No surprise. You can see where Kate gets her figure from.
COOPER: One of the things that William has talked about is the close relationship that the Middleton family has and how he has really enjoyed and in fact, he has spent a lot of time with the Middletons.
PENNIE: I mean, you have to remember that they are a really normal family. They are still together and that's where Kate comes from. I think that's where she gets her grounding from. And I think about something -
MORGAN: Diana's family, you know, I knew Diana's mother very well, and she was an alcoholic, towards the end of her life and was very erratic and a dysfunctional family for all of them. And so I think William saw what happened there.
PENNIE: He revels in -
MORGAN: William likes normality. This Middleton family seemed grounded, normal, hard working, they made their own money. You know, I think he's learned a lot of lessons here about choosing a bride where you're not going to have big problems down the line?
PENNIE: And I think he also did a wise thing and let her kind of just enjoy that time that they had together and then really make the decision as to whether she wanted to be a part of all this or not.
MORGAN: And they're very close and especially, actually, Kate, Pippa and James, they're extremely close.
(INAUDIBLE)
PENNIE: Where were you last night? (CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: I was glued to CNN, you know. I was so horrified by Anderson's calling this dress a meringue. I was just lying home on my sofa, and just going "what did he say"?
COOPER: Mr. Middleton, the bride's father, has a party planning company. He used to be a pilot. And Mrs. Middleton used to be a flight attendant.
MORGAN: Yes.
PENNIE: And actually James also has a company with them as well.
MORGAN: And Kate helped them. They've made millions. This is a very big business they've built from nothing. So I think a lot of people admire them for that. They created their own business, made a lot of money. They are self-made people, and they haven't just been handed things on a plate in their life. Again the difference between that and Diana who came from a wealthy, establishment kind of family, never had to really work any of them, just handed stuff on a plate, blue blood stock, doesn't always work.
COOPER: Richard, who are we seeing now? What are we watching in Westminster Abbey?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And at Westminster Abbey, we are now, yes, good afternoon, from Westminster Abbey. We are waiting now for the arrival, just off to the left of those motor coaches, in the abbey itself, Carole and James Middleton are now making their way to their seats at the front. Carole Middleton will be sitting directly opposite her majesty, the queen.
Following on from the way the order goes. Members of the royal family are now arriving at the abbey. At the same time, other members of the family are leaving Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey. The close members. In this carefully orchestrated valet that's taking place. We are now going to see the Kents, the Gloucesters, Princess Michael of Kent and all their children, the Alsteres (ph) all arriving, what might describe as the minor members of the royal family.
These are, remember, the motor coaches that have been supplied to bring them. It was the only way to move this number of people this fast in one fell swoop, Anderson. Simultaneously elsewhere, just by the abbey, you're seeing, of course, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princes Royal, that's Princess Anne, they are now leaving Buckingham Palace heading for Westminster Abbey. They, obviously, go in their own vehicles, being principal, serious, full-time, all singing, dancing members of the Royal Family, Anderson.
COOPER: And just a few minutes, after their departure, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Camilla, will be leaving Clarence House for Westminster Abbey as Richard Quest has been saying. This really is a very intricately organized, elaborate dance. Trying to coordinate all the arrival of all these different groups, members of the Royal Family.
PENNIE: I can't believe it actually does run as smoothly as it does. I like the little mistakes. Princess Diana actually was so nervous on the day that she tripped on some of Charles' names. Those are the key moments (INAUDIBLE) that everybody has.
MORGAN: These are the top brass, these are the senior members of the British Royal Family. So, you're looking at the -
COOPER: The Duke and Duchess of Kent there.
MORGAN: Princess Michael of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, these are the real - trying to see who we can see there through the back.
COOPER: They all have roles to play, when some of them will represent the Queen, not all of them, but some of them will represent the Queen when she is unavailable to go.
MORGAN: A number of duties a year, they turn up at schools or hospitals or villages and towns and they do amazing amount of work for charity, the royals, between them. And they're real troopers, they work hard.
PENNIE: Sophie. There's Ella Gabriella Windsor, in that beautiful hat.
MORGAN: (INAUDIBLE)
PENNIE: Yes.
MORGAN: Getting married this summer as well to her rugby player fiance who is behind her, Mike Tindall, who plays rugby for England.
PENNIE: Quite a collection of hats there.
PENNIE: Isn't that the wife on the right as well?
MORGAN: These are the younger royals, very glam. All good friends and cousins of William and Harry. And lots of amazing hats coming out here. These are all these -
PENNIE: The hats are the key. The hats are the key.
MORGAN: They're on fire with these hats, the royals.
I think Mike Tindall definitely has the worst nose ever seen in the royal, battering by years of rugby playing.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: And this, of course, would be the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla.
PENNIE: She's been (INAUDIBLE).
PENNIE: She is? PENNIE: Yes.
COOPER: Let's listen to the crowd.
(CROWD CHEERING)
MORGAN: (INAUDIBLE) you're seeing Camilla Parker Bowles getting a massive ovation from the crowd. That would never happened 10, 15 years ago. So again, I come back, what you're seeing today is the resurgence of the British monarchy, the Royal Family taking center stage around the world again for the right reasons, doing what they do best and reminding people when it comes to this kind of event, nothing quite like Britain to put on a but of pomp and pageantry.
The royals getting incredible ovations here and we're still waiting for the big two, her Majesty the Queen and Kate Middleton.
COOPER: And they should be leaving any minute now.
MORGAN: Any minute.
PENNIE: I can tell you that Camilla is wearing Anna Valentine and she's wearing a Philip Treacy hat too.
MORGAN: Philip Treacy is killing it at this wedding.
PENNIE: He is and he is such an amazing man. (INAUDIBLE) for Camilla's wedding she also wore Philip Treacy with Anna Valentine. She's a big Anna Valentine fan.
COOPER: How many hats can one guy make?
MORGAN: A lot.
PENNIE: He has to be day and night.
MORGAN: Imagine, how many you have to start making for tomorrow morning. These are huge crowds, this is London at a standstill. They shut all the roads for several miles around, and you're talking millions of people here.
COOPER: And as they approach - let's listen in as the crowds greet Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.
MORGAN: Things is Princess Beatrice and Eugenie and they're wearing Philip Treacy hats there.
(INAUDIBLE)
MORGAN: Their mother, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, not invited.
COOPER: The Duke of York greeting the way.
MORGAN: (INAUDIBLE)
PENNIE: I love the colors they've picked.
MORGAN: They're really fun, nice, young ladies.
PENNIE: Dramatic outfits from them, too.
PENNIE: Actually, you know, the two girls have been making a fashion splash recently. Their outfits every time get better and better.
PENNIE: Here is -
MORGAN: Her majesty, the Queen, she's right behind us. Nearest Anderson Cooper has ever come to the queen. And the crowd going absolutely wild here.
PENNIE: And she's wearing yellow. If you place bets with the bookies, it's pale blue or pink. It's yellow.
COOPER: I must say it is very exciting to see them in person.
MORGAN: The queen.
COOPER: Yes.
MORGAN: You should actually be bowing, Anderson.
COOPER: It's cool.
PENNIE: (INAUDIBLE) She's smiling.
PENNIE: (INAUDIBLE) Brit today.
MORGAN: Probably the most respected public figure in the world, her majesty, the Queen, 60-year reign. One of the great reigns in the history of the British monarchy.
COOPER: I spent most of my life trying to escape from this sort of thing. I'm happy this is the closest I'll get. I don't need to get any closer.
MORGAN: Prince Philip, who so far today hasn't made any gaffes at all. Which is admittedly we've only seen him for a minute. So there's still time but so far, so good.
PENNIE: (INAUDIBLE)
COOPER: So we're watching, we're seeing multiple cars moving now. Prince Charles on the way with his wife, Camilla, also now the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, (INAUDIBLE) obviously Camilla with Prince Charles.
PENNIE: Oh, here are the bridesmaids.
PENNIE: They look beautiful.
MORGAN: There they are. PENNIE: They look quite reminiscent actually of Princess Diana's bridesmaids.
PENNIE: Remember they had yellow sashes.
MORGAN: Adorable. Little floral head dresses. Around their heads. Rows of flowers.
PENNIE: Was it William or Harry who sat once in the abbey and stuck their tongue out at people?
MORGAN: It was William.
PENNIE: It was William.
MORGAN: William did that, yes.
PENNIE: I always think that the little ones are kind of a pleasure at these things.
COOPER: We should also point out that Prince William, as soon as he gets - let's listen in as the crowd greets Camilla and Charles.
(CROWD CHEERING)
MORGAN: You see the car waiting at the Goring Hotel for the bride, Kate Middleton, any second now, the greatest mystery in the history of royal weddings, will finally unravel as we see the dress that has been the subject of probably a million rain forests of speculation in the last few weeks. Very exciting moment.
PENNIE: Or we have to wait until she actually get to the abbey.
MORGAN: We may.
PENNIE: There might be even a few more moments to wait.
(CROWD CHEERING)
COOPER: The Queen arrived. We're still now awaiting the departure of Kate Middleton. Look at that overhead shot. You really get a sense of just how many people have come out.
MORGAN: Also quite remarkable moment there. We saw Camilla Parker Bowles curtsying to the Queen in Westminster Abbey. That would have been utterly unthinkable a decade ago. Shows you how far the royal family have come in healing some wounds.
COOPER: Our eyes on the vehicle waiting for Kate Middleton to depart from the Goring Hotel, with her father.
PENNIE: The door is opening to the car.
MORGAN: This is it.
COOPER: A lot of people around the world trying to get a glimpse of her dress.
PENNIE: We might just get the briefest of glimpses of.
MORGAN: It is exciting, though.
PENNIE: It's so exciting.
MORGAN: even I, I don't care about dresses.
PENNIE: I can tell you that the queen is wearing Angela Carey as well.
MORGAN: The Queen looks great.
PENNIE: (INAUDIBLE) Would you say that's marigold?
(CROSSTALK)
PENNIE: Yellow.
COOPER: Outside the Goring Hotel for us.
PENNIE: Oh.
MORGAN: She's getting in.
COOPER: Max, how many people -
PENNIE: Oh, yes. That's her, but we didn't see.
MORGAN: Is it her or - that is her.
PENNIE: That is her. Definitely her.
MORGAN: Look at the train on that. That is a big train. We may be heading to meringue too, Anderson.
PENNIE: Very slim fitting look.
PENNIE: They're not having to shove it.
PENNIE: It's all about that neckline with Kate, the V-neck which she loves. She loves to show her collar bones.
MORGAN: She looks utterly radiant, I have to say.
PENNIE: The lace detail and the arms. It looks breathtaking.
PENNIE: Head down, I can't tell.
PENNIE: I think this is a Sarah Burton.
COOPER: We were told it would be hair down. I don't know why I even know that.
PENNIE: I really don't know. I don't think it looks very Sarah Burton.
COOPER: Watching with us from New York, Vera, what do you make of the dress?
WANG: It's what I would have imagined. I think it would have been something lace and covered and sort of symbolically pure. But she has such a beautiful figure, it would be tied in the torso and then some extraordinary confection down below.
And I think something that won't, perhaps, be dated in photographs decades from now. From what I can see. I'm not seeing really enough, but I can see there's a very large skirt there. And I think that's only appropriate given the scale of the aisles. I mean -
You wouldn't want to wear that to a restaurant.
COOPER: It looks like they're still working on arranging (INAUDIBLE)?
PENNIE: Yes.
MORGAN: Do you see any tiara?
WANG: And I see a blusher veil. I think I see a blusher which is over the face, if I may - I might not be seeing it quite clearly. But that would be extremely traditional.
PENNIE: (INAUDIBLE) comfortable with the train.
MORGAN: By the way, what a moment for father and daughter. I mean imagine.
PENNIE: Smiling.
MORGAN: There's Mr. Middleton, who never imagined in his wildest dreams his daughter would marry the future king of England. Just a regular guy, you know. Amazing moment.
COOPER: The woman in the front is actually a Scotland Yard detective who's riding along.
PENNIE: You can see better now.
COOPER: And the vehicle they're traveling with is the Rolls Royce, that's part of the royal family collection of vehicles. It's the same vehicle that Charles and Camilla were riding in that was attacked a short time ago.
MORGAN: This is real Kate Middleton mania you're seeing here.
PENNIE: Yes. She's three times more popular than William on the internet here in Great Britain.
MORGAN: I'm hearing it's a very similar kind of dress to Grace Kelly when she got married to the Prince Ranier of Monaco. Very sleek, stylish, elegant. PENNIE: She also had to cover her arms as well in the abbey. That's lace.
PENNIE: Lace overlay over the top.
PENNIE: And she always goes for that V-neck. That's her trademark.
MORGAN: Yes, signature style.
PENNIE: Because she loves to show that part. But what's interesting, when Diana got out of her car to marry Charles, it was her dress was all kind of creased because they hadn't anticipated how long it would take.
COOPER: She came in a carriage, the glass carriage as they call it, and actually had a problem that it was so long.
MORGAN: Do you see a tiara there?
PENNIE: Yes. There is a tiara there.
MORGAN: (INAUDIBLE) tiara that is the big question.
PENNIE: I don't think that is. I didn't think that is. Because the George III French tiara was very, very simple.
MORGAN: She has a tiara and she's in a dress. We're getting closer here.
PENNIE: Sure, it's not a 25-foot train like Diana's, I'm sure. Maybe 10.
PENNIE: I don't know. Her father was having to rearrange his position to get -
MORGAN: (INAUDIBLE) saying it to each other in the back of the car. Imagine what the father says to the daughter at this moment in these circumstances.
PENNIE: Also the other thing is, imagine how emotional she's feeling too and she knows that she's got to get out of the car and speak and say the vows.
COOPER: Let's listen in as she approaches Westminster Abbey.
(CROWD CHEERING)
PENNIE: That's Kate's sister, Pippa, there, looking absolutely exquisite.
MORGAN: Ever seen more adorable bridesmaids and pageboys.
PENNIE: Put them in my bag, they're so cute.
MORGAN: One of them is the son of Tiggy, who is a great former nanny of William and Harry.
COOPER: The boy on the right with the blonde hair is her son.
MORGAN: Yes.
PENNIE: And Pippa looks exquisite too, by the way.
PENNIE: And you know, with those - with Pippa and Kate they both love those necklines again, always just going for the V.
MORGAN: And the other one is William Lowther-Pinkerton, who is the son of William's closest confidant.
COOPER: Vera Wang with us in New York as well as Nicky Penny (INAUDIBLE). Vera, from what you've seen of the dress so far, what you expected?
WANG: I think it's very much what I expected, actually. And I mean that in a good sense. It doesn't seem to be so fashion forward that will age in photographs. I particularly am involved with the veil because I'm of a bit of a veil fanatic and I think the way they cut the veil, which is they just dropped it down, rather than gathering it, is extremely, I think, modern, and a great complement to probably what I think is a very, very full skirt and train.
So that veil, the cut of a veil is key, actually, Anderson. I'm sure you don't want to hear about it, guys, but the cut of the veil is so important and this kind of veil creates transparency over the body. So you can see the body from inside the veil which is what I would have loved for her because I think she's got such a beautiful, elegant line and I think it's extraordinary.
I think that Pippa's dress is lovely because it's so incredibly simple and youthful. And understated which is in direct contrast to her sister, of course, the bride.
COOPER: And they're getting closer to Westminster Abbey. They're just going through the horse guard arch.
PENNIE: There was talk earlier in the week of her maybe having flowers. She's definitely got the tiara.
PENNIE: I think she was always going to go with tradition of the tiara like with the ring, the engagement ring. Everything is setting a tone with tradition.
MORGAN: She looks sensational.
PENNIE: She looks beautiful.
MORGAN: I mean I haven't seen the whole thing yet. This is going to be - just approaching the abbey now. She must be very, very nervous.
PENNIE: I'm wondering what they're talking about in the car now.
MORGAN: I imagine, her dad's probably saying just try to keep calm and keep waving.
PENNIE: Keep calm and carry on.
COOPER: We're told that the bride's bouquet contains a sprig of myrtle from the bush groomed from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet.
