'Cloud nine' Royal couple turn attention to date for wedding

The couple spent part of yesterday discussing their marriage plans with officials and "all options are on the table", a St James's Palace spokesman said last night.

Aides will now consult the Queen, senior royals, Miss Middleton's parents and others before reporting back to the prince and his fiance, who will make the final decision.

The full cost of the wedding will not be known until major elements such as a venue are decided, but the spokesman stressed the prince and his bride-to-be were conscious of the country's economic situation.

The spokesman said: "They are still very much on cloud nine and are still enjoying the happy moment."

Staff from the office of the Lord Chamberlain – the senior official of the Royal Household – will be involved with planning the wedding.

Possible venues are St Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents the Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, were married; Westminster Abbey, where the Queen's marriage ceremony was held, or even St Clement Danes, the RAF's main church in central London, as the prince is an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot.

The couple are thought to favour a March date but some time in the summer may also be picked.

The St James' Palace spokesman added: "All options are on the table and they've given us clear direction in terms of dates and venues.

"Now our job is to consult with the relevant parties the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Middletons and other parties and report back.

"We will give them the results of that consultation so they are in a position to make a decision."

The policing bill for the wedding, to provide security for the public and guests who could include world leaders and royalty from across the globe, could run into tens of millions of pounds.

But broadcaster Tom Bradby, who was the first journalist to interview the Prince and his fiancee, said the royal wedding would be a boost to UK tourism.

Mr Bradby, political editor for ITV News, said: "We've got to understand this is a massive global (event), it's playing enormously all over the world.

"I would imagine there will be many many tourists from America and places like that who will want to come here and be in London during the event.

"The costs, if we split it up amongst us, will be so infinitesimally small and the impact on brand Britain and just the impact from say tourism (will be big).

Mr Bradby praised Miss Middleton's performance during his television interview which followed the couple's announcement of their engagement.

He added: "I thought she did pretty well, she was very nervous. I think one of the things people have to understand is she's not a massive showboater."

The announcement has also prompted the public to have a flutter on wedding related bets.

A spokesman for bookmakers William Hill said: "Punters are going mad for the royal specials and at one point today we were taking more money on the Wills and Kate wedding than we were on the England match tonight (against France)."

Westminster Abbey is the favourite venue among betters with odds of 8-11, followed by evens for St Paul's Cathedral.