and shepard smith. >> welcome to a fox news special the royal wedding of roya prince william and kate middleton. i'm shepard smith shepard smith. >> immartha mccallum. on april 29 we will all witness something of a fairy tale.remed a ceremony remembered for generations to come. betwee the vows between prince william of wales and category liner elizabeth middleton.leton. we will take you through everything that is royal wedding relate. >> including an inside look at the newest it girl, worldwide it fascination icon and fashion icon of the kingdom, kate middletop. >> we'll look at how the roys live. prince william and his family are stars of what you could call the longest running reality show. >> shepard: we'll show you what goes into planning a wedding of this magnitude. the smallest detail receives the utmost care. >> this wedding was years in the making. in 2001, when prince william decided to go to st. andrews in scotland, applications rose by 44%. female students from america making up the greatest influx. money the young ladies wanting an education and possibly a shot at the title, was a shy brunette from the village of buckleberry named kate middleton. >> they had four years to form a relationship at their university. there was no media intrusion. >> she quickly became a member of william's inner circle. it took a fashion show and this see-thru dress to get william to notice her assets. >> i think william and kate took time out. during that intense period of their relationship, to think to themselves, can we survive without each other? do we really miss each other? >> they split in spring 2007. william putting kate on hold to pursue his military career. to her credit, the brokenhearted middleton kept a stiff upper lip and said not a word to the press. >> the fact that she has remained so loyal has stooder in good stead. the royals love people who are royal. they don't like people who make a spectacle of themselves. >> while there were other girls during the break up, the time apart did the trick. at the concert for diana on the 10th anniversary of her death, kate was back on the scene. seated with her brother, a few rose behind the prince. >> diana love wofd kate middleton. she is a good looking fashionable woman. she is a professional, diana always admired professionals. i think they would have been great friends. >> the wait for the ring went on. in october of 2010, the wait was over. william finally popped the question on a romantic trip to africa. giving kate a ring that was already well-known to the rest of the world. >> i took her out somewhere nice in kenya and proposed. >> very romantic. >> it is my mother's engagement ring. official she is not around to share in the fun. this is my way keeping her close to it all. >> insiders say william is very protective of kate. he needed to know she could withstand the pressure and the meaning of becoming his royal partner and wife. >> it is not just about being the wife to william. it is about being the future queen of england. did kate want that responsibility? could she handle it? william was very concerned, of course by what had seen happen to his mother that concerned him would happen to kate. he didn't want the intrusion in the same way that he saw firsthand the intrusion to his mother's life. >> kate will be 29-years-old on her wedding day. nine-years-older than diana was when she married. the comparisons are just beginning. >> one of the hardest things in life is to follow some important person in history. i think they will be just william and kate and have great memories of his mom. >> we are joined by royal insider and author imogen lloyd weber. >> shepard: as well as christopher anderson. i guess it is a will have story this time around. >> absolutely. i -- i consider the royal family to be the world's longest running soap opera. along comes this marvelous young couple who took the time to make sure they were soulmates. >> it is a love match. [ unintelligible ] >> shepard: along the way they broke up a couple of times, i guess it was kind of public and went through the course of events that i did before i got got married. >> yes, there was the famous break up in 2007. we were in england at the time. there was a huge story, everyone was shocked. they were shocked, as was kate because she didn't see it coming. was charles. william went to his father and said what do i do? charles who was phone of kate said you can string this young lady along any more. he broke up with her over the cell phone. she packed up and went home to mom and dad. and set out to win him back. >> she paid a blinder in doing that. she could have sold her story for five million pounds. william has a smiling dislike of the media. she kept her council. went back to her family. that's what attracts william to her. some people say he calls michael middleton dad. he loves that middle class background of strong family values. that is the key difference teen kate and diana. she comes interest a stable family background. of course diane that -- >> shepard: maybebvç they won't screw it up so badly. >> maybe they won't >> shepard: weúñr are just getting started. >> when we come back we take a closer look at kate middleton. >> shepard: countdown to the royal wedding, continues, next. . >> martha: back in the days of the silent movies you had the it girl. in the 50s marilyn monroe and elizabeth taylor in 60s london was the center of the scene. julie christie and twiggy were the centers then. they were in west london known as chelsea the himmest along kings road the area where kate middleton has made her home. greg palkot on the woman who may be the it girl of our age. >> reporter: king's row a few centuries ago the private highway of royalty. in the 60s a scene of swinging fashion. in the 80s home to super preppy sloan rangers named after the area's sloan square. now it has turned royal again. >> a black and a half off king's road in the heart of the chelsea district live the girlfriend of the future king herself, destined to be queen some day, kate middleton. >> reporter: she lived on the second floor of this pricey townhouse on the area's old church street. neighborhood shopkeepers say she was a regular person like her pharmacist who tells us, kate came in once for hair curlers. >> she come in a couple of times. >> reporter: what is she like? >> she is very natural. very pretty very down-to-earth. >> reporter: her local newsstand says kate liked to buy magazines. he sells bus passes, she also bought and used. >> she comes in here to get cards to go on the bus? >> reporter: yes. she didn't ride a limousine? >> no. >> reporter: then there's the gift shop owner who described how kate came in one day hooking for a birthday present for william. she said it is so difficult to buy something. i've got to buy something for a man who has everything. she looked around and bought these little fellows. >> reporter: the fashion shops are not as cutting-edge as they used to be. that seemed to be fine with kate. she to browse among the stylish but middle of the road stores. one shop she bought a blouse seen in one official engage snap. and another well publicized does. and the jigsaw brand for which she worked as an accessories buyer. a style which fellow chelsea girls approve of. >> she is a typical chelsea girl. if she were brunching out, everybody would slate her for it. spot on. >> very classic. everybody she wears sells out in a day. >> reporter: it is not all work or shopping for kate and fiance prince william. kings road is lined with watering holes. a few of which they patronize. like bluebird cafe where the two are said to have had numerous romantic dinners. and the bar/restaurant called 86 where it has been hinted kate might have had her bachelorette party. kate has her local pub call the pig's ear. likes white wine. was a friendly patron. according to the bartender at the time. >> she is completely very, very great person. very chatty person to have a chat with. >> reporter: the bartender was on duty when he says the place was used as a secret rendezvous where kate and william met to patch up a mid relationship falling out. >> they came together. they had dinner upstairs. >> reporter: sort of a meeting of the minds. >> yeah. >> reporter: kate doesn't live in the area any more. splitting up her time between stays with william and her family. she probably won't miss with some of the run ins she had with the paparazzi. but with kings road also home to a lot of kids' clothing shops she might find her way back to chelsea if her own royal family begins to grow. folks here would be happy to serve her. >> yeah, absolutely, i would love to. especially if she is pregnant. i would be excited about this news. >> reporter: princess diana and -- >> shepard: princess diana and soon to be princess kate. hard not to compare the two. how similar are they? here's amy kellogg. >> reporter: kate middleton the commoner who will one day be queen is already making the royal rounds. she is rated well. >> absolutely, very positive. i don't think anyone has a bad word to say. >> so beautiful. so beautiful. >> reporter: kate has been warmly received by a public seemingly eager to embrace the newest royal. many brits grumble about not needing the monarchy. but the youngest members of the family do melt many a heart. the first appearances of the young bride-to-be invite comparisons to another english rose, prince william's mother. according to diana's confidant and former butler the people's princess would have taken to her new daughter-in-law. >> i think diana would have loved kate. she is a very likeable girl. fashionable, mature, professional. she is all the things that diana would have wished to have been at 28-years-old, coming into this royal family. >> reporter: shy di just 20 when she tied the knot. buckingham palace has been careful to shield kate from the media prince william is said to be very protective of his bride-to-be. while doing his military training kate was seen, but not heard throughout their nine year courtship. she kept a low profile to stay out of the shot light. now it is time to start shining, slowly. kate's public events have been light hearted, fun and familiar. the couple visiting their alma mater to launching a fund raising event. >> it feels like coming home. >> reporter: the newlyweds will be minor hosts to presidents and -- to president and mrs. obama when they come in may. they will make their first official state visit this summer to canada, which is part of the british commonwealth. >> william proposed last year when they were on vacation in kenya. he used his mother's famous engagement ridge the oval blue sapphire. there you have the something borrowed and the something blue. we know that kate's wedding dress of course will be her something new. as for something old, they have the location, westminster abbey. more on that, when we return. an everyday moment can turn romantic anytime. and when it does, mewith erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day so you can be ready anytime e moment right. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all mecations, and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if y take nitrates for chest pain, as this y cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache, or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection sting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com. you know that comes with a private island. really? no. it comes with a hat. you see, airline credit cards promise flights for 25,00miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for ,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline anytime. hey, i just said that. after all, isn't traveling hard enough? ow. [ male announcer ] to get the flights you want, sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? uh, it's okay. i've played a pilot before. what's in your wallet? host: could switching to geico reon car insurance? or more host: is the pen mightier than the sword? ninja 2: ow vo: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> shepard: kate will be the first commoner to marry an expected king in 350 years. >> martha: her parents are self-made millionaires but she comes if a line of miners. her mother once worked as a flight attendant. william is second in line to the throne behind his father. the contrast between the two one of the reasons they've captured the imagination of a kingdom. how will their two lives meld together? amy kellogg has more on that. >> reporter: everyone in the immediate royal family it seems has taken a great liking to the future princess. this includes the queen, prince charles and especially prince harry who gave his mother's ring to his brother prince william. >> harry inherited that ring and he kindly offered it to his brother. >> reporter: some in the royal circle are not so kind. kate and maid of honor and her little sister pippa have been nicknamed by some the wisteria sisters. >> ferocious ability to climb. >> reporter: the middleton parents have also fallen victim to criticism. especially kate's mother. >> it is not the royal family who are snubs it is the people beneath them. and other people that say -- they don't feel she is quite the right calibre. >> reporter: kate an art history major at st. andrews was hounded by the paparazzi the moment she graduated. which made it hard for her to have a career. she did with her fashionable, yet never over the top style sense worked for a time as an ago says reese buyer for the chain jigsaw. >> [ unintelligible ] >> one thing for sure when she exits westminster abbey on her wedding day she will have a fulltime job, being a princess. and she will be put to work straight away. >> reporter: as we speak about style the royal wedding will make some head wear headlines. >> we are going to see extravagant hats aren't we? >> amazing hats. hats always top off a lady's outfit if you wear a hat, you -- >> reporter: kate comes across as a real person. the young princes have shown themselves as mere mortals during their 20s. liking a good night out on the town. especially during the short period when they temporarily broke up. >> this was where william had some famous -- some stories here after he broke up with kate. >> yes, he came here and subsequent to breaking up with kate middleton, he spent a lot of time here and drunk a little here with his friends. 11,000 pounds in a week. >> that's a lot of beer. >> reporter: beer may not be the drink of choice at the royal wedding. >> as always, good quality champagne at a royal wedding. i hear the cellars at buckingham palace have already been stocked up. >> reporter: they will have to find a place to live permanently. they've already announced they will start out in clarence house, down the hall from dad, prince charles and brother prince harry. >> i did hear prince william was interested in having an apartment in kensington palace. >> that would be interesting. he couldn't have the apartments in which he grew up with his mother, that is already earmarked and has been used by members of the royal household. so that apartment doesn't exist any more. but there are other apartments at kensington palace. >> reporter: this is where the tour ends and where the next chapter of the fairy tale will begin. at westminster abbey, steeped in history where weddings, funerals and coronations have taken place for centuries. this is where on april 29th, nine years of memories will culminate in the transformation of kate middleton, into princess catherine, the future queen of england. she did shpt the wedding of william's parents broke -- >> shepard: the wedding of william's parents broke records. >> we will take you back there, next. this is a fox news alert. from new york i'm marianne rafferty. at least 291 people now dead in the worst tornado outbreak in nearly 40 years. alabama was hit the hardest with at least 204 deaths. one man tells us how he survived. >> i heard the wind sound so strong, i got up on the bed and heard the wind blowing real strong, sounded like a train coming through. and all of a sudden something told me to go to the front door and i changed my mind and said i'm going to go to the bathroom and then when it hit it took the roof off first and then started pulling bricks all around me. liked to pull me but i was pinned to the ground with the bricks on my legs and everything. >> president obama will travel to alabama tomorrow to view the damage and meet with affected families. i'm marianne rafferty. stay with fox news channel for more on the devastating stormst now, on to our special "countdown to the royal wedding." ♪ ♪ ♪ >> shepard: prince william's father married his mother princess diana, shy of 30 years ago. >> martha: 2700 people went to that wedding. another million lined the streets to watch. let's take a look back at 1981. [ cheering ] >> martha: prince charles was one of the word's most eligible bachelors. in february of fine toon 81, at 33 he and lady diana spencer, age 19, announced they would marry. in their first interview, charles appeared less than enthusiastic. the world was quickly caught up in the chuck and di story. it was a fairy tale that became a saga and ended tragically. back on july 29th, 1981, the world held its breath as the young diana wrestled with her 25 foot train and clutched her father's arm. a million people lined the path to st. paul's. 750 million watched on television. what a show it was. the wedding cost 45 million dollars. diana arrived in a horse drawn black coach. 2700 guests filled the church. diana's dress covered in 10,000 hand sewn pearls. on her head, the spencer family tiara. who can forget this moment when the shy dianah botched her new husband's name. >> i diana francis take thee philip charles arthur george. >> oops. an early glimpse of diana, natural and flawed in a way that would endear her to millions. then came the kiss. >> i think princess diana fell in love with her prince. and shes with a young, shy, romantic creature. and she wanted to make it work. she was full of hope for the future. >> they honeymooned with his parents in scotland. their happiness was short-lived. diana would talk about her husband's continuing relationship with camilla parker-bowles. it would unravel in the tabloids in a way that scarred the family and their reputation for years to come. >> i think the royal brand was severely tarnished at the time of the princess' separation and subsequent divorce from prince charles. i think it rocked the boat tremendously. >> the marriage produced their two beloved sons. william the heir and harry the spare, before ending in divorce in 1996. diana and charles were married at st. paul's cathedral. one of the biggest venues in london. >> shepard: william and kate operated for westminster abbey. the guest list includes 1900. the abbey is longer than a football field and two basketball courts combined. amy kellogg has more on what we can expect on april 29th. >> reporter: we've seen the sapphire stunner that once belonged to princess diana. and the traditional invitations of the most of the other details are top secret. the biggest secret of all is definitely what the dress will look like. >> the question everyone wants the answer to. in terms of her does it has to be large. because she is getting married in westminster abbey. i think she going to have to go with something modest. probably a high next line, probably sleeves. >> reporter: traditional doesn't have to mean boring. those in the know say emerging fashionista kate's dress will be subtle and even a little sexy. >> tight bodice dress, sort of very in at the waist and pushed up. >> reporter: prince william will most likely be in military uniform as will best man prince harry. for the young bridesmaids and maid of honor pippa, signs point to pastels keeping with the late april date and in season spring flowers. what about the royal bouquet? we remember princess diana's ivory blooms. florist to the queen says, kate will go for something less flashy. >> i feel -- [ unintelligible ] it is just a petite frame she is not as tall as diana i think she will go with the tradition of wanting to do what is a popular choice. >> reporter: as for the food, past dishes have proven to be rich. prince charles and princess diana served a fish course of lobster sauce followed by chicken stuffedded with lamb mousse. a mix of hard boiled eggs seafood kept a few later. queen elizabeth served food name after the bride. the queen mother also named elizabeth nibbled strawberries duchess elizabeth. we don't know if there will be a kate middleton mousse but a wedding cake will feature on the day. usually british wedding kate is a dense fruitcake with a thick white icing. the couple will stick to the classics according to the celebrity baker who will be making the cake. >> cake will be traditional, but with a modern twist. sugar flowers. >> we can speculate all we want but we won't know about the bouquet the dress, very many particulars, until kate arrives at the abbey on the day. >> martha: with us royal wedding special correspondent joan loud den. well -- joan lunden. welcome. >> i can't believe it was 30 years since i covered the wedding of diana. >> did anybody have any inkling of what was unfolding behind the scenes? >> we really thought it was this love story. the world is very different now. we expect to know every detail of the life of everyone that is in the public eye. things weren't like that. i honestly think that wedding was the start of sensational tabloid journalism. they had really met a year before. they didn't really know each other that well. she had to call him your royal highness and sir. how get a romantic liaison going with that? >> shepard: these two seem to love each other. >> oh yeah >> it is almost quirky the royals were able to get this privacy pack going. and they weren't allowed to follow him around in high school or college. these to got four years to become friends and to fall in love. to have this romance, without being spotted and photographed. >> shepard: i was surprised over all this time of the two of them living together, the future king is living together with some woman nobody knows. that we didn't get anything on it. >> that's it. that's how much they've been able to keep this out of the press. it is astonishing in today's sensational list tick world, isn't it? >> it was for me. -- >> they lived in many ways in the beginning like college kids do. all of them were in a house. was able to pull that off under that veil. now they talk about the fact. he talked about it that a little while into that, we fell in love. everybody had to expect -- [ inaudible ] >> shepard: she got the prince. >> and the royals had their list of aris -- of aristocrats they wanted to start pairing him up with and it never got a chance to take place because he found his own person. >> thank you, great to have you with us. >> great to be here. >> if anyone has ever planned a wedding knows it is not just about the bride and groom. >> shepard: just as true for the royal family we've learned. we'll take you through to the plans for the ceremony, next. hot i was driving in northern california. my son was asleep. i really didn't see it coming. i didn't realize i was drifting into the other lane. [ kim ] i was literally falling asleep at the wheel. it got my attention, telling me that i wasn't paying attention. i had no idea the guy in front of me had stopped short. but my car did. -my car did. -thankfully, my mercedes did. [ male announcer ] a world you can't predict... demands a car you can trust. the e-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. took some crazy risks as a kid. but i was still over the edge with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more, and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol...stop. 80% of people who have had heart attacks have high cholesterol. lipitor is a cholesterol lowering medication, fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. great ride down. if you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> martha: on the marriage of april 29th, huge crowds are expected to line the streets of london hoping to catch a glimpse of will and kate. >> shepard: she expected to take a rolls-royce to the ceremony. the first time since 1963 that the bride has not arrived in a horse drawn carriage. >> martha: she will once a princess be in a carriage next to her husband on the way back from westminster abbey, weather permitting. >> shepard: the couple will pass by houses of the parliament, the prime minister's residence and then head back to buckingham palace for the reception. >> martha: on that route they are likely to pass more than a few royal lookalikes. greg palkot explains. >> reporter: royal weddingmania is at fever pitch in london. nobody those that better than andy and olivia. two of london's most successful prince william and kate impersonators. >> i can't wait to watch on the tv. i wish i could go, but i can. >> reporter: the royal lookalike industry booming. andy was able to quit his security job and play the part of the prince, fulltime. >> business is incredible. right now we are looking at six, seven day week running up to the wedding. >> reporter: as the weather warms, businesses based on the royal nuptials are seeing hot returns. souvenirs are mass produced. up to the higher end of the7mtz market, buckingham palace has authorized production of 1,000 loving cups, $200 each. the cups are produceed and aimed at serious collectors. the royal mint and mail are also getting into the act. coming up with commemorative coins and stamps. if your prewedding appetite isn't satisfied one hotel has tea with the royals. british cookie company offers more sells fit for a king, -- morsels fit for a king, sapphire engagement ring and mini abbey. another london watering hole is serving up a royal wedding martini combining brandy with sweet strawberries. >> we try to balance the cocktail with strong will and sweet strawberries from kate. >> reporter: there doesn't seem to be any quenching for all things royal this month. among locals here in the u.k. -- >> they are good match had me fooled for a moment. >> reporter: and those coming from around the world. >> i'm excited. >> reporter: where are you from? >> russia. >> reporter: are they excited about the royal wedding in spain? >> yes. >> reporter: by the way, all this wedding hoopla hasn't hurt the romantic prospects of our royal want in buys as well. -- royal wannabes as well. the crowd these lookalikes are tracking is nothing compared to the big day. authorities are expecting 600,000 plus pile into london to see the real william and kate. >> martha: they may be exactly lookalikes turns out the real thing can be more bizarre. >> shepard: here's amy kellogg. >> reporter: as wedding bells get set to toll many are hailing this generation of royals as a breath of fresh air. longtime royal photographer for the sun newspaper has captured famous royal moments from shy di to the new royal couple. >> i looked at the videos of diana on her wedding day recently. and i saw she was such a child, just 20. and she looked so young. kate is 29 and she is very good university education. comes from a really nice family. and it is going to be a lot different, i suspect with her. >> reporter: people are ready for a regeneration of the royals. the family windsor as a whole has had its ups and downs. take prince philip, the queen's husband who at 89 still has the gift of gab but not very pc. >> this bunch of kids was doing exercise and there was a fat kid and he says, well you need it. >> reporter: prince charles often mocked for his embrace as eco-friendly causes. visionary or eccentric? it depends who you ask. >> he's incredibly brilliant man in my view. there's a saying one man can make a difference. in this case, prince charles is making a difference. he doesn't care if he upsets someone. >> reporter: the british public generally was not happy about prince charles' second marriage to camilla parker-bowles in 2005. princess diana's famously described camilla as the third person in her marriage. the woman many blame for charles and diana's divorce may or may not one day get the title queen when her husband ascends to the throne. has camilla rehabilitated herself or won the affection of the country? >> i think so. i think people are horrible about her. i thought they were being very much -- here's a middle aged woman. she looks pretty good to me. she looks like all those upper class middle aged women. she seems like a game girl that unfortunate incident where they got caught in the riot and the window was open and somebody poked a stick through the royal car, apparently she was having a cigarette am i kind of like that. >> reporter: the duke of york has been panned in the press lately. >> it is a question of judgment in the end. next thing, with this guy who is a convicted sex offender, who is his great mate. then the billionaire's son of the dictator of kazakhstan bought his house for three million pounds more than the asking price this is just the kind of nasty smell around somebody who is a member of the royal family. >> reporter: then prince andrew's ex, recently busted in a sting trying to sell access to prince andrew for 3/4 of a million dollars. her latest scandal seen as another in a string of mistakes dating back to the 80s. >> everybody says she is a great girl. and then they realized she was -- there was men, parties, money. when she divorced she came back into favor she did weight watchers and went off the rails again. and then told your europe she was drinking and in the gutter was the phrase. and she hit rock bottom. >> reporter: while the young princes had their youthful indiscretions, they suggest a bright future for the monarchy. >> they've been -- they are first class young men. serving in the armed forces. harry is soon flying apache helicopters going to the united states to do further training on that. william is plucking people out of sea and off the side of a mountain. they are doing a worthwhile job. >> reporter: the queen the monarch, top royal and the only member of the family who seems to be universally respected is said to be proud of her ground son the groom and hopes he will follow in her footsteps and not the ones of the generation before him. >> shepard: when we come back, marriage shakes up the lies of those involved. >> martha: this marriage seems to shake up all of london. more on that after the break. losing weight clicked for me when i realized that weight watchers online is for guys. all the guys, they think, "do some crunches. that'll just make you thin right away." that just doesn't work. so with weight watchers online, it teaches you about doing the right things when you're eating. there's something called a digital cooler. grab some beer, maybe some chips, and you can stay on plan. i lost 57 pounds. i pick up a 55-pound weight and i cannot believe that used to be right here. [ male announcer ] hurry, join for free today. weight watchers online for men. nally, losing weight clicks. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> martha: the royal wedding is expected to cost as much as 64 million dollars this time around. royal family usually picks up the tab. we are told that kate's family is also going to chip in. >> shepard: instead of gifts the couple has asked for donations to their favorite charities. >> martha: all of london is in an uproar over this wedding. greg palkot explains. >> reporter: the tying of the knot of prince william and kate is being billed as the wedding of the century. folks are excited about it around the world, including london. >> fantastic. >> reporter: the folks who might be most excited in london, business people. the nuptials will be a money making bonanza. within million, locals and tourists are -- one million, locals and tourists are expected to show up. hotel rooms rented, food and drink consumed could pump a billion dollars into the british economy. not to mention drumming up future business thanks to a couple billion people set to watch the event on tv globally. >> businessmen across central london are looking forward to the bounce that will come with this wedding. >> reporter: london doesn't work too well on a good day. crowds can be a headache. one of the biggest weddings in the world coming up folks are girding for the worst. >> i expect london will gridlock. we expect to carry on regardless. >> going home. i'm getting out of london. >> reporter: the streets and bridges on the big day will be closed to traffic. other roads further from the center will be shutdown for street fairs. authorities are reserving their right to seal off more of london if things get harry. unlike many days here the -- authorities promise all the underground, subway trains and buses will be working and under control, as they claim happens with many other vents royal and not so royal. at least they hope. >> this is a big exciting event. we need to get it right. transport is keen to play its part in making the royal couple's day go as smoothly as possible. >> reporter: then the issue of pulling off this kind of bash amid tension and volatility of austerity britain. the price tag could be as much as 100 million dollars. picked up in part by the british government. some minor efforts are made to trim back the cost of the affair. at a time when government and companies are firing or making redundant, thousands strikes have been strengthened. some ill will could be on display. >> there will be sadly many of our members -- [ unintelligible ] for many it is coming at a bad time. >> reporter: wedding boosters remind that money made will help the u can pull out of one its longest and toughest recessions. [ inaudible ] leaders will try and benefit from the bit of regal spin. overall, for a country with perhaps its grandest days of empire behind it, this could be a time for the u.k. to feel good about the young couple and itself. >> this day is going to be a day of national celebration. a day for the country to celebrate the marriage of our future king and queen. think everybody wants to see a big celebration. >> reporter: if everyone in london and around the world aren't too tuckered out by wedding, there's another big royal affair planned in june 2012. the 60th anniversary of the reign of grandma, the queen, followed up by the london olympic games. party on! >> shepard: 2 1/2 billion people around the world are expected to watch this wedding of prince william and kate. >> martha: william says his bride is down-to-earth and she has some habits that make him love and -- him laugh and he loves to tease her about them. she will be the oldest royal bride on record and they will have dated for eight years before they walk done the aisle. >> shepard: services begin 6 a.m. eastern time. >> martha: followed by a reception at buckingham palace hosted by the queen and dinner and dance by prince charles. we will be there tomorrow starting at 4 a.m. eastern. >> shepard: thanks for watching. watching. see you then. captioned by closed captioning services, inc.