LONDON: Not invited to Kate and William's wedding? Fear not. For a price, royalist romantics can follow in the happy couple's footsteps on a London walking tour. Among the hundreds of British firms hoping for a boost in business because of April's royal wedding is Celebrity Planet, a London-based travel company offering a tour of sites with links to Prince William and his fiancee, Kate Middleton. The two-hour amble through a wealthy swath of London charts the highs and lows of the royal romance as breathlessly reported in the UK's tireless tabloid media. One of the first stops is a branch of Jigsaw, the clothing chain where Middleton was working as a part-time accessories buyer in 2007 when William got cold feet and broke off their relationship. “It was while she was working here that she got the dreaded call from Prince William saying he just wasn't that interested,” said tour guide Hana Umezawa, 25. “She burst into tears in front of all her colleagues.” The Kate and William walk stops at London landmarks like St. James's Palace – the residence of Princess William and Harry – and Westminster Abbey, where the prince and Middleton will be married by the Archbishop of Canterbury in front of more than 2,000 guests. There are also lesser-known spots like jeweler Garrard, where William's father, Prince Charles, bought a diamond and sapphire engagement ring for his intended, Lady Diana Spencer. The dress Britain's royal watchers are on pins and needles over even the smallest details about Prince William's upcoming wedding to Kate Middleton. In the frenzied pre-wedding atmosphere, a visit by the bride's mother and sister to Bruce Oldfield, one of Britain's leading fashion designers, is seen as an indication that Middleton may be using him to design The Dress for her April 29 union. “He's just shot to the top of the list,” said Peta Hunt, fashion director for You and Your Wedding magazine. She said the fact that Carole and Pippa Middleton, who are both known to take a low-key approach to fashion, spent 90 minutes with Oldfield at his salon is a sign that he is doing some designing related to the wedding. The identity of the actual dressmaker is a closely guarded secret.
