LONDON: Shunning an immediate overseas honeymoon and opting instead for a quiet weekend at a secret British location, Prince William and Kate Middleton have made it clear they want to carve out some space for themselves. This fight for privacy is crucial if they are to avoid being hounded like William's mother, the late Princess Diana, whose every move was tailed. The royal newlyweds started Saturday by asking the media not to intrude this weekend and to leave them alone when they eventually start their honeymoon. Separately, palace officials also asked the media not to reveal where the couple live near William's Royal Air Force base in Wales. He will return to military duty there as a helicopter rescue pilot after the holiday weekend, which ends Monday. The request for privacy was in stark contrast to their accessibility to the public over the previous two days. On the eve of Friday's wedding at Westminster Abbey, William greeted crowds on the streets outside his official residence in an impromptu gesture. The royal couple also dazzled the masses on their wedding day with an open-topped carriage ride from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. They also emerged from the gates of the palace with the prince at the wheel of his father's Aston Martin, which had balloons on the back and a “Just Wed” license plate. William and Middleton, who have the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now seem determined not to let paparazzi armed with long-lensed cameras make it impossible for them to go about their business without constantly feeling they are being stalked. The couple, walking hand in hand on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, boarded a helicopter Saturday morning to a secret location, then issued a statement asking to be left alone. “The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during the coming weekend and during their honeymoon,” according to a message posted on the official royal wedding website.
