Awwal 26, 1432 / April 30, 2011, SPA -- After their very public wedding watched by millions around the world, Britain's royal newly-weds left London Saturday for an undisclosed destination ahead of a planned honeymoon, according to dpa. A spokesman for St James's Palace said William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge - as Kate Middleton is now known - would stay in Britain for a few days before jetting off on honeymoon. The couple were seen Saturday taking off in a helicopter from the gardens of Buckingham Palace. But their immediate destination, and that of their honeymoon, remained a secret. William, 28, would return to his Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Valley, in Anglesey, where he is a search and rescue helicopter pilot. The couple live in a rented cottage on the island off the coast of Wales, western Britain. They would then go off on honeymoon, but the destination would remain secret. The couple wished to have some privacy, to which they were entitled, said the spokesman. It remains to be seen, however, whether the royal couple, after their fairytale wedding in London Friday, will succeed in keeping their destination secret, commentators said. Among the mystery destinations mentioned for a two-week honeymoon are Kenya, where William has close friends, Jordan, where Kate's father worked in the 1980s, an unspecified Caribbean island, and Australia. Figures released Saturday showed that in Britain, 25 million viewers followed the ceremonies on terrestrial television alone, plus another 600,000 on Sky satellite TV. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had left Buckingham Palace after an official lunch reception for 600 guests Friday for a weekend of rest, allowing younger generations to take over the palace. British media were unanimous Saturday that the wedding ceremonies had been a success, and that William and Catherine as "very modern royals" had given the monarchy a boost. Even the left-liberal Guardian newspaper, not known for its pro-monarchy stance, said: "Royal occasions are something at which Britain is undeniably world class, and anyone still poised for a republic is advised to put down their knitting needles."
