Royal wedding leaves Brits flat

25 Apr 2011, 7:35 pm   -   Source: AAP

Prince William's wedding to Catherine Middleton has failed to whip up a wave of excitement across Britain despite just days to go until the royal nuptials.

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Nearly half of all Britons are yet to get excited by Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding, despite the countdown to their big day being in full swing.

A new poll published on Monday shows that more people are thrilled by having an extra day off work than the historic occasion on Friday.

However a majority believe the monarchy is still relevant to British life and will probably end up watching Prince William and Catherine say "I do" on television.

While a wave of wedding fever is yet to sweep Britain, excitement is building within the royal family.

Prince Harry is reportedly planning to serve up bacon sandwiches, champagne and cocktails to the 300 guests at an exclusive wedding reception he is overseeing for the happy couple at Buckingham Palace on Friday night.

And the Queen clearly expects it to be a big night, opting to sleep at Windsor Castle instead of the palace as the revellers party until dawn.

But for nearly half of the great British public the royal wedding is proving to be a damp squib.

Forty six per cent of people were not "genuinely interested and excited" by the royal wedding, an ICM poll published in The Guardian newspaper found.

Just over a third (37 per cent) were excited, with 17 per cent not fussed either way.

Half (49 per cent) said they were more excited by being given an extra public holiday to mark the occasion than the wedding itself.

However 47 per cent believed they would probably end up watching the event on TV and three quarters expected it would cheer up cash-strapped Britain.

The poll also found more than 60 per cent thought Britain was better off because of the royal family compared with a quarter who felt the royals should be given the boot.

Almost all those surveyed (89 per cent) believed Britain would still have a monarch in a decade's time.

More preferred Prince William to his father Prince Charles as their next monarch, 46 per cent to 40 per cent.

Meanwhile William's party-loving brother and best man, Prince Harry, is working hard to ensure the newlyweds and their friends have a night to remember at the palace.

He has taken a key role in organising the DJ for the party and ordered caterers to serve up a greasy breakfast for all the revellers.

Those partying at the palace will be able to feast on bacon sandwiches and fry-ups.

"It won't be for the oldies, but the young ones," a source told The Sun.

"Harry has organised a survivors' breakfast. He is determined to make this a night to remember."

The Queen, however, won't be among those dancing until dawn.

The 85-year-old monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh will retire to Windsor Castle, west of London, for the night after entertaining an afternoon reception at the palace for 650 guests.

"There is no particular reason for the Queen and Philip leaving after the afternoon reception other than the fact the evening party is more of a younger occasion," a source told the Daily Mirror.

"They are very happy to leave the palace and will be staying somewhere else for the night."

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