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Queen's eldest grandson marries his Canadian fiancee at Windsor Castle

Article online since May 17th 2008, 0:00
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Queen's eldest grandson marries his Canadian fiancee at Windsor Castle

In this March 23, 2008 file photo, Britain's Peter Phillips, left, the son of Britain's Princess Anne, and his Canadian fiancee Autumn Kelly arrive for an Easter Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, England. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Sang Tan, pool/file

WINDSOR, England - The eldest grandson of the Queen married his Canadian fiancee Saturday in a private ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly wed at the castle's 15th-century St. George's Chapel in front of 300 guests including the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Phillips' mother, Princess Anne.

Also on hand was Prince Harry and his girlfriend Chelsy Davy.

The bride arrived wearing a dress by Sassi Holford and a tiara lent to her by her mother-in-law. She was led up the rain-stained steps of the chapel by her father Brian, her flowing white trained held up by bridesmaids in light green dresses, including Peter's sister Zara Phillips.

She emerged Phillip's wife, clutching a bouquet of white flowers as she and her husband got into a tartan-lined carriage drawn by two Windsor greys.

Phillips - the 11th in line to the throne - met Kelly in 2003, when both were working at the Montreal Grand Prix. Phillips did not immediately reveal he was a royal - Kelly later said she made the discovery when she spotted her husband-to-be in a program about Prince William.

"I ran upstairs, looked on the Internet and shouted down (to her mother), 'This is him! This is Peter,' " Kelly told Hello! magazine.

"That was the point at which she said, 'Oh, Autumn! What have you gotten yourself into?' "

The couple, both 30, have spent the past two years living in west London. Phillips now looks after the Royal Bank of Scotland's motor racing sponsorship while Kelly, a graduate of Canada's McGill University, is a personal assistant to broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson.

They announced their engagement last year.

Kelly renounced her Roman Catholic faith and joined the Church of England to marry Phillips. Under centuries-old British law, a royal who marries a Catholic cannot take the throne.

Phillips is among the most low-profile members of the Royal Family, and neither he nor his sister Zara undertake official royal duties. However Phillips and Kelly raised eyebrows in some quarters by agreeing to sell the story of their nuptials to Hello! for a sum reported at up to $1 million.

-With files from The Canadian Press.

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