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Royal Wedding Washout? Heavy Rain May Force Some Changes

Prince William's parents, Charles and Diana, on their wedding day — July 29, 1981. If it rains Friday, William and Kate won't be able to use an open carriage.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Prince William's parents, Charles and Diana, on their wedding day — July 29, 1981. If it rains Friday, William and Kate won't be able to use an open carriage.

We may not get to see Prince William and Kate Middleton riding away from Westminster Abbey in an open carriage on Friday.

There's heavy rain in the forecast. And if that happens, "a closed-in [glass-covered] carriage is on standby" to take the newlyweds away, says The Telegraph.

Of course, the spectators lining the streets won't have such protection.

There's lots of talk in the British media about how umbrellas may make it hard to see who's arriving and leaving the cathedral — and may obscure our "first look" at Kate's dress.

No matter what the weather brings, though, according to the Daily Mail the couple will come out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the traditional first kiss after the wedding:

"In the event of torrential rain William, 28, and his bride, 29, will either decide to clutch umbrellas or once again rely on courtiers during their appearance — and the much-awaited kiss — alongside their families at 1:25 p.m. [8:25 a.m. ET]."

In Church of England weddings, there's no "you may now kiss the bride" moment.

NPR's coverage of the royal wedding is collected here.

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.