Sophie
in love
The wedding is taking place of Spain's Crown Prince Felipe to ex-TV anchorwoman Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano.
The bride, wearing an elegant, Spanish-designed gown, arrived at Madrid's Almudena cathedral in a Rolls Royce.
Driving rain did not deter hundreds of thousands of spectators who lined the streets decked with flowers and flags.
Nerves are still on edge after the 11 March bombings and security is tight. Around 20,000 police are on patrol and airspace is closed for the ceremony.
Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon said the wedding was "just what Madrid needs following the worst suffering Madrid has experienced in decades".
Almost 200 people died in the co-ordinated bombings in March, which have been blamed on Islamic militants.
Elite congregation
More than 1,500 VIPs gathered at the cathedral to watch Ms Ortiz walk up the aisle, accompanied by her father, also a journalist.
Ms Ortiz's bridal gown, created by veteran Spanish designer Manuel Pertegaz, had a tightly fitting bodice with a turned-up collar and a sweeping skirt and train.
The cream of the world's royalty is attending the ceremony, with guests including Britain's Prince Charles and Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, as well as other VIPs such as former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Four hundred guests attended a pre-wedding dinner at the the Pardo royal palace, where later on Saturday guests at the reception will feast on a 2m-high wedding cake and wash it down with more than 1,000 bottles of champagne.
Victims remembered
Prince Felipe and Ms Ortiz have asked that their wedding mass be dedicated to the victims of the attack.
After the ceremony they are to pay their respects at a church close to the Atocha train station, which bore the brunt of the bombings.
Money due to be spent on pre-wedding parties is instead going to a charity set up for the victims, and a spectacular wedding night show was cancelled out of respect.
Heavy security is keeping well-wishers at a distance from the cathedral and two F-18 fighter jets will patrol the skies, while Nato is said to have provided an Awacs surveillance plane for the ceremony.
Second time round
The prince's engagement to the 31-year-old divorcee was widely welcomed when it was announced in November. Spain's gossip columnists had speculated for years on the lovelife of one of Europe's most eligible royal bachelors.
Ms Ortiz's marriage to the prince was not opposed by Spain's Roman Catholic church because her first wedding was not held in a church.
Millions of people around the world are expected to watch the ceremony on television, making it Europe's biggest royal wedding since Prince Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981.
However, the wedding has drawn protests from Spain's republicans who are angered by the extravagance of the event.
Source : BBC News.co.uk
The bride, wearing an elegant, Spanish-designed gown, arrived at Madrid's Almudena cathedral in a Rolls Royce.
Driving rain did not deter hundreds of thousands of spectators who lined the streets decked with flowers and flags.
Nerves are still on edge after the 11 March bombings and security is tight. Around 20,000 police are on patrol and airspace is closed for the ceremony.
Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon said the wedding was "just what Madrid needs following the worst suffering Madrid has experienced in decades".
Almost 200 people died in the co-ordinated bombings in March, which have been blamed on Islamic militants.
Elite congregation
More than 1,500 VIPs gathered at the cathedral to watch Ms Ortiz walk up the aisle, accompanied by her father, also a journalist.
Ms Ortiz's bridal gown, created by veteran Spanish designer Manuel Pertegaz, had a tightly fitting bodice with a turned-up collar and a sweeping skirt and train.
The cream of the world's royalty is attending the ceremony, with guests including Britain's Prince Charles and Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, as well as other VIPs such as former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Four hundred guests attended a pre-wedding dinner at the the Pardo royal palace, where later on Saturday guests at the reception will feast on a 2m-high wedding cake and wash it down with more than 1,000 bottles of champagne.
Victims remembered
Prince Felipe and Ms Ortiz have asked that their wedding mass be dedicated to the victims of the attack.
After the ceremony they are to pay their respects at a church close to the Atocha train station, which bore the brunt of the bombings.
Money due to be spent on pre-wedding parties is instead going to a charity set up for the victims, and a spectacular wedding night show was cancelled out of respect.
Heavy security is keeping well-wishers at a distance from the cathedral and two F-18 fighter jets will patrol the skies, while Nato is said to have provided an Awacs surveillance plane for the ceremony.
Second time round
The prince's engagement to the 31-year-old divorcee was widely welcomed when it was announced in November. Spain's gossip columnists had speculated for years on the lovelife of one of Europe's most eligible royal bachelors.
Ms Ortiz's marriage to the prince was not opposed by Spain's Roman Catholic church because her first wedding was not held in a church.
Millions of people around the world are expected to watch the ceremony on television, making it Europe's biggest royal wedding since Prince Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981.
However, the wedding has drawn protests from Spain's republicans who are angered by the extravagance of the event.
Source : BBC News.co.uk
congradulations to the happy couple! 
