The much awaited British royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, is just a few hours and the British Embassy in Rwanda is holding an invitation-only bash, today, at the the High Commissioner’s  residence in Kacyiru, Kigali.

"The party is by invitation not for everybody. It starts at 6 p.m until 8 p.m and we expect between 200-300 guests,” the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ben Liewellyn-Jones OBE stressed.

Prince William, second in line to the British throne, will marry Kate Middleton today, at London’s Westminster Abbey, where an estimated 1,900 guests are expected to attend the service, and billions will watch the festivities on television worldwide. 

Speaking to The New Times, Liewellyn-Jones said guests will have an opportunity to watch the highlights of the wedding and will be treated to British’s traditional food and drinks, as well as celebrate the Rwandan diversity.

Llewellyn-Jones, who took office, January this year, said: "My wife and I have enjoyed the settling process but we thought it was a good idea to meet the British communities in the country and celebrate the royal wedding.”

He noted that the wedding was a great opportunity to celebrate the British royal wedding, and a chance to get the British community [in Rwanda] together along with their Rwandan friends. "It [also] gives us an opportunity to highlight the modern side of Britain,” Liewellyn-Jones said.

He added that the royal wedding is an event which does not only capture the British imagination but the whole Commonwealth and worldwide.

Llewellyn-Jones encouraged people to watch the wedding ceremony, which will be streamed, live on YouTube, Internet and on television stations.

"The royal wedding is about Britain’s willingness to embrace in the open and it’s kind of a multicultural wedding and the guests list, which includes directors, artists and sports people reflects that too,” he noted.

Britain has other big events in the pipeline, such as, the Olympics where Rwanda will be represented and the Commonwealth Heads of States in October this year.
Meanwhile, the wedding is a national holiday in England and plenty of Brits will get up before dawn Friday to watch the wedding on their televisions.

"It’s a very big event and it has captured the imagination not only of the British public but across the world. It’s really exciting and it has a lot about Britain’s history and Britain’s future,” Liewellyn-Jones said.

"We hope their marriage succeeds, because the couple looks very happy together and very much in love –I guess they have seen the experiences of their relatives and they know how hard it is as a couple in the public eye.”

In Rwanda, Sandra Umutoni, said she would be watching the event on TV with friends and family members.
"As [far as] I know, many people are interested and looking forward to the event, but to be honest it is all out of the deep love we had and still have for Princess Diana [William’s mother] … we can still see something alive from her pure spirit in her sons. I personally miss her so much.

When I was a teenager, I used her pictures to cover my book covers, and her posters were everywhere in my room … she is my idol.”

More details have also emerged about Kate and William's reception. Beyonce and Jay-Z may be at the reception with a performance, while Ellie Goulding is expected to perform at Buckingham Palace at the after-dinner party.

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