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CNN Live Event/Special
Royal Wedding Coverage of William and Catherine
Aired April 29, 2011 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The top of the hour here. It is 1:00 in London. It is 8:00 a.m. on the East Coast of the United States, 5:00 a.m. in California. And if you are just joining us now, at the top of the hour, what a morning we have experienced here. And still, much to come in the hour ahead, much anticipated.
Right now, you are seeing thousands of people, orderly, happy, walking towards Buckingham Palace, hoping to get another glimpse of the royal couple, his royal highness, no longer the prince of Wales, now referred to as the duke of Cambridge. His wife, Catherine, the duchess of Cambridge.
And that, of course, is what so many in this crowd want to see. They want to see the kiss as they merge out of the balcony. That's anticipated in about 25 minutes. It has been very orderly. It has been really executed like clock work.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN ANCHOR: One of the greatest run operations I have seen of its time ever. I mean, there hasn't been a single thing go wrong that I've seen. And everyone is waiting and the atmosphere is building, the people are converging on the palace. And very soon, up there, on that balcony, the famous Buckingham Palace balcony, you will see what will go down in history as one of the great kisses. It will be one of the most famous kisses of all time, whether we like it or not.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: Let's take a look at the big moment when both couples said "I do." Let's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROWAN WILLIAMS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: I, William Arthur Philip Louis --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: I, William Arthur Phillip Louis --
WILLIAMS: -- take thee Catherine Elizabeth --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- take thee Catherine Elizabeth --
WILLIAMS: -- to be my wedded wife --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to be my wedded wife --
WILLIAMS: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
WILLIAMS: -- for better or worse --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- for better or worse --
WILLIAMS: -- for better or worse --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- for better or worse --
WILLIAMS: -- to love and to cherish --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to love and to cherish --
WILLIAMS: -- until death us do part --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- until death us do part --
WILLIAMS: -- according to God's holy law --
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- according to God's holy law --
WILLIAMS: -- thereto I give thee my troth.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: -- thereto I give thee my troth.
WILLIAMS: I, Catherine Elizabeth --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: I, Catherine Elizabeth --
WILLIAMS: -- take thee William Arthur Philip Louis --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- take thee William Arthur Philip Louis --
WILLIAMS: -- to be my wedded husband --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to be my wedded husband --
WILLIAMS: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to have and to hold from this day forward --
WILLIAMS: -- for better for worse --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- for better for worse --
WILLIAMS: -- for richer for poorer --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- for richer for poorer --
WILLIAMS: -- in sickness and in health --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- in sickness and in health --
WILLIAMS: -- to love and to cherish --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- to love and to cherish --
WILLIAMS: -- until death us do part --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- until death us do part --
WILLIAMS: -- according to God's holy law --
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: -- according to God's holy law --
WILLIAMS: And thereto, I give thee my troth.
HRH PRINCESS CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: And thereto, I give thee my troth.
WILLIAMS: With this ring, I thee wed.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: With this ring, I thee wed.
WILLIAMS: With my body, I thee honor.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: With my body, I thee honor.
WILLIAMS: And all my worldly goods, with thee I share.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: And with all my worldly goods, with thee I share.
WILLIAMS: In the name of the Father.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: In the name of the Father.
WILLIAMS: And of the son.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: And of the son.
WILLIAMS: And of the holy ghost.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: And of the holy ghost.
WILLIAMS: Amen.
HRH PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: Amen.
WILLIAMS: For whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. For as much as William and Catherine have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring and by joining of hands, I pronounce that they be man and wife together in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost, amen.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: We can hear the crowds outside erupting into a pause all across London, inside the abbey. Dignitaries from around the world, friends of the bride and the groom, other members of royal families from throughout the world as well as the larger British royal family here. Also, a number of guests who were invited were working for --
MORGAN: Here they come, Anderson. Here come the people.
COOPER: People arriving at the Buckingham Palace.
MORGAN: Right behind us happening now. What a sight!
COOPER: A remarkable sight to see this crowd, which is joining a crowd of several thousand which have already been at Buckingham Palace, many of them camping out overnight. Again, the kiss, I anticipate in about 20 minutes or so, they will appear on the balcony. It will be a fly-over jet.
I want to bring in one of the guests inside Westminster Abbey. A number of the guests work for groups, charities, volunteer organizations that Prince William now the duke of Cambridge is now involved with.
Peter Cross joins me now. He's chief executive of Skill Force Development. He was inside Westminster Abbey.
It must have been a remarkable morning for you, Peter?
PETER CROSS, CEO, SKILL FORCE DEVELOPMENT: Oh, it has been a fantastic morning, one to remember for the rest of my life, without a doubt.
COOPER: What was it like? What was the thing that really stuck out to you?
CROSS: Well, I think the organization, as Piers said earlier, has been faultless. We came through the security and there's a general atmosphere and a hubbub inside the abbey for the hour and a half or so that we waited before Prince William came in. And it was great. The whole atmosphere was brilliant. Everybody is just dying to see the couple get married and so on.
COOPER: How long has Prince William been working with the charity?
CROSS: Prince William has been our royal patron for two years. And he's been a fantastic advocate for Skill Force. His last engagement, public engagement, was about 2 1/2 weeks ago with Catherine (ph), visited Skill Force, doing work up in Lancaster. And he launched the Skill Force award. So, he is brilliant, because it covers two of the key themes he's supported, which is young people and the youth of Britain (ph).
COOPER: Peter Cross, I appreciate you being with us. It's been, as you said, a remarkable morning for everybody, and I'm sure for you. Thank you very much for being with us.
I also want to bring in Vera Wang, who is joining us from New York.
Vera, what really stands out for you?
VERA WANG, FASHION DESIGNER: Well, I think, Anderson, it is really the dignity of this couple, this young couple, their self- assurance and their feelings for each other. And I look at them both and it makes every one of us dream of not only the perfect life and the perfect marriage but now the English monarchy and just how relevant and modern it suddenly becomes.
And I think that's got a lot to do with, of course, what they wore and how they presented themselves and the theater of all of that. But it's also who they are as people. I think that really came out today. I think, I mean, you just get a feeling for both of them.
MORGAN: Vera, can I interrupt you? We are watching the most remarkable scenes here --
WANG: OK.
MORGAN: -- of the great British public marching to see the royal family. I haven't seen this, this close-up in my life. So, this is a pretty amazing moment to watch.
COOPER: Also, if I was one of the people who had been camping out here overnight, I would feel a little jipped, because the people from the procession are going to get to right up to the gate.
MORGAN: That's why the smart ones have been down there on the Mall. They all know the rules here. There are wonderful police operations. There, Anderson, there is your answer. They are now filtering in from the crowd on the side and they are joining the throngs.
COOPER: If I was one of the people here, I would be a bit upset, I must admit.
CAT DEELEY, CNN WEDDING CONTRIBUTOR: This feels like the fun now. This is kind of when the party starts.
MORGAN: This is party time in Britain.
DEELEY: That's how this feels. In watching the scenes, Kate was so cool and confident. And you have to remember that she wasn't brought up like that, you know? William was brought up to handle all these big pressured situations right in the eye of the media storm. Kate handles herself beautifully.
COOPER: I think Piers Morgan is watching this thinking -- Piers Morgan who owns a pub here. You are thinking ca-ching.
MORGAN: I'm just about to say, for everybody out there, everybody watching, all 2 billion of you, the beers on me tonight.
COOPER: I can imagine, every pub in London is going to be packed tonight with people.
MORGAN: It's been a very unique week because they have allocated two bank holidays, which meant there were two three-day holidays in the same week. Most people have taken the whole week off.
This is now the epicenter of U.K. party central.
COOPER: I will say for -- I mean, a crowd controller, this is thousands of people here.
MORGAN: Hundreds of thousands of people.
COOPER: I mean, in this immediate area, tens of thousands certainly, at the very least. To have them moving this orderly, it can be very tricky and dangerous thing.
MORGAN: This is running right down the Mall. There could be 1 million people here. And the police, as you see, inch them, inch by inch by inch. They controlled it beautifully. I mean, great credit to all the police and the military that have been involved. This is an extraordinary operation.
DEELEY: I think there is a general theme of good will, you know?
MORGAN: Well, I wonder how you get in there.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Can you get us in?
COOPER: I just show you the balcony where the reason why so many people are now coming towards Buckingham Palace, all eyes are on that balcony, which in about 15 minutes, 10-15 minutes, the duke and duchess of Cambridge will emerge and the crowd hopes there will be a kiss. That's what the world expects.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been scheduled.
COOPER: It's been scheduled, which also means scheduled.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: The guy with the toughest job is the poor photographer. He is inside now desperately trying to get the memorable pictures.
COOPER: We're going to take a quick break. We'll bring that moment to you live. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: And welcome back to Buckingham Palace. There is the balcony. It is now a quarter past the hour, at 25 past the hour.
We anticipate the newlywed couple emerging for the first time in front of just an extraordinary crowd, which has literally poured in and filled in the entire circle around Buckingham Palace. Every single item that is currently globally trending on Twitter is royal wedding related. Every one.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: The whole world is watching this.
CAT DEELEY, CNN WEDDING CONTRIBUTOR : Yes, absolutely. And everybody is waiting for that moment when he does the kiss. Some people are saying the hands. Some people are saying the cheek.
MORGAN: Oh, no, no, no. He's going for it.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harry will be prodding him, I think.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER (voice-over): We're joined also Ozwald Boateng, the British fashion designer. We haven't really talked to you since we saw the dress. What do you make of the dress?
OZWALD BOATENG, BRITISH FASHION DESIGNER (voice-over): The great thing is hands on to the queen.
DEELEY: Yes.
BOATENG: So, that's a real endorsement to British fashion, and I think that's going to be able a real junction (ph) in the fashion industry here. Even though, she took a very traditional approach by choosing Alexander McQueen because he has an understanding of tradition (INAUDIBLE), but it's a modern perspective. It is kind of an embrace of what's really happening right now, which is good.
DEELEY: How do you think it's going to influence brides in the future? Do you think that they'll be trying to kind of turn those dresses around?
MORGAN: Already.
BOATENG: I don't know, but the secrecy behind that dress was unbelievable. That has to be the most well-kept secret ever. The experts were trying to figure it out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even though she got into the carriage, we were all sitting there going, who is it, who is it?
MORGAN: We're like wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it was Pippa Middleton's dress that gave it away.
DEELEY: Yes, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because the shape is pure spring/summer McQueen.
DEELEY: And you seem to think that there's even an element of being able to control the situation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think, you know, the story that was out was that Kate wanted to surprise her husband to be. I'm not sure about that, because husbands to be are not generally that fashion savvy. I think she wanted to control this for herself.
DEELEY: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it bodes very well for the social woman that she is going to develop into.
MORGAN: There is absolutely no way the royal family didn't know what dress she was wearing.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: They control everything.
BOATENG: Absolutely. Absolutely.
MORGAN: They knew what was happening.
COOPER: How do you think the -- do we know -- I mean, she seems to have been embraced by the royal family.
MORGAN: They're not the most normal of families. I mean, the queen met Kate's parents for the first time last week for lunch.
COOPER: Is that true?
DEELEY: Yes.
MORGAN: And they went down to Windsor Castle, even then, there were private sector (ph) to join them, and this is not normal.
COOPER: Oh, we've got to take a quick break, and we'll be right back, and we'll have the kiss.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: And welcome back. You're looking at Buckingham Palace. We are looking at the balcony where 100,000, if not more than a million people are here in London outside Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park and elsewhere. The crowds are still coming in, Piers.
MORGAN: Yes.
DEELEY: Yes.
MORGAN: And we are talking about right down the mall and all the parts of London. There are all lot, too. This is the biggest gathering, I can remember, for decades. And this crowd now just wants one thing, and that's, the kiss, which will go down instantly as one of the great historic kisses. And I'm excited about this. This is history we're about to watch.
DEELEY: Yes.
COOPER: Two billion people watching a kiss.
MORGAN: Yes.
DEELEY: It better be some kiss. We don't want to be let down.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: What kind of kiss is it going to be?
MORGAN: When Charles, his father, went to kiss Diana once and kissed her left ear by mistake. A catastrophe.
DEELEY: And there was the Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson kiss.
MORGAN: Not a good one.
COOPER: There's also fly-over aircraft in the Battle of Britain Memorial Flights together with typhoons and tornadoes.
MORGAN: Yes.
COOPER: They're going to have what they call fly pass when members of the royal family are out on the balcony.
MORGAN: And that's just before the kiss. That's going to be amazing. (CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: It will be like top gun over the palace.
COOPER: Are we seeing that --
MORGAN: That's the best time of the day. Have we seen that?
COOPER: No, we missed that one.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: And we have seen some spectacular hats.
DEELEY: The duke of York's two daughters really went out there with those hats. What did you think, Oswald?
BOATENG: They were interesting.
DEELEY: Quirky, right?
BOATENG: Quirky.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: OK. Help me out here, Piers.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Victoria, there you go.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: My top three dresses, so far, Kate, Victoria Beckham and Pippa.
DEELEY: I like Pippa's --
MORGAN: In that order.
BOATENG: Absolutely.
MORGAN: I have to say, I thought the queen looked lovely today.
DEELEY: Yes. I didn't know you had that in you, Piers.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: Right now, inside Buckingham Palace, about 600 invited guests are having a wedding breakfast.
MORGAN: Yep.
DEELEY: An all you can eat buffet. COOPER: It is a buffet style.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: I like to imagine them passing tongs.
DEELEY: (INAUDIBLE) in the pocket.
COOPER: Right. Try not to get the hair in the salad bar.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: I'm told they're drinking 1,000 pounds, $1,500 bottles of wine, a vintage champagne, also in the great cellars of Buckingham Palace. That's one of the greatest cellars --
COOPER: Actually, I also read that they've actually chosen -- they're not chosen like crystal or something. They've chosen actually a less expensive champagne --
MORGAN: It's Krug, I think.
COOPER: Pol Roger.
MORGAN: Oh, Pol Roger
COOPER: This is a French brand that apparently costs about $45 a pop, and that will be served to the -- actually, that's going to be served tonight.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: There's no way the queen is drinking that. Trust me.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Right now, there's about 600 people inside Buckingham Palace. Tonight, there'll be about 300 for a much more private party where there's also going to be dancing.
DEELEY: Yes, there's going to be dancing, and also, Prince Harry is going to do a survivor's breakfast.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Egg and bacon sandwiches with Prince Harry.
DEELEY: I can't just imagine him -- bacon butties.
COOPER: Bacon butties.
DEELEY: Oh, no.
(CROSSTALK)
DEELEY: Anderson, come on. (LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: Anderson, a bacon buttie --
DEELEY: I can just imagine Harry and Chelsea standing there, one buttering the bread and the other one trying to --
MORGAN: Somebody at about 5:30 this morning is going to be semi- naked and dancing --
(LAUGHTER)
DEELEY: I didn't know you were invited, Piers.
COOPER: Right now, the crowd outside Buckingham Palace is actually very quiet. It is now 25 past the hour, almost 25 past the hour. That is the appointed time when the royal family is supposed to come out on to the balcony. You can see some people still trying to get to Buckingham Palace in order to get here.
MORGAN: We have a few jumping in the fountain, you can see over there.
DEELEY: Of course.
MORGAN: A few rebelers tumbling in.
DEELEY: And I think they'll be chanting.
MORGAN: They'll be definitely chanting.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: Becky Anderson is down in the crowd. Becky, from our vantage point, it looks like the crowd is actually relatively quiet. All heads, all eyes are on that balcony right now.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they are. They're absolutely on this balcony, and there is a sense of anticipation. A champagne cork just went off behind me. The anticipation is palpable here as we speak, you know, 30 seconds away at this point. I agree with Cat. You know, we really want to see something when they come out. But, yes, very, very quiet at this point. Just waiting to see what happens.
MORGAN: A curtain is twitching on the balcony. So, we are about to go. Listen to this crowd when they come out.
COOPER: Wow. They've also just had the wedding photographs taken over the last hour or so. I think they had about an hour.
MORGAN: Here they come.
COOPER: Wow.
(APPLAUSE) COOPER: The crowd is actually chanting, kiss her again, kiss her again.
DEELEY: That wasn't enough for me.
MORGAN: It was a great big juicy smacker.
DEELEY: No, it wasn't.
MORGAN: Seriously, that was a great one.
DEELEY: We need another one. That was --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: One kiss. That's it, but that was a good one. That was much, much better than Andrew and Fergie's. And I must say it was longer and more passionate than Charles and Diana's.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Those two love each other.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: even we erupted. Even Anderson.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I can't imagine, though, that they didn't, at least, sneak a little peek somewhere backstage.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: Here's the fly-over.
MORGAN: Here we go. The royal air (ph) at its finest, the royal air force. This will be right up there.
(APPLAUSE)
COOPER: That shocked you.
MORGAN: A double kiss.
(LAUGHTER)
You got what you want.
DEELEY: The first one was just a warm-up.
COOPER: And then the second flyover --
MORGAN: That boy does his own thing. He would have been told one kiss is enough. He has gone back for more.
DEELEY: It was really cute, because he was talking to her and he kind of egged her on. Come on, then, let's give them one more.
MORGAN: If I was still the editor of a major British newspaper, my heading would be "Get a room."
(LAUGHTER)
Those two can't take their eyes off each other.
DEELEY: It's romantic.
COOPER: So amazing the picture of the family on the balcony, how youthful suddenly the royal family seems to have become.
MORGAN: This is a whole new generation.
DEELEY: A very good thing for England as well, which I think -
MORGAN: Well, for Britain.
DEELEY: For Britain, exactly.
MORGAN: There might be another kiss.
DEELEY: It might be a hat trick.
MORGAN: Excellent. Maybe, maybe.
DEELEY: We liked that.
(APPLAUSE)
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Let's watch the kiss one more time.
(APPLAUSE)
COOPER: That was the second kiss, which was, I think was --
DEELEY: That was the one I was happy with. That first only got a six out of 10.
MORGAN: The first one a seven, the second one a 10.
COOPER: That's like a royal family seven, which is not necessarily a seven.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: That was just a wonderful moment, wasn't it, with the fly-by at the same time? It reminded us that William is in the armed forces, flies helicopters, Harry has been to war in Afghanistan. These boys are proper heroes.
COOPER: We have several CNN correspondents. Richard Quest is still over by Westminster Abbey. Becky Anderson is down in the crowd by Buckingham Palace. Becky, let's start with you. Was the crowd chanting, "Kiss again"?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they were. They wanted more. I think they felt a bit shortchanged by the first kiss. It took a bit of time. Everybody cheered. I don't know if you heard as they went in, hip-hip-hooray going on.
DEELEY: Did you get what you wanted?
ANDERSON: The second time. The first one was a bit weak.
DEELEY: Where are you from?
ANDERSON: Chicago.
MORGAN: Enjoyed the day?
ANDERSON: Yes. You guys are British.
ANDERSON: It has been a great day. We have been here since 7:00, not as early as some people. That kiss at the end was much better than the first one. More practice needed.
DEELEY: Next time, I'm sure they will be really good for the next royal engagement.
ANDERSON: The atmosphere is very electric. It has been here like this all day, people that have been here for days. They have quite a lot of booze, which is probably keeping them going for the time being. As the crowds begin to move away, the anticipation is sort of just out really, at sort of a rather base level. Everybody has big smiles on their faces. They really, really enjoyed the day s back t day, back to you guys.
COOPER: It's great to hear from people in the crowd. We will go back to Becky shortly to get their perspective on this day. You really do see people from all around the world to watch this.
MORGAN: It's an amazing multi-cultural crowd. They will begin to filter away. The main stuff is over and the passing is about to begin. London will be one big party tonight. The drinks will be out. The flags will be flying.
COOPER: I am going to go to my hotel and lock the door.
(LAUGHTER)
When London decides to go to the pubs, it is not a pretty scene.
DEELEY: Every party needs a pooper.
MORGAN: You are coming down with a few pints of foaming real ail.
COOPER: I have to do my broadcast at 3:00 a.m. So that will be a particularly unpleasant walk from the hotel to the broadcast center.
DEELEY: With the mayhem that's left behind, the debris.
COOPER: The debris. Of course now the party continues inside Buckingham Palace. Tonight, there is.
ANDERSON: The dance for the young when Prince Harry takes command.
MORGAN: The queen will be leaving the building in about two hours, I think, after this particular breakfast is completed, she goes. She doesn't want to be anywhere near the action when the disco balls start blaring.
COOPER: We will take a quick break. Stay with us. Our coverage continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: The scene outside Buckingham Palace, hundreds of thousands. It looks like people here and also in Hyde Park, more than 200,000 people we are told watching and countless people around the world right now witnessing two kisses, unheard of.
MORGAN: Unprecedented in history.
ANDERSON: Piers Morgan is flabbergasted.
MORGAN: Temporarily struck dumb.
COOPER: Struck dumb and unusually excited. We had the first kiss which was, you know, which was --
MORGAN: That's good.
COOPER: Was that the first one? That was the second one.
MORGAN: I think they were both pretty good.
COOPER: I am told that was the first one. Could we have the second one now?
MORGAN: The second one coming.
COOPER: That was the first kiss. So it wasn't as bad as you remembered it.
MORGAN: The first kiss was good. I kept saying that.
COOPER: We will show you that.
ANDERSON: That's what I'm talking about.
MORGAN: It wasn't as good as the first one, didn't give much time to think about it.
ANDERSON: I like that he talked her into it and kind of blushed a little bit. I like that. COOPER: I also think there is something very nice in the interplay that they have with each other, sort of whispering words to one another and smiling at each other.
ANDERSON: A real sense that he is guiding her through this.
COOPER: It also really tells of a couple who has been together for a long, long time and know each other and have a sense of humor.
ANDERSON: But still have that obvious love towards each other. I think that is something we have all been looking for.
DEELEY: She is very easy with her smiles. She smiles all the time and smalls all the time.
MORGAN: She is a superstar.
COOPER: Cat, you are glowing.
DEELEY: I am excited.
COOPER: Becky Anderson is down now in the crowd talking to people. The crowd is not leaving any time soon, are they?
ANDERSON: Well, they are. You can see if you turn around and wave at us, we can see you over there. The back of Cat Deeley is the main attraction at this point. All the way from Manila via north London, this is absolutely fantastic. Has it been a good day?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fantastic, marvelous, wonderful, fabulous.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: What about the kiss?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
DEELEY: We have been looking for somebody to kiss with as well but we can't take anybody. That was no single men.
ANDERSON: Piers Morgan is up there. Any offers from anybody up there? You really enjoyed it from up there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful, lovely.
ANDERSON: Your hat looks absolutely tremendous. I have never seen a fascinator like this. Good stuff. Let's move around here. Who have I got here? Another Londoner here. What did you think of the day, was it worth it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely marvelous. I got up 20 past 5:00, came straight up here. I have met people from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, other parts of London. It has been a wonderful, wonderful day. (LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: From other parts of London. Where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am London as well, little Venice, ten minutes away. I came by bus.
ANDERSON: How was it for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was fantastic, well worth the day. Thank goodness the weather stayed nice. What a fantastic day.
ANDERSON: Just behind you, girls, where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From London, yea!
ANDERSON: Did you enjoy yourselves?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ANDERSON: These guys really do reflect the mood of the crowd out here. It has been one of the best days I can ever remember in London. I know, Piers, you said, you have never seen crowds like this, certainly not in decades. It has been absolutely thrilling. Guys, back to you.
COOPER: Becky Anderson, is that William and Catherine behind you? Is that a cut-out of William and Catherine?
ANDERSON: Yes. Where is William? There they are, there they are. We brought our own. We didn't think they stayed long enough. Aren't they lovely? Aren't they lovely?
COOPER: It is great to see just energy of people. We talked about the youthfulness of not only the royal family but the crowds out today, but just the incredible energy that you see all throughout.
MORGAN: It is a very bad day for Republicans today, because this is exactly why you have a monarchy, those great occasions.
COOPER: When you say Republicans, you are not talking about Republicans in the United States.
MORGAN: By Republicans I mean those that oppose the monarchy. Australia for example has gone a long way to get rid of the monarchy completely. And I think it's a mistake when you have a strong monarchy like we have, because you get this.
COOPER: We have both kisses side by side to watch.
MORGAN: One, two.
DEELEY: Two. Can we have a vote in the studio, please? Two, two, two -- two universally around the studio.
COOPER: Let's do it one more time. (LAUGHTER)
DEELEY: Two. Two. Two, two, two, two.
COOPER: At a certain point, this just seems inappropriate but we could keep showing that.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kate looked happier on the second kiss.
MORGAN: That single moment there will be what flashes around the world. I think it just shows William is his own guy because the palace will have said do this, do that, everything will be done at the last second. In the flash of a moment, he heard the crowd, and exactly as Diana would have done towards the end of her life when she was her own woman, he just did what came naturally. And I love that.
DEELEY: But they do that all the time, though. Even when you meet them afterwards, there isn't that pomp and circumstance, they do just come and shake your hand and just have a chat.
MORGAN: William is a top boy.
COOPER: Quick break. Our coverage continues. Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: And welcome back. The crowds outside Buckingham Palace and on the -- not the Mall but the Mall.
MORGAN: The Mall.
COOPER: It's spelled like mall.
MORGAN: One of the great roots in history, The Mall.
COOPER: The Mall.
DEELEY: The Mall.
MORGAN: Not a route called a mall.
COOPER: Kiran Chetry is standing by right now in Hyde Park where there have been some more than 200,000 people is the last assessment we have. I am not sure how accurate that is. It's hard to tell. But the crowds just look so much larger.
Kiran, the mood by Buckingham Palace have been -- has been exuberant to say the least. What have you seen in Hyde Park?
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I know, I mean, this is one big party. I can't believe -- these are hardy folk. Because they've been out here since, before it even opened at 7:00 in the morning. People are already lined up and made their way in, had a blast. It seems like everybody is friends now, and people waving the Union Jack flags. And it just keeps getting more and more excitable. We thought people would actually clear out once the ceremony actually took place.
Anderson, just to give you an example of what a small world it is, my friend, Sonny, from high school, I kid you not. I bumped into her. She hopped on a plane Monday and made her way here by herself because she didn't want to miss this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
CHETRY: Nice to see you. Welcome to London. I am glad you did it. And we have a unique group of sisters, two sisters, that I want to introduce you to as well.
This is Gene and Katherine. They actually got married in Westminster Abbey. Years ago, this is amazing, how did you manage to do that. Your dad was a canon --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our father was a canon at Westminster Abbey. And so that entitled us to be married there at the Abbey. So we had that privilege.
CHETRY: Just like a Princess. What an honor. And what was it like today to see the Abbey as beautiful as it was, all of the trees and shrubbery they brought inside?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was such a moving service and it was just a wonderful occasion for those (ph) to be a part of.
CHETRY: Did this live up to all the hype?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Beyond it. It's wonderful, absolutely wonderful.
CHETRY: And of course, the question that every girl is asking every other girl today. How did you like Kate's dress?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was wonderful, it was stunning. I loved the lace and the (INAUDIBLE). It was just beautiful.
CHETRY: She made a stunning bride today, didn't she?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stunning, stunning. She looked stunning. She really did.
CHETRY: Well, I hope you two enjoy yourself for the rest of the day here at Hyde Park.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a wonderful day.
CHETRY: It doesn't look like the party's ending any time soon, does it? But the other interesting part, Anderson, they talked a lot about fears of rain. This morning, it was a little bit damp, it was pretty windy and cold. Right now, it's bright sunshine, no one has a jacket on. And people are just having a blast.
So just really, for -- for royal watchers and for people who wanted to be a part of this celebration, it couldn't have turned out to be more brilliant of a day, as they like to say here. Just a real treat and everyone seems thrilled with how it turned out.
I'm Kiran Chetry here at Hyde Park. Anderson, back to you.
COOPER: Yes, the sun really has sort of popped out. There are no clouds and stuff. This is London but --
MORGAN: It's a lovely day. It's lovely day.
DEELEY: Yes, look at that dancing going on.
MORGAN: Yes, the party is about to start. And I intend to join it later.
COOPER: I think that Becky Anderson is down still in the crowd at Buckingham Palace. Becky, who do you got now?
ANDERSON: Yes, well, I've got Will and Kate for you. Look down here. They really are called Will and Kate. Meet Anderson Cooper. Listen, guys, how did you enjoy the day?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was really good.
ANDERSON: Really good, what did you enjoy most?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seeing them kiss at the end.
ANDERSON: Did you enjoy the kiss?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ANDERSON: Was it what you wanted?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ANDERSON: Excellent, let me just talk to some of the other crowd here. Guys, tell what did you thought of the day? Come on let's start with you sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a good day.
ANDERSON: Yes, where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preston.
ANDERSON: That's in the north of England, viewers. What about you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preston.
ANDERSON: Oh all the northerners are around today, all of these guys. What about you with the duck, how about you in the duck. Guys, where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pepe, Pepe loved it. The dress was beautiful. It's all about the dress, all about Kate. Wonderful amazing morning, beautiful weather. It was supposed to rain. The sun comes out on the most important moment. Pepe, the duck.
ANDERSON: What about you, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot, a lot. It was great. And Pepe brought his little girlfriend as well. That's Pepe. And just another royal kiss, right?
ANDERSON: It's longer than the first one. What about you, my love?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am from Chester, up north. It was great there. I am their mom.
ANDERSON: Oh great and she's Will and Kate's mom. You've got to fine (INAUDIBLE) there before you.
What about you, my love?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's been wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
ANDERSON: Is it as goods as you expected?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Better, better. Actually yes --
ANDERSON: This British reserve. Nobody is cheering and shouting anymore and all getting really reserved. What about you, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Had a great time. Really enjoyed myself. Yes.
ANDERSON: Where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bermuda.
ANDERSON: Bermuda, wow. Are you married.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Committed, I guess.
ANDERSON: The crowd is -- we found the UN down here. I mean it literally is world wide. You have seen people from all over the globe. They have all just had the most fantastic day. Guys?
COOPER: Nice to see even a plushy enthusiast in the crowd.
MORGAN: This is really contagious, I think. I think the whole thing that you learn is just everyone's had a great time. No reports of any real disorder. No idiotic anarchist trying to make a name for themselves. Nothing has gone wrong, touch wood so far. A perfect day. The weather has been lovely. Perfect.
COOPER: We anticipate the royal couple will leave tomorrow after the party tonight for whereabouts, at this point, unknown.
MORGAN: They will be whisked away. They've got plenty of ways of getting away without us know. So, I'm sure we'll find out eventually but my guess would be, let's say, to one of the European royalty resorts. There are so many of them around here they can disappear.
COOPER: My hope is that they will be able to disappear and not be pursued by paparazzi.
MORGAN: Yes, that's going to be an interesting thing going forward because they will have seen the amazing power that the media presence has given the monarchy here with this event. Going forward, there will be this real conflict between too much attention and not enough.
They have to use now Kate and William to be the flag bearers for the monarchy and that means a lot of media attention. But we just have to be careful as the media collectively, it never goes into the territory that Diana had to put up with.
DEELEY: But they were always very respectful when they were at the university, though. At the beginning --
MORGAN: Yes. But it will change now. It will change. The British media had rules about William at school, Eton. They had rules about the couple at St. Andrews. It is a different game now.
Now, they've gotten married and they are officially Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. And he is the next king after Charles. There's going to be a lot of the attention.
COOPER: There is also a burden now on the Middleton family. I mean she's got -- she has a sister, Pippa; she has the younger brother. Suddenly, there is pressure on them. They are going to be under a microscope in a way that they haven't been before.
MORGAN: And that story is actually, that is unfair because they don't really get a lot of the benefits. They get a lovely day like this then they go back to their normal lives. And yes there are perks to being a Middleton now. But, my God, the attention and pressure on all aspects of their lives, you know.
It's a real goldfish bowl that you can't ever get out of.
DEELEY: We might be more used to those sorts of people now though with the culture celebrity and all the media, all the social media. I am wondering if there is almost a saturation point.
MORGAN: I wish that was the case but with the Internet -- Internet in particular, and with everybody having camera phones, they can't go anywhere without people photographing them.
COOPER: Also with Twitter now, I mean everybody becomes a correspondent. So no matter where you go, people are tweeting about your whereabouts and what you're up to.
DEELEY: I know that she has a flawless record that they maintain (ph). There don't seem to be any skeletons. She does seem to be this completely charming, bright, educated, confident girl. I think people do sometimes look.
MORGAN: For those, by the way, who are tuning in America who have maybe missed some of this, there will be a two-hour "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" special. Tonight we shall have all of us -- how we've been through the day and all the great highlights of the day.
COOPER: That's at 8:00 Eastern until 10:00.
MORGAN: 8:00 Eastern until 10:00.
COOPER: And a special edition of 360; we will also recap the news of the day, not only here but also the aftermath of the tornadoes in the American south.
Vera Wang is actually with us still standing by in New York. Vera, as you go to sleep tonight and you close your eyes, what do you think you are going to remember most from today?
VERA WANG, FASHION DESIGNER: I think I am going to remember them as a couple taking their vows. I think that is one of the most romantic moments I have ever seen.
But, there was also something else, Anderson. It is very much about their connections as relevant, young human beings. I think that's something that was so striking to me. They didn't only look like figureheads. They felt very human.
And I can't help but think a little bit about Princess Diana. I can't help but think even with everybody rushing toward Buckingham Palace, that she did influence not only her immediate family but perhaps a great deal of Britain and the British people as well.
COOPER: No doubt about that. Vera, thank you so much for being with us.
WANG: Thank you. Thank you guys, Piers, everybody.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Over the course of our coverage; it was great to have you. We are also here with Oswald Botang, the fashion designer. What do you think you're going to about as you go to sleep tonight?
OSWALD BOTANG, FASHION DESIGNER: (INAUDIBLE) really beautiful. This is a really powerful occasion. You can't get past thinking about Diana. But just to see the two of them and the way they kissed -- a famous kiss -- it is clear how much they love each other. And that's what I'm going to take away from the whole day.
MORGAN: And we have, I think -- we now finally have a new Diana to celebrate. I mean that in the best possible way. She is not like Diana but she has replaced Diana now in public affection today. You can see that. We have a new superstar in the royal family who will be a fantastic role model, a flag bearer, all the things you would want from a senior member of the royal family.
And many people thought, as I said, when Diana died, they thought, that may be it. Well, not after this.
COOPER: No.
MORGAN: So I think Kate has been great for Britain, for the royal family, fantastic.
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) from "Vogue", contributing editor. You -- your highlight of the day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her composure and her confidence. I was really worried that she would get overwhelmed by what was happening. But she really held it together.
And secondly, the dress. I was praying for McQueen and all my colleagues were. So, I think, I'm really impressed by her choice.
MORGAN: And he looked, by the way, like a movie star, like a scene out of, you know, like "An Officer and a Gentleman", it was really fabulous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could see you're wondering why the two mothers together. I thought that looked incredibly impressive.
MORGAN: Big, big moment. I kind of agree with Vera actually, the romantic moment in the church, in the Westminster Abbey when they were saying their vows, really, really special.
DEELEY: And there was a really key moment when she went out and they sat in the carriage together. And she turned to him and went, I'm so happy. You could see that was what she said to him. Those little tiny moments of real intimacy, I think, that give it away.
COOPER: And a day spent with the royal family. Let's end this hour of coverage and the next hour of coverage continues with a look back at what we've seen over the last six or seven hours.
Let's take a look at inside Hyde Park right now. The crowds who are there celebrating and no doubt will be there well into the night.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
