Prince William & Kate Middleton – A Royal Wedding in London in 2012?

Word has it that Royal Courtiers have been instructed to start working on plans for a Royal Wedding for Prince William – possibly in the summer of 2012.

Apparently, the potential for a royal wedding is now being openly discussed by the British Royal Family and their aides at Buckingham Palace – and the possibility of tying the wedding to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, which are also taking place in the summer of 2012, the plans for which are at an advanced stage.

To add further significance, 2012 is also the year in which Prince William turns 30 – the age he famously said he was likely to get married. He is believed to be in no hurry to marry.

The Queen, meanwhile, has already insisted that her Diamond Jubilee celebrations be kept separate from the London Olympics in the summer of 2012, and is believed to have stated privately that she would be delighted if Prince William were to propose to Kate Middleton and their wedding were to coincide with her plans to celebrate her 60 years as the Queen of England.

However, The Queen has also told courtiers that she does not want to be ‘overburdened’ with official duties and extensive traveling in 2012 intends to hand over a number of duties to her children (Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward) as well as Princes William and Harry.

‘Nothing is set in stone but 2012 is the date that is now being talked about,’ one royal insider has said. ‘It will be William’s decision in consultation with the Queen.’ Prince William and Miss Middleton have been dating for six years.

If there were to be a royal wedding in the summer of 2012, fans of the British royal family would be able to enjoy two celebrations the like of which Britain has rarely witnessed.

In 1981, Prince Charles - Prince William's father - married Lady Diana Spencer on what was a memorable day. Crowds of 600,000 people crowded the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the happy couple on their wedding day.

The couple were married at St Paul's Cathedral before an invited congregation of 3,500 and an estimated global TV audience of 750 million - making it the most popular programme ever broadcast.

Britons enjoyed a national holiday to mark the occasion.

*UPDATE*

Prince William and Kate Middleton have now hired a wedding planner - and it isn't Jennifer Lopez. In fact, Sarah Sienesi, a "wedding and event consultant", has reportedly been appointed as a lady-in-waiting to the Countess of Wessex (Sophie, wife of Prince Edward, Prince William's uncle).