Royals book rented minibuses for wedding (but Charles is going in his Roller)
Forget fairytale carriages and footmen in full costume - most of the royal family will be travelling at the royal wedding in rented minibuses.
Many of the senior members of the family, including Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, have agreed to take rented coaches to Westminster Abbey on April 29 in a bid to minimise security and keep costs down.
The Crown Prince of Bahrain, the King of Bhutan, the Queen of Denmark and the Sultan of Brunei have also been told they will be taken to the church by the minibuses, which have been organised by Buckingham Palace.
However, Prince Charles and Camilla will use his chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. According to the Daily Mail, an aide said he was 'not prepared' to arrive at his son's wedding in a rented minibus.
The Queen and Prince Philip are also expected to arrive in something more regal, but the groom and his best man Prince Harry will arrive by car, as will the bride and her father.
Spectators will still get to see lots of pomp and glory, however. After the service, the newlyweds will travel to Buckingham Palace in the open-topped carriage used by Charles and Diana after their wedding in 1981.
A courtier said: 'The buses have been sorted and have been deemed the most appropriate form of transport. Buses were used for the Golden Jubilee and Prince Charles's wedding to Camilla in Windsor and were deemed a great success.
'The buses will be operating a shuttle service all morning to get everyone to the church on time.
'The buses are practical because they will help eliminate traffic on the morning as there won't be carriages and cars creating a backlog. Eliminating a fleet of the Queen's limos for guests will also keep the costs down.'
Both William and Kate are understood to be mindful of costs and have approved the use of buses on their wedding day. The price of hiring a bus is £400 a day.
Several firms are tendering for the job. Buckingham Palace also has a small fleet of buses which could be used.
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