Royal Wedding guests: Chelsy Davy and Samantha Cameron in turquoise dresses at Westminster Abbey

By Deborah Arthurs
Last updated at 8:29 PM on 29th April 2011

Parliament Square turned into a fashion parade this morning as the Royal wedding guests arrived at Westminster Abbey.

Dozens of colourfully dressed invitees joined the queue at the North door of the Abbey clutching their much-coveted tickets.

Bright colours and top-to-toe shades were the order of the day, as Westminster Abbey was lit up with vibrant tones of teal, coral, cobalt and pink.

Among the first to arrive was on-off girlfriend of Prince Harry, Chelsy Davy, who arrived wearing an aqua green Alberta Ferretti skirt and off-the-shoulder jacket with a bow at the back, one of two outfits she had made for her by the Italian design house for the day.

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Her taupe lace hat was made for her by milliner Victoria Grant.

For the evening party, Miss Davy is said to have chosen an asymmetric midnight-blue satin gown.

Following closely behind - and in an almost identical tone to that of Chelsy  - Samantha Cameron arrived on the PM's arm, hitting the right note with her vivid teal silk sheath dress with elaborate pleats, designed by British fashion house Burberry.

The demure shoulders, high slash-cut neckline and on-the-knee length perfectly followed protocol for a guest at the royal nuptials, as well as SamCam's position as so-called First Lady of Britain.

The PM's wife accessorised with a contrasting bright orange scar jewelled hairclip by Erdem and nude shoes, said to be from High Street store Aldo but, in a move some will no doubt deem controversial, the PM's wife left her head bare.

She was followed by David and Victoria Beckham, he in a bespoke Ralph Lauren morning suit, she in a navy creation from her own collection, paired with a pillbox hat by Philip Treacy and Christian Louboutin shoes customised for her by the designer himself.

A larger-than-usual platform had been added to Ms Beckham's shoes to reduce the effect of the 6in heels, enabling the pregnant star to wear the heels for the entirety of the long day.

For better or for worse, Tara Palmer Tomkinson stunned onlookers with her eye-catching blue outfit.

Perhaps taking her lead from the Queen, who is known for her matching top-to-toe outfits, Ms Palmer Tomkinson wore an off-the-shoulder sheath dress with jaunty blue Philip Treacy hat decorated with a matching bloom, elbow-length leather gloves and studded platform shoes, all in an identical shade.

Arriving at the same time, singer Joss Stone - a close friend of William - attended wearing a coral sheath dress so vivid it was almost luminous with matching cropped jacket, matching shoes and a broad-brimmed straw hat adorned with delicate flowers.

Carole Middleton arrived at 10.30am sharp, wearing a simple elegant outfit in sky blue by Catherine Walker. The figure-skimming shift dress, worn with a hat by Berkshire-based Jane Corbett, was paired with a longer dress coat embellished with beautiful detail on the cuffs, very structured with a nipped-in waistline that emphasised her slim figure.

The quintessentially British label was a favourite of the late Princess of Wales and was the perfect choice for Ms Middleton, despite pale blue usually being the colour of choice for the Queen herself.

According to protocol though, the mother of the bride is offered first choice of colour for her outfit, followed by the Queen and then Camilla - a point which may have bothered the Queen, who is known to favour pale blue for Royal weddings, having chosen the shade for five out of the eight previous Royal weddings. Whether or not she was fazed though, one will never know, and the Queen looked resplendent in primrose yellow.

Looking nervous as she entered the church, the mother-of-the bride stopped to shake hands with church dignitaries before beginning the long walk down the aisle. 

Top gear: Princesses Eugenie, left, and Beatrice, right, arrive at Westminster Abbey wearing elaborate hats, with Eugenie in bright blue suit and Beatrice in taupe Valentino Haute Couture and Philip Treacy hat

Top hats: Guests looked smart but formal in elaborate dress coats in shimmering brocade or deep jewel-toned velvet, worn with stunning hats and fascinators

Wedding planners had managed to conjure up an intimate atmosphere within the immense Abbey, creating an extraordinary avenue of 20ft tall summer maple trees that contrasted with the austere slabs of stone and the incredible height of the building.

Stepping on to the 300ft-long red carpet running the length of the Abbey, the first of the 1,850 guests filed quietly into the majestic Abbey just after 8am to take their place in the pews, a three hour wait ahead of them before the ceremony was to begin.

Amid the ever-growing crowd glimpses of vivid scarlet could be spotted as members of the Irish Guard, the regiment of which William is an honorary colonel, arrived wearing the red uniform which is said to be the one William has chosen to wear to say his vows.

The last time the Irish Guard suit was worn was in 1973 by Captain Mark Philips for his wedding to Princess Anne.

Hats appeared to be big news at the Abbey, with almost every female guest wearing either a hat or fascinator.

Doubtlessly this was partly as a mark of religious respect for the venue, but also thanks to the fact that Britain has two world class milliners in Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones, both favoured by the royals and their guests.

Hats have enjoyed something of a revival in the fashion crowd of late, and with Victoria Beckham setting the standard in her chic navy pillbox and Chelsy in her subtle grey lace fascinator, a expect a cornucopia of colourful headgear followed on.

One whose head that went unadorned though was that of Samantha Cameron. The PM's wife made the controversial move of shunning either hat or fascinator.

Wardrobe malfunction: Poor Ffion Hague, pictured here with William, managed to injure her foot ahead of the wedding and was forced to arrive in a cast, which she matched to her dress

Chic: Samantha Cameron chose a vivid emerald sheath dress with elaborate pleats by British fashion house Burberry, with orange scarf, statement necklace and nude shoes - but the PM's wife left her head bare

Hat-free: PM David Cameron and wife Samantha, he in morning suit, she in a silk teal Burberry dress, accessorised with orange scarf and nude heels - noticeably lacking any form of headgear

Plunging: Earl Spencer's daughter Kitty reveals perhaps more than she bargained for as the overhead camera angle captures her cleavage in her daringly low-cut Victoria Beckham dress

Hats off: Fancy headgear was the name of the game for female guests at Westminster Abbey today, with pillbox, wide-brimmed beribboned styles and dramatic feathered fascinators making an appearance

Dizzy heights: Victoria Beckham wore 6in heels customised for her by Christian Louboutin with a large platform to reduce the effect of the heel height, making it easier for the star to wear the shoes for the long day

Looking Posh: David Beckham in Ralph Lauren morning suit and Victoria in a navy design from her own AW11 collection with a Philip Treacy pillbox hat

Majestic: Scenes inside Westminster Abbey reveal 20ft trees reaching up to the high vaulted roof of the Abbey

Arrivals: Guests file into the Abbey, including a member of the Irish Royal Guards wearing the distinctive red uniform William is to wear to say his vows