Prince William, Kate Middleton depart palace

[April 30, 2011]  LONDON (AP) -- Prince William and Kate Middleton departed Buckingham Palace by helicopter Saturday morning and the newlyweds will soon start their honeymoon. But their destination has been kept a closely guarded secret.

The couple, who married Friday at an opulent ceremony at Westminster Abbey, walked to the helipad wearing casual clothes and stopped to shake hands with staff members before heading off.

Middleton, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge, wore a blue and white print dress cut just above the knee with a black jacket. William wore pressed khaki slacks and a sports jacket. The couple looked relaxed as they left the palace for their first trip together as husband and wife.

William has two weeks leave from his military duty as a Royal Air Force helicopter rescue pilot, officials said. But they have not revealed where the couple is going for their honeymoon. William and Middleton are believed to want to spend their time in a private location without media intrusion.

The couple has a wide range of honeymoon options, including a stay at Queen Elizabeth II's vast Balmoral Estate in Scotland, where they would likely have the privacy needed to evade paparazzi.

William at one point hinted he might take Middleton to Australia for a scuba-diving honeymoon, but it is also possible they would opt for a private island in the Caribbean, the Seychelles, an archipelago of more than 100 islands off Africa, or an outdoorsy trip to Jordan that would include a visit to Petra.

The honeymoon is expected to be briefer than that of William's parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, who combined a two-week Mediterranean cruise with several extended breaks in Britain.

William and Middleton celebrated their wedding in style Friday night and Saturday morning with a dinner and dance party at Buckingham Palace hosted by Charles. Middleton wore a second gown designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen fashion house, while William wore a double-breasted tuxedo.

Some of the prominent guests, including Middleton's sister Pippa and Prince Harry's sometimes girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, returned to their rooms at the Goring Hotel at about 3 a.m. Saturday as the palace celebrations wound down.

Harry had announced plans to make an early morning "fry up" breakfast for anyone with the constitution to stay awake through the night, but it is not known how many hungry partygoers he fed.

There was no fear about keeping quiet to avoid waking grandma -- Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip had left the palace to the kids and retreated to another royal residence.

There were few signs of activity Saturday morning after the party ended, but Charles was up early to reclaim his rare Aston Martin Volante convertible, which he had loaned to William and Middleton on their wedding day.

Middleton's family was making preparations to leave their London base at the Goring Hotel. They are thought to be heading back to their home in Bucklebury, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of London.

William and Middleton dazzled crowds outside Buckingham Palace when the prince emerged from the gates at the wheel of the Aston Martin, which had balloons on the back and a "Just Wed" license plate, to drive his new bride to their official residence nearby Friday afternoon.

The often contentious British media pronounced the wedding day an unqualified success, filling special souvenir editions with dozens of photos from a day that saw an estimated 1 million people throng the streets and parks of London to celebrate.

[Associated Press; By GREGORY KATZ]

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