Prince Harry decorated William and Kate's car with balloons and JU5T WED plate

But trust fun-loving Prince Harry to come up with the classic comedy moment - arranging for bride and groom to drive off in a traditional old banger with party balloons and a JU5T WED number plate.

OK, so this old banger was actually Prince Charles's ?350,000 open-topped Aston Martin.

But the time-honoured best man's prank delighted the thousands waiting outside Buckingham Palace - and had millions more watching on TV in fits of giggles.

Wills and Kate grinned broadly as they slowly drove 500 yards down The Mall to Clarence House - to cheers, laughter and applause.

MARRIED couple leave Palace in Aston Martin with "JU5T WED" registration

To complete the happy picture, a yellow Sea King rescue helicopter piloted by Wills' RAF colleagues flew overhead in tribute.

Harry had warned his brother he had a surprise in store. The bonnet of the 41-year-old classic motor sported red, white and blue ribbons and giant bows.

Balloons fluttered from the bumper - some bearing the newlyweds' initials and others shaped as hearts.

With the novelty number plate and an L plate, it was the kind of cheap and cheerful joke seen at ordinary weddings all over Britain - and would have been unthinkable at a posh Royal occasion even a few years ago.

Harry's exuberant prank - and Wills' good-natured response - is typical of the brothers' down-to-earth nature.

They have a lack of stuffiness that has endeared them to Royal fans everywhere - and is a touching reminder of the way their mother Diana won the hearts of millions the world over.

Wills wore a red Irish Guards tunic as he tied the knot but swapped it for an Irish Guards frock coat as he and Kate drove from the Palace in the Aston Martin after a buffet reception for 650 guests.

The helicopter fly-past was a surprise treat for Wills from colleagues in the RAF's Search and Rescue team.

The chopper, which had an RAF flag slung underneath as it circled The Mall, carried crew members from B Flight 22 Squadron, where Wills is a pilot.

It was flown by New Zealand-born squadron leader Holly Steel. Her co-pilot was Flight Lieutenant Lee Turner, awarded the Air Force Cross in March 2009 for helping to save crew members from a stricken ferry off Blackpool.

The fly-by was described as "a fitting tribute to acknowledge Prince William's role as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot".

Charles's blue 1970 Volante DB6 Mk II was a present from the Queen on his 21st birthday.

He and Diana were pictured enjoying a ride in the car in 1984, three years after their wedding. The Aston Martin has been converted to run on bioethanol distilled from surplus wine by environmentally-conscious Charles. It is kept at Highgrove and clocks up just 300 miles a year.

St James's Palace said: "The Prince of Wales was more than happy to loan the car to the couple for this special journey."

Met officers policing the Royal Wedding arrested 55 people. In the most serious incident a man of 38 was nicked for allegedly indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the Mall crowd.

Others were held for theft, being drunk and disorderly, possessing drugs and criminal damage.

More than a dozen anti-monarchy protesters were arrested for allegedly planning an invasion of a Crown building.

And three people from an anti-capitalist group were seized on the eve of the wedding for plotting a mock execution of a dummy dressed as Prince Andrew.

Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens said: "I am delighted with the way it has gone. We set out to make this event happy and safe. We have achieved that.

"It was extremely good-humoured and the public were brilliant."

A HORSE called Royal Wedding stormed to victory hours after Wills wed. Millions backed the 4-1 chance at Fontwell. Corals' David Stevens said: "The payout could be up to ?10million across the industry."

b.flynn@the-sun.co.uk

By RYAN SABEY

PRINCE Charles paid tribute to Kate yesterday - telling guests at the reception how grateful he was to have her join the family.

Her ex-headmaster Dr Bob Acheson revealed: "He said he was very lucky to have a daughter-in-law like Kate."

Charles also cracked jokes about son William's bald patch at the Buckingham Palace do right after the wedding. A guest said: "He joked about his own bald patch and his son's thinning hair, saying it must be hereditary.

"Everyone found it funny, including William and Kate."

William delighted guests by serving up a chocolate BISCUIT cake - made at his request- alongside the traditional eight-tier wedding cake.

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Kate's folks leave London hotel

Michael, Carole, Pippa and James Middleton posed briefly for photographs in casual clothes.

Pippa, who wowed a worldwide audience yesterday in her stunning bridesmaid dress, was wearing a blue blazer, cream buttoned shirt and tight white jeans.

They looked happy and relaxed, bearing no signs of the after-effects of last night's celebrations when they appeared at 1.45pm.

Mr Middleton told the gathered crowd: "We had a wonderful time."

They then got into a people carrier and drove off.

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Irish Traveller couple bid to match Wills and Kate's big day

Not to be outdone by the nation's blue bloods, the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding crowd have staged their own flamboyant "royal" wedding.

The aim was to create the most lavish wedding possible with no expense spared.

True to form it features a billowing bridal gown that will doubtless make Kate Middleton's frock look like a modest petticoat.

Irish travellers Mary and her hubby Paddy, who was too shy to appear on screen, tied the knot last week for a special Channel 4 show to air at 9pm on April 28 - the night before that other wedding somewhat further up the social ladder.

Maybe Kate will watch it herself as she prepares for her own big day.

"I just want to feel like a princess," declared 23-year-old bride Mary as she deliberated over exactly how long her wedding train should be.

She plumped for an extravagant 18ft number, which at 11ft wide was broader than the ivory taffeta and antique lace gown that Princess Diana dragged through the arches of St Paul's Cathedral three decades ago.

And then there were the "decorations", a mere 40,000 individual crystals that turned the snow white gown into a worthy stand-in for the Saturday Night Fever glitterball.

As with its gaudy predecessors, this lorry load of linen was the creation of show dressmaker Thelma Madine - Liverpool's latest household name.

She and her team of seamstresses were tasked with conjuring up a dress that would rival her soon-to-be Royal Highness's in just three weeks.

The gang set about their challenge working day and night to make the monster frock.

Never before had they sewed so many crystals into one dress.

They also had to create two mini versions for Mary's younger sisters, Nikita and Caitlin, who were "mini-brides" for the occasion - a tradition among some Irish travellers.

Her other sister, Margaret, 18, her mum and five bridesmaids also required sugar-pink dresses with crystal-encrusted bodices.

A source describing the scene said: "Poor Thelma and her team were drowning in all this material and sewing on the crystals was painstaking work.

"Most people take months to get weddings sorted but they were under the tightest deadline imaginable.

"Mary was very keen to impress that she should look like a princess on her big day.

"She spoke about Kate Middleton and how she wanted her wedding to be just as showy as she imagined Kate's would be.

"It's fair to say this was one of Thelma's toughest ever briefs."

Many travellers like to say that their appetite for flamboyant wedding frocks stems from Princess Di's ?9,000 Elizabeth Emanuel wedding dress - a thought that would probably amuse the late People's Princess.

Of course a gypsy wedding is not all about the dress, despite their gargantuan sizes.

Mary wore a crystal-encrusted tiara and carried a bouquet of white roses entwined in ribbon and covered with - you guessed it - more crystals.

And no princess is complete without her carriage, which came in the shape of a Katie Price-style bubble coach, in white.

Six horses (also white) were charged with delivering the bride to the wedding venue - and they certainly earned their keep.

The dress was so enormous Mary was a little lost inside. Margaret travelled ahead with the bridesmaids in a stretched limo to the venue - the Wood Green Animal Shelters "set in 52 acres of picturesque Cambridgeshire countryside".

She filled the chief bridesmaid role, just as Kate's sister Pippa will at the Royal Wedding.

And, as Kate is rumoured to be doing herself, Mary was late. A whole hour late. Poor old Paddy, also 23, was left fretting at the altar.

Again, as Kate will be forced to endure, TV cameras followed the couple's every "I Do" and "promise to love and cherish" and they emerged to huge applause from locals and fellow travellers. Pride of place at the reception was a gigantic cake that was a replica of her horses and carriage and matched Mary's dress for sheer extravagance.

Made by the same firm that toiled over the Disney castle cake featured in the hit series screened earlier this year, it was not without its problems.

As accustomed as the venue was to dealing with wedding cakes, it struggled to find a table big enough.

An eye-witness said: "There was a huge panic as this thing was absolutely enormous. It took two men to lift and it looked as though it was going to have to sit on the floor as there were no tables big enough.

"Fortunately the traveller community are nothing if not resourceful and a makeshift podium was created from three trestle tables."

It was all in a day's work for the Animal Shelter though, whose day job is finding homes for 5,500 lost and unwanted animals each year.

A spokesman said: "We pulled out all of the stops to ensure Wood Green looked absolutely stunning on the day.

"All of the staff involved worked tremendously hard to ensure the bride, groom and their families had a great time."

Buckingham Palace courtiers take note - don't scrimp on the trestle tables when Kate and Will retreat to the Queen's 306-year-old gaff after their nuptials.

Mary and Paddy, who have been with each other for three years, have already settled on their marital home - a caravan in their hometown of Peterborough. And they have committed themselves to a life of travel.

A show source said: "It really was a dream come true for Mary. She and Paddy might not have the millions that Kate and Wills have at their disposal.

"But they made the best of what they had and it was a day that they will cherish for ever."

c.robertson@the-sun.co.uk

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