So those of us who said an early summer wedding at St Paul’s were wrong on all counts, writes Shirley Tart. And I for one had not taken into account just how romantic this young prince could be.

Because we now know he will walk his lovely young bride down the aisle of Westminster Abbey on Friday April 29 which is St Catherine of Sienna’s Day.

And when they leave the great Abbey as man and wife, she will also be Queen Catherine-in-waiting.

It has only been a week since the engagement was announced but already Prince William has shown a wonderful soft, loving and caring side while their first TV interview together confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that this is a very happy young couple who are deeply in love.

And now they have five months to prepare for the big day in the place William’s grandmother – the Queen – was married all those years ago and which has seen so many wonderful royal and state occasions, as well as the sad and solemn ceremonies as well – in our recent memory, the funeral of William’s mother Diana and of his great grandmother, the much loved Queen Mother.

But the most recent marriage thanksgiving was the service three years ago to mark the Diamond wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

She was the first British monarch to reach 60 years of marriage and her grandson, William, memorably contributed a reading to the service.

Now it is his turn to take centre stage with Kate (as she will always informally be known) for his own wedding. And anyone taking bets on this one would certainly say that the signs of a long and successful marriage are all there.

No-one can be in any doubt that this is a love match. I’ve seen all the others marry and while you wouldn’t ever have been any doubt about lasting qualities at the time (apart from Charles adding ‘whatever love is’ to a question on whether he loved Diana) but this union has a hallmark on it.

These two are actually 15th cousins if you go down the lineage. But the most important thing is that they are celebrating a love match.

They met, courted in the old fashioned way, lived discreetly together and really got to know each other.

William speaks so affectionately of Kate’s family, he is so protective of his fiancée and absolutely determined that this is to be their very special day as well as a state occasion.

The ceremony is likely to be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was in Shropshire a few weeks ago and who has already wished many blessings on the young couple.

There will be the great and the good, world leaders and countless royals, politicians galore and it may be a bank holiday.

But at the heart of this springtime ceremony will be a young couple who have lifted the heart of the nation with their love story and whose wedding day will be celebrated across the country and the world.

But nowhere more precious than in their own loving hearts.