LEADIN

Royal excitement is building in Berlin as Britain's Prince William and Princess Catherine, with their children George and Charlotte, are set to arrive on Wednesday (19 July).

Children at a social centre in the east of the capital are busy with a special British tradition: making Union Jack bunting to make the Royals feel welcome.

STORYLINE

The children at the "Youth house Bolle," a social centre for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the east of Berlin, are working hard.

They are printing Union Jack flags and hanging them on strings to make bunting - a very British way to get ready for a party.

Germany does not have its own royal household, but on Wednesday Price William and Princess Catherine - also known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - will visit the centre on their first day in the German capital.

They might even bring their children George and Charlotte with them.

The children at Bolle House have been learning about the United Kingdom to prepare for the visit.

Ten-year-old Dean Vorpahl lets everyone know that he knows the colours of the Union Jack flag.

"We make bands with English flags. We have also bands around our wrists with the English colors: white, red and blue," he says.

Around 100 children, from young school children to teenagers, visit the centre each week.

The district is one of the poorest in the German capital, and most of the children in the centre come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

At the centre they get healthy food, can do their homework and of course play.

But on Wednesday there will be no homework, the children are going to show their flags and enjoy the commotion that comes with a celebrity visit.

"On Wednesday Prince William will come with his Duchess Kate to the youth Club Bolle," says Vorpahl.

"There are going to be a lot of police here. And lots of people doing interviews with cameras."

The children have watched videos from the Royal wedding in 2011.

They have also tried to learn a bit of English.

"Many of them are really excited. It is something big when a real prince comes. It is really great," says Stefanie Milios who works at the centre.

Youth house Bolle was founded in 2010 and is a part of an organisation called "Strassenkinder" which translates to "street children."

It is a place for the children to spend their afternoons after school before returning to their homes.

Youth house Bolle runs on donations, and a royal visit can help with fundraising, says Eckhard Baumann who founded the centre.

"First of all, we are thinking that maybe the children will be motivated to learn a bit of English. If they get to know this country a bit and learn a bit of English then it would be a success," he says

"But of course it would also be really great if the public would notice us a bit."

The Royal Family will arrive in Berlin on Wednesday morning.

Prince William will start the day by holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Then the Duke and Duchess will visit the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust memorial, in the centre of the capital.

The memorial was built in 2004 and consists of 2711 individual concrete slabs arranged in rows.

The memorial commemorates the millions of Jewish people that were murdered by the National Socialist regime of Adolf Hitler before and during the Second World War.

There are other memorials for other targeted groups in the city, but this one is fully focused on the murdered Jews.

Architect Peter Eisenmann designed the memorial to be open, and without information texts and pictures.

"It is a space for free associations," says Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance'

"That means that you enter the memorial and you can let the memorial make an impression on you."

The memorial is one of most visited tourist sites in Berlin.

The ground is slanted, so when the visitors reach the centre of the memorial, the surrounding world slowly disappears.

"Many people feel lost in the memorial," says Kerpel-Fronius

"They feel like they can't find a way out. Other people think that because the rows are relatively straight, and you can always see the exits and that life continues outside with the noise of the city, they start thinking about how they are her in 2017 and about what the Holocaust has to do with us now."

The Royal family will also visit Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday.

The 18th-century neoclassical gate is one of the best know landmarks in Germany.

Here Prince William and Princess Catherine will "greet the crowds that will have gathered at the gate," according to a press release by Clarence House.

The royal trip started on July 17 in Poland where the family visited Warsaw, the former Nazi concentration camp Stutthof, and Gdansk.

After the visit to Berlin, the Royal family will visit the German cities of Heidelberg and Hamburg before returning to London on July 21.

Berlin - 17 July 2017

1. Children and staff at the "Youth house Bolle" that Prince William and Princess Catherine will visit on Wednesday

2. Close of British flags on table

3. Various of children and staff making British flag bunting

4. Various of child colouring British flag

5. Dean Vorpahl cutting British flag for bunting

6. SOUNDBITE: (German), Dean Vorpahl, 10-year old:

"We make bands with English flags. We have also bands around our wrists with the English colours: white, red and blue."

7. Vorpahl cutting British flag

8. Various of children making bunting

9. SOUNDBITE: (German), Dean Vorpahl, 10-year old:

"On Wednesday Prince William will come with his Duchess Kate to the youth Club Bolle. There are going to be a lot of police here. And lots of people doing interviews with cameras."

10. Vorpahl and boy holding bunting and British flag

11. Close of Vorpahl and British flag

12. Youth house worker Stefanie Milios putting up bunting

13. SOUNDBITE: (German), Stefanie Milios, Youth worker:

"Many of them are really excited. It is something big when a real prince comes. It is really great"

14. Children playing table football, pan to poster on wall with British flag and photos of Prince William and Princess Catherine

15. Close of poster

16. Children playing table football

17. SOUNDBITE: (German), Eckhard Baumann, founder of "Youth house Bolle":

"First of all, we are thinking that maybe the children will be motivated to learn a bit of English. If they get to know this country a bit and learn a bit of English then it would be a success. But of course, it would also be really great if the public would notice us a bit."

18. Exterior of "Youth house Bolle"

19. British flags in window

20. Various of 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe' in central Berlin, that Prince William and Princess Catherine will visit on Wednesday

21. Wide of man walking among concrete slabs in memorial

22. Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance', walking along concrete slabs

23. SOUNDBITE: (German), Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance':

"It is a space for free associations. That means that you enter the memorial and you can let the memorial make an impression on you."

24. People walking in memorial

25. Pull focus from slab of concrete to back of boy walking in memorial

26. Various wide of memorial

27. Moving shot inside memorial

28. SOUNDBITE: (German), Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance':

"Many people feel lost in the memorial. They feel like they can't find a way out. Other people think that because the rows are relatively straight, and you can always see the exits and that life continues outside with the noise of the city, they start thinking about how they are here in 2017 and about what the Holocaust has to do with us now."

29. Wide of Brandenburg Gate that Prince William and Princess Catherine will visit on Wednesday

30. Close of Brandenburg Gate

31. Man playing a street organ in front of Brandenburg Gate

32. Organ grinder taking hat off

33. Wide of German Parliament building, Prince William and Princess Catherine will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday

34. Close of writing on building reading: (German) "The German Peoples"

35. Close of German flag on Parliament building

LEADIN

Royal excitement is building in Berlin as Britain's Prince William and Princess Catherine, with their children George and Charlotte, are set to arrive on Wednesday (19 July).

Children at a social centre in the east of the capital are busy with a special British tradition: making Union Jack bunting to make the Royals feel welcome.

STORYLINE

The children at the "Youth house Bolle," a social centre for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the east of Berlin, are working hard.

They are printing Union Jack flags and hanging them on strings to make bunting - a very British way to get ready for a party.

Germany does not have its own royal household, but on Wednesday Price William and Princess Catherine - also known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - will visit the centre on their first day in the German capital.

They might even bring their children George and Charlotte with them.

The children at Bolle House have been learning about the United Kingdom to prepare for the visit.

Ten-year-old Dean Vorpahl lets everyone know that he knows the colours of the Union Jack flag.

"We make bands with English flags. We have also bands around our wrists with the English colors: white, red and blue," he says.

Around 100 children, from young school children to teenagers, visit the centre each week.

The district is one of the poorest in the German capital, and most of the children in the centre come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

At the centre they get healthy food, can do their homework and of course play.

But on Wednesday there will be no homework, the children are going to show their flags and enjoy the commotion that comes with a celebrity visit.

"On Wednesday Prince William will come with his Duchess Kate to the youth Club Bolle," says Vorpahl.

"There are going to be a lot of police here. And lots of people doing interviews with cameras."

The children have watched videos from the Royal wedding in 2011.

They have also tried to learn a bit of English.

"Many of them are really excited. It is something big when a real prince comes. It is really great," says Stefanie Milios who works at the centre.

Youth house Bolle was founded in 2010 and is a part of an organisation called "Strassenkinder" which translates to "street children."

It is a place for the children to spend their afternoons after school before returning to their homes.

Youth house Bolle runs on donations, and a royal visit can help with fundraising, says Eckhard Baumann who founded the centre.

"First of all, we are thinking that maybe the children will be motivated to learn a bit of English. If they get to know this country a bit and learn a bit of English then it would be a success," he says

"But of course it would also be really great if the public would notice us a bit."

The Royal Family will arrive in Berlin on Wednesday morning.

Prince William will start the day by holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Then the Duke and Duchess will visit the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust memorial, in the centre of the capital.

The memorial was built in 2004 and consists of 2711 individual concrete slabs arranged in rows.

The memorial commemorates the millions of Jewish people that were murdered by the National Socialist regime of Adolf Hitler before and during the Second World War.

There are other memorials for other targeted groups in the city, but this one is fully focused on the murdered Jews.

Architect Peter Eisenmann designed the memorial to be open, and without information texts and pictures.

"It is a space for free associations," says Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance'

"That means that you enter the memorial and you can let the memorial make an impression on you."

The memorial is one of most visited tourist sites in Berlin.

The ground is slanted, so when the visitors reach the centre of the memorial, the surrounding world slowly disappears.

"Many people feel lost in the memorial," says Kerpel-Fronius

"They feel like they can't find a way out. Other people think that because the rows are relatively straight, and you can always see the exits and that life continues outside with the noise of the city, they start thinking about how they are her in 2017 and about what the Holocaust has to do with us now."

The Royal family will also visit Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday.

The 18th-century neoclassical gate is one of the best know landmarks in Germany.

Here Prince William and Princess Catherine will "greet the crowds that will have gathered at the gate," according to a press release by Clarence House.

The royal trip started on July 17 in Poland where the family visited Warsaw, the former Nazi concentration camp Stutthof, and Gdansk.

After the visit to Berlin, the Royal family will visit the German cities of Heidelberg and Hamburg before returning to London on July 21.

Berlin - 17 July 2017

1. Children and staff at the "Youth house Bolle" that Prince William and Princess Catherine will visit on Wednesday

2. Close of British flags on table

3. Various of children and staff making British flag bunting

4. Various of child colouring British flag

5. Dean Vorpahl cutting British flag for bunting

6. SOUNDBITE: (German), Dean Vorpahl, 10-year old:

"We make bands with English flags. We have also bands around our wrists with the English colours: white, red and blue."

7. Vorpahl cutting British flag

8. Various of children making bunting

9. SOUNDBITE: (German), Dean Vorpahl, 10-year old:

"On Wednesday Prince William will come with his Duchess Kate to the youth Club Bolle. There are going to be a lot of police here. And lots of people doing interviews with cameras."

10. Vorpahl and boy holding bunting and British flag

11. Close of Vorpahl and British flag

12. Youth house worker Stefanie Milios putting up bunting

13. SOUNDBITE: (German), Stefanie Milios, Youth worker:

"Many of them are really excited. It is something big when a real prince comes. It is really great"

14. Children playing table football, pan to poster on wall with British flag and photos of Prince William and Princess Catherine

15. Close of poster

16. Children playing table football

17. SOUNDBITE: (German), Eckhard Baumann, founder of "Youth house Bolle":

"First of all, we are thinking that maybe the children will be motivated to learn a bit of English. If they get to know this country a bit and learn a bit of English then it would be a success. But of course, it would also be really great if the public would notice us a bit."

18. Exterior of "Youth house Bolle"

19. British flags in window

20. Various of 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe' in central Berlin, that Prince William and Princess Catherine will visit on Wednesday

21. Wide of man walking among concrete slabs in memorial

22. Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance', walking along concrete slabs

23. SOUNDBITE: (German), Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance':

"It is a space for free associations. That means that you enter the memorial and you can let the memorial make an impression on you."

24. People walking in memorial

25. Pull focus from slab of concrete to back of boy walking in memorial

26. Various wide of memorial

27. Moving shot inside memorial

28. SOUNDBITE: (German), Adam Kerpel-Fronius, project leader for 'European sites of remembrance':

"Many people feel lost in the memorial. They feel like they can't find a way out. Other people think that because the rows are relatively straight, and you can always see the exits and that life continues outside with the noise of the city, they start thinking about how they are here in 2017 and about what the Holocaust has to do with us now."

29. Wide of Brandenburg Gate that Prince William and Princess Catherine will visit on Wednesday

30. Close of Brandenburg Gate

31. Man playing a street organ in front of Brandenburg Gate

32. Organ grinder taking hat off

33. Wide of German Parliament building, Prince William and Princess Catherine will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday

34. Close of writing on building reading: (German) "The German Peoples"

35. Close of German flag on Parliament building

SHOTLIST

AP Entertainment

London, 26 April, 2011

1. Tower of London with tour boat sailing past on river in foreground

2. Tower of London walls and buildings

3. Tourists clambering down stairs on Tower of London rampart

4. Reverse shot of group of American tourists, all dressed identically in red outfits and hats with American flags, looking at Tower of London

5. Front view of Americans standing in line

6. Tourists displaying hands all with identical rings, copies of Kate Middleton's engagement ring

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcia Anderson, 49-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Oklahoma City, United States:

"London's just a great city. Great history - obviously the Tower and everything here. But then to have the royals and to be able to come and see all the royal things...."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Boepple, 49-year-old retiree from Cyprus, Texas, United States - and twin sister of Marcia Anderson:

"The thousands of years of history is what's exciting and walking in their (the royal family's) footsteps and enjoy the places that we know that they've been."

8. Tourists walking along Tower of London concourse

9. Tourist taking photograph

10. Tourists walking along walls of Tower of London

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Keohane, Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London:

"There's so much tradition and this is what I think - especially our visitors from the United States or (elsewhere) abroad - come here to see. They want to come and see all what the British monarchy is all about and why it's so important to all of us that live here in this great country."

12. Group of German tourists looking at guide book

13. Tourists' hands and guide book

14. SOUNDBITE: (German) Jonathan Soenenan, 30 year-old tourist from Berlin, Germany:

"We hadn't planned to come here for the royal wedding and it's a coincidence that it's happening while we're here. There's lots going on that we didn't expect, but I might go down on the day and wave at the royal couple!"

15. Tourists walking along concourse

16. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Massimo Caneva, tourist from Treviso, Italy:

"It's fun for the children, especially to see the crown jewels, as well as other things connected to queens and kings, and so they're having a great time."

17. Caneva and family walking away from camera

18. Long shot of Tower of London concourse with tourists walking

19. Tourist taking photograph next to river with Tower of London in background - pans right to show group posing for photograph in front of Tower Bridge

20. Tourists with camera looking at river

21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jacqueline French, spokesperson for London and Partners, the official promotional agency for London:

"What we are hoping is that the royal wedding will really put a spotlight on London. There's an approximate four (b) billion people will be watching the wedding overseas. We've got the queen's jubilee next year, as well as the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And all of this will create a sense of fun and great atmosphere in London that hopefully people will want to be a part of."

22. Group of tourists by river with map and camera

23. Wide shot of Tower Bridge and River Thames with tourists walking

STORYLINE

ROYAL WEDDING ATTRACTS FOREIGN VISITORS IN LARGE NUMBERS

The British capital is witnessing a boom in tourism ahead of Friday's royal wedding.

Some London landmarks are reporting swelling numbers of international visitors, many of whom say they're here primarily because of Prince William and Kate Middleton's 29 April nuptials.

Tourists were flocking to the Tower of London on Tuesday (26 April).

The iconic landmark by the River Thames, with its 900 years of royal history, is a regular stop on the tourist trail.

But numbers are definitely up, according to officials.

For the week beginning 18 April, it recorded its highest weekly number of visitors in 12 years - some 91,000.

And visitors have topped 13,000 on a single day on four separate occasions over the past week - a feat normally only achieved twice in a whole year.

One group of five American women confirmed it was the royal wedding which had drawn them over to the UK.

Excitedly visiting as many landmarks with royal connections as they could during their stay, the women had certainly dressed for the part.

They wore matching red hats, complete with American flags, and identical red outfits.

Each also sported on their finger a copy of Kate Middleton's engagement ring, which originally belonged to William's mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Twin sisters Marcia Anderson, from Oklahoma City, and Mary Boepple (pronounced "bep-lay"), from Cyprus, Texas, were enjoying their fourth visit to London.

But it was the wedding which brought them back again this time, they said.

"London's just a great city. Great history - obviously the Tower and everything here. But then to have the royals and to be able to come and see royal things...." Anderson enthused.

John Keohane is Chief Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London.

He heads a team responsible for the security of the Crown Jewels, which the Tower has housed since 1303.

They also act as Tower tour guides - and have been run off their feet with the extra visitors numbers in recent days, according to Keohane.

Keohane said he felt sure the royal wedding was responsible for the increased numbers.

"There's so much tradition and this is what I think - especially our visitors from the United States or (elsewhere) abroad - come here to see. They want to come and see all what the British monarchy is all about and why it's so important to all of us that live here in this great country," he said.

Tower authorities were pleased with the increased visitor numbers, which they said would help them maintain the landmark, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Not all visitors admitted to being here solely for the wedding, however.

"We hadn't planned to come here for the royal wedding and it's a coincidence that it's happening while we're here," said German tourist Jonathan Soenenan, who was visiting the UK from Berlin with his sister.

However, he added: "I might go down on the day and wave at the royal couple!"

Italian tourist Massimo Caneva, from Treviso in northern Italy, said the fascination with all things royal was a stimulus for his two young children.

"It's fun for the children, especially to see the crown jewels, as well as other things connected to queens and kings, and so they're having a great time," he said.

Jacqueline French, a spokesperson for London and Partners, the official promotional agency for the British capital, said the royal wedding had undoubtedly been a major draw.

She said her agency was expecting around 600,000 visitors to come to London specifically for the royal wedding, a figure based on the numbers who had travelled 30 years ago to witness the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

The wedding would act as a beacon for tourists for the year ahead, she added.

"What we are hoping is that the royal wedding will help put a spotlight on London. There's an approximate four (b) billion people will be watching the wedding overseas. We've got the queen's jubilee next year, as well as the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And all of this will create a sense of fun and great atmosphere in London that hopefully people will want to be a part of," French explained.

Looking ahead to Friday's wedding, French said that visitors would want to be able to tell friends and family that they here in London on the big day, as it was an historical event.

SHOTLIST

1. Tower of London with tour boat sailing past on river in foreground

2. Tower of London walls and buildings

3. Tourists clambering down stairs on Tower of London rampart

4. Reverse shot of group of American tourists, all dressed identically in red outfits and hats with American flags, looking at Tower of London

5. Front view of Americans standing in line

6. Tourists displaying hands all with identical rings, copies of Kate Middleton's engagement ring

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcia Anderson, 49-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Oklahoma City, United States:

"London's just a great city. Great history - obviously the Tower and everything here. But then to have the royals and to be able to come and see all the royal things...."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Mary Boepple, 49-year-old retiree from Cyprus, Texas, United States - and twin sister of Marcia Anderson:

"The thousands of years of history is what's exciting and walking in their (the royal family's) footsteps and enjoy the places that we know that they've been."

8. Tourists walking along Tower of London concourse

9. Tourist taking photograph

10. Tourists walking along walls of Tower of London

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Keohane, Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London:

"There's so much tradition and this is what I think - especially our visitors from the United States or (elsewhere) abroad - come here to see. They want to come and see all what the British monarchy is all about and why it's so important to all of us that live here in this great country."

12. Group of German tourists looking at guide book

13. Tourists' hands and guide book

14. SOUNDBITE: (German) Jonathan Soenenan, 30 year-old tourist from Berlin, Germany:

"We hadn't planned to come here for the royal wedding and it's a coincidence that it's happening while we're here. There's lots going on that we didn't expect, but I might go down on the day and wave at the royal couple!"

15. Tourists walking along concourse

16. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Massimo Caneva, tourist from Treviso, Italy:

"It's fun for the children, especially to see the crown jewels, as well as other things connected to queens and kings, and so they're having a great time."

17. Caneva and family walking away from camera

18. Long shot of Tower of London concourse with tourists walking

19. Tourist taking photograph next to river with Tower of London in background - pans right to show group posing for photograph in front of Tower Bridge

20. Tourists with camera looking at river

21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jacqueline French, spokesperson for London and Partners, the official promotional agency for London:

"What we are hoping is that the royal wedding will really put a spotlight on London. There's an approximate four (b) billion people will be watching the wedding overseas. We've got the queen's jubilee next year, as well as the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And all of this will create a sense of fun and great atmosphere in London that hopefully people will want to be a part of."

22. Group of tourists by river with map and camera

23. Wide shot of Tower Bridge and River Thames with tourists walking

STORYLINE:

The British capital is witnessing a boom in tourism ahead of Friday's royal wedding.

Some London landmarks are reporting swelling numbers of international visitors, many of whom say they're here primarily because of Prince William and Kate Middleton's 29 April nuptials.

Tourists were flocking to the Tower of London on Tuesday.

The iconic landmark by the River Thames, with its 900 years of royal history, is a regular stop on the tourist trail.

But numbers are definitely up, according to officials.

For the week beginning 18 April, it recorded its highest weekly number of visitors in 12 years - some 91,000.

And visitors have topped 13,000 on a single day on four separate occasions over the past week - a feat normally only achieved twice in a whole year.

One group of five American women confirmed it was the royal wedding which had drawn them over to the UK.

Excitedly visiting as many landmarks with royal connections as they could during their stay, the women had certainly dressed for the part.

They wore matching red hats, complete with American flags, and identical red outfits.

Each also sported on their finger a copy of Kate Middleton's engagement ring, which originally belonged to William's mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Twin sisters Marcia Anderson, from Oklahoma City, and Mary Boepple (pronounced "bep-lay"), from Cyprus, Texas, were enjoying their fourth visit to London.

But it was the wedding which brought them back again this time, they said.

"London's just a great city. Great history - obviously the Tower and everything here. But then to have the royals and to be able to come and see royal things...." Anderson enthused.

John Keohane is Chief Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London.

He heads a team responsible for the security of the Crown Jewels, which the Tower has housed since 1303.

They also act as Tower tour guides - and have been run off their feet with the extra visitors numbers in recent days, according to Keohane.

Keohane said he felt sure the royal wedding was responsible for the increased numbers.

"There's so much tradition and this is what I think - especially our visitors from the United States or (elsewhere) abroad - come here to see. They want to come and see all what the British monarchy is all about and why it's so important to all of us that live here in this great country," he said.

Tower authorities were pleased with the increased visitor numbers, which they said would help them maintain the landmark, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Not all visitors admitted to being here solely for the wedding, however.

"We hadn't planned to come here for the royal wedding and it's a coincidence that it's happening while we're here," said German tourist Jonathan Soenenan, who was visiting the UK from Berlin with his sister.

However, he added: "I might go down on the day and wave at the royal couple!"

Italian tourist Massimo Caneva, from Treviso in northern Italy, said the fascination with all things royal was a stimulus for his two young children.

"It's fun for the children, especially to see the crown jewels, as well as other things connected to queens and kings, and so they're having a great time," he said.

Jacqueline French, a spokesperson for London and Partners, the official promotional agency for the British capital, said the royal wedding had undoubtedly been a major draw.

She said her agency was expecting around 600,000 visitors to come to London specifically for the royal wedding, a figure based on the numbers who had travelled 30 years ago to witness the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

The wedding would act as a beacon for tourists for the year ahead, she added.

"What we are hoping is that the royal wedding will help put a spotlight on London. There's an approximate four (b) billion people will be watching the wedding overseas. We've got the queen's jubilee next year, as well as the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And all of this will create a sense of fun and great atmosphere in London that hopefully people will want to be a part of," French explained.

Looking ahead to Friday's wedding, French said that visitors would want to be able to tell friends and family that they here in London on the big day, as it was an historical event.