The news has been out for just a few hours, and already there’s a bit of a hullabaloo about the first major Royal wedding in nearly 30 years. Congratulations to Prince William and his bride-to-be, Kate Middleton- but who’s going to pay for the ceremony, the day, the pomp and splendour that goes with it? Are we about to witness the first high-profile austere Royal wedding of recent times, or will the British taxpayer foot the bill?

In defence of the Royal family, there has been a definite willingness to find ways to aid the series of cutbacks made by the government in their post-election budget – even to the extent of cancelling this year’s annual Royal Household Christmas party. They have recognised the need to reduce their outlay and not appear out of touch with the rest of the British public.

In terms of an international marketing opportunity, a royal family wedding can guarantee wall-to-wall media coverage of the whole event. However, in terms of marketing the modern Royal family (and a marriage of the future monarch), can a watered down ceremony win back disassociated British citizens and placate anti-monarchists- or merely turn away the pro-monarchists and reduce the allure of a British Royal wedding to the rest of the world?

While there is a definite risk that perceived extravagance will anger anti-monarchists (and more dangerously, the neutral observer), Prince William’s parents, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were able to get away with it at their 1981  wedding ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral, despite the wedding taking place in another era of economic turbulence.

One way of raising capital would be to follow the traditional celebrity way of blagging a free wedding with all the trimmings and to sell their photographic soul to a glossy magazine (e.g. OK! or Hello!) This would be sacrilegious in the world of the Royal family- and certainly a change in protocol.

Nevertheless, it has been done before- albeit on a far smaller scale. Two years ago the wedding of the Queen’s eldest grandchild, Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly was paid for by Hello! Magazine to the tune of £500,000. That’s just a minor royal (Peter Phillips is 11^th in line to the throne) – just imagine how much a Prince William-Kate Middleton wedding would be worth.

Hello! might have scuppered their chances of a repeat shoot (and for any other magazine for that matter). A number of ‘private’ photos found their way into Hello’s! collection and the sight of the likes of Prince Harry, his former girlfriend, Chelsy Davy and Kate Middleton surrounded by vodka and champagne did not amuse the Queen…

Surely, if a deal could be struck and the security, rules and censorship of the photography could be agreed, it would be the perfect opportunity for the royal family to show a more human image of themselves, while saving money at  the same time? If interest in the Royal Family subsides- what is their actual role in a modern society, other than through constitution or history?

Selling the photographic rights would be a groundbreaking magazine cover deal and the copyright to the images would be worth a fortune. Once the Queen vacates her throne, the future of the British monarchy brand is at stake- can low key weddings maintain their brand and unique selling point?