Celebrations: The indigo sky above Kate's hometown of Bucklebury is lit up with fireworks as villagers mark the occasion of the royal wedding with festivities
In the pink: A stunning scene over Bucklebury's local pub brings an end to a day of street parties and revelry
Flashback: One last look: Unable to resist a backward glance, Kate leaves the balcony with her proud husband
Party-goers said that both William and Harry used the evening to pay moving tributes to their late mother, Princess Diana.
‘All the speeches mentioned Diana. Of course they did, she was their mother after all,’ said one.
After the speeches William and Kate took to the dance floor by themselves for the first dance, a rendition of Elton John’s Your Song sung by Ellie Goulding.
The 24-year-old singer – the only act to perform during the night – was chosen by the couple because she is their favourite artist.
‘It was an amazing honour to be asked by Kate and William to perform at their party. The atmosphere was incredible and it is a night I will never forget,’ she said yesterday.
The music continued until 2am. Among the songs played were You’re The One That I Want from the musical Grease. William had requested songs by rapper Tinie Tempah and the Body Rockers’ I Like The Way You Move.
Even the mother of the bride had a request and asked for the 1986 Jermaine Stewart song We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off to be played.
Two female party-goers said the dancing was ‘fun and outrageous’, adding: ‘There was a chicken dance with lots of arm flapping, which was particularly good fun. Everyone was on the dance floor. The guests were really up for partying.’
Even back-room staff weren’t exempt – Buckingham Palace catering staff said the Palace threw a party for workers with bottles of Jacobs Creek wine, Boddingtons beer, vodka and gin on the menu.
Just after midnight the first guests began to leave. Among them were Charles and Camilla, the official hosts of the event, who were whisked through the main Palace gates at 12.20am looking happy and relaxed despite the long day.
At 2.45am loud cheers could be heard from over the Palace walls as a fireworks display was let off in the back garden. Partygoers whooped and cheered as red and white rockets were fired in short bursts.
By 3am only a handful of hardened party-goers were left inside the Palace, including Harry, Chelsy and Pippa.
Family man: Michael Middleton, pictured out in London today, spoke of his pleasure at the warmth with which the Royals had welcomed the MIddletons into the fold
Royal departure: Prince Charles is driven away from Clarence House in his Aston Martin which William used to drive Kate on Friday with the numberplate 'Just Wed'
Flashback: William drives his new wife in his father's soft top, decorated in balloons, out of Buckingham Palace and down to Clarence House
3am and Harry keeps the festivities going
At 3.10am Harry, wearing a black dinner jacket and white dress shirt with three buttons undone, emerged to lead revellers on to the second venue of the night – the nearby Goring hotel.
The 101-year-old hotel, which had been hired out in its entirety by the Middleton family, became the focus for guests looking to continue partying into the small hours.
In what appeared to be a well-organised procedure, a convoy of three silver coaches, each filled with around 30 guests, was used to transport revellers from Buckingham Palace.
Harry, who seemed in high spirits, sat in the front row of seats, directly behind the coach driver as he was taken from the Palace, with Pippa in the row behind him.
A black Range Rover followed close behind carrying Chelsy, 25, and Prince Andrew’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Chelsy and Eugenie were in the back seat and Beatrice, wearing a purple and gold one-shouldered dress, in the front.
The Princesses stayed at the party for an hour before departing in a taxi at 4.08am.
Police had already sealed all four road entrances to The Goring hotel preventing anyone other than Royal guests accessing the hotel entrance, which was adorned with white and pink hydrangeas and red geraniums mounted on garlands of ivy.
As he arrived at The Goring, Harry bolted from the coach and into the hotel foyer where he was greeted by hotel staff and security who took the names of partygoers at the door.
Butlers in bowler hats welcomed revellers in via the tented porch and through the front door.
Other guests followed on foot, some swigging from champagne bottles as they made the five-minute walk along the deserted streets around Buckingham Palace to The Goring.
Many guests were spotted clutching handbag-sized presents wrapped in gold paper – believed to be wedding favours from the couple.
At one point several of the guests who walked to the hotel took part in an impromptu piggy back race past the Palace walls before dismounting when they reached The Goring.
The revelries at the hotel, where Kate spent her last night as a single woman on Thursday, continued until sunrise. Tony Unsworth, 59, a family friend of the Middletons, said: ‘I went to bed around 1am but I heard guests stumbling around at 5am coming back from the Palace.’
The Dinner Menu
Mossiman menu
Terrine of dressed crab and tiger prawns
Aberdeen Angus beef fillet from Longoe Farm, the Castle of Mey, Scotland
Welsh lamb from the Highgrove estate
Spring vegetables grilled and blanched (and not cooked in butter or cream)
Trio of chocolate puddings
Seasonal fruits
Ice cream with a brandy snap
Additional reporting: Lara Gould, George Arbuthnott, James Millbank, Charlotte Griffiths and Nick Constable
Relaxed: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walk hand-in-hand from Buckingham Palace in London the day after their wedding
All smiles: Kate and William looked fresh-faced the day after their wedding despite partying till the early hours
Kate, in her gown for the evening, left Clarence House alongside Camilla Parker Bowles for the short journey to Buckingham Palace
FlashBacks
Helping hand: Prince Charles holds Eliza Lopes while her grandmother, the Duchess of Cornwall, looks on
Welcome to the Firm: The Middletons share the public's acclaim on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Kate's parents Mike and Carole are on the left, next to Prince Charles holding the Duchess of Cornwall's granddaughter Eliza Lopes. The bride's sister Pippa stands between Princes Philip and Harry
Charmed: Prince Philip has more success with the head bridesmaid
Unamused: Infamous joker Prince Harry provokes a grimace from Pippa