Royal Eats: The Queen's Lunchtime Wedding Reception Menu

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With Prince William and Kate Middleton (now officially the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) having sealed the deal, the royal celebration is well underway, and we have the menu breakdown of The Queen's lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace.

Approximately 650 guests drawn from the wedding service congregation -- representing the couple's official and private lives -- are attending the reception. Governors-general and prime ministers of realm countries will be presented to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and the bridal couple during the reception, which will include the cutting of the wedding cake and some speeches, as well as harpist accompaniment.

Guests will be served a selection of canapés (approximately 10,000 of them prepared by a team of 21 chefs led by Royal Chef Mark Flanagan), including: Cornish Crab Salad on Lemon Blini, Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney, Roulade of Goats Cheese with Caramelised Walnuts, Assortment of Palmiers and Cheese Straws, Scottish Smoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini, Miniature Watercress and Asparagus Tart, Poached Asparagus spears with Hollandaise Sauce for Dipping, Quails Eggs with Celery Salt, Scottish Langoustines with Lemon Mayonnaise Pressed Confit of Pork Belly with Crayfish and Crackling, Wild Mushroom and Celeriac Chausson, Bubble and Squeak with Confit Shoulder of Lamb, Grain Mustard and honey-glazed Chipolatas, Smoked Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole, Miniature Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Fillet of Beef and Horseradish Mousse, Gateau Opera, Blood Orange Pate de Fruit, Raspberry Financier, Rhubarb Crème Brulee Tartlet, Passion Fruit Praline, White Chocolate Ganache Truffle, Milk Chocolate Praline with Nuts and Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffle.

Pol Roger NV Brut Réserve Champagne with a selection of other soft and alcoholic drinks will be poured.

The wedding cake, designed by Fiona Cairns, is made from 17 individual fruit cakes (12 of which form the base) and has eight tiers. The cake has been decorated with cream and white icing using the Joseph Lambeth technique. There are up to 900 individually iced flowers and leaves of 17 different varieties decorated on the cake. A garland design around the middle of the cake matches the architectural garlands decorated around the top of the Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace, the room in which the cake will be displayed. The chocolate biscuit cake was created by McVitie's Cake Company using a Royal Family recipe at the special request of Prince William.

Each of the 17 different flower designs on the official wedding cake has their own individual meaning according to the Language of Flowers. They include:

• White Rose - National symbol of England

• Daffodil – National symbol of Wales, new beginnings

• Shamrock – National symbol of Ireland

• Thistle – National symbol of Scotland

• Acorns, Oak Leaf – Strength, endurance

• Myrtle – Love

• Ivy – Wedded Love, Marriage

• Lily-of-the-Valley – Sweetness, humility

• Rose (Bridal) – Happiness, love

• Sweet William – Grant me one smile

• Honeysuckle – The bond of love

• Apple Blossom – Preference, good fortune

• White Heather – Protection, wishes will come true

• Jasmine (White) – Amiability

• Daisy – Innocence, beauty, simplicity

• Orange Blossom – Marriage, eternal love, fruitfulness

• Lavender – ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck.