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Royal wedding: Kate leaves home for the last time as in-laws gear up for the big day

27 APRIL 2011

It must have felt like the end of an era for Kate Middleton.

The brunette beauty left her family home on Tuesday with her sister Pippa, bound for London.

 

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As she drove away, every mile took her closer to her wedding and a new life as Prince William's consort.

When Kate next returns she will be a Princess, and the future Queen.

The relative anonymity she has largely enjoyed will be long gone, after upwards of two billion people have witnessed her nuptials.

If she's feeling nervous, Kate certainly wasn't showing it.

Taking the wheel for the journey, the 29-year-old looked calm, relaxed and happy.

Kate headed off after having lunch with her parents Michael and Carole. And joining the family was their new son-in-law Prince William.

The groom, who also spent Easter Sunday with his in-laws, has been making an effort to spend as much time as possible with his in-laws ahead of the wedding.

As Kate drove off to her destiny there were sightings of members of her new family - and there was definitely a sunny mood in the air.

Prince Harry - the best man – hardly stopped smiling as he was reunited with the Walking for the Wounded comrades, whom he joined on a section of their trek to the North Pole.

The triumphant team have returned, becoming the first group of war-wounded amputees to reach the Pole unaided – and Harry was clearly pleased to see them.

He described them as "unbelievably inspirational".

Meanwhile, Harry's on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy gave photographers a bright smile as she was snapped browsing the shops on Kate's favourite shopping haunt, Kings Road.

Whether she was looking for last-minute accessories for her wedding outfit remains to be seen. She wasn't listed on the official guest list but is widely tipped to be attending as Harry's date.

Spirits were equally high as the Duchess of Cornwall went out for dinner with her children Tom and Laura and their spouses, Sarah Buys and Harry Lopez.

As they dined at upmarket Mayfair Italian eatery Locanda Locatelli, the conversation no doubt turned to the big day.