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Royal bridesmaid, 3, is one unhappy camper

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-04-30 03:54

LONDON - It was almost all smiles at the royal wedding Friday, but for one very unhappy bridesmaid.

Grace van Cutsem -- just three years old -- seemed overwhelmed by the noise and the tumult when she and the other royals made an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of a crowd estimated by police at roughly 1 million.

Bridesmaid Grace van Cutsem closes her ears during the fly past as she stands near Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (both not seen) on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with other members of the Royal Family, after their wedding in Westminster Abbey, in central London April 29, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

She held her hands over her ears and seemed frightened and unhappy when Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton, kissed twice, sending the crowd noise level into the stratosphere.

Middleton, now known as the duchess of Cambridge, leaned over to comfort the little girl after the kiss.

Palace officials said van Cutsem, a goddaughter of Prince William, felt poorly when she was on the balcony.

She and 3-year-old Eliza Lopes, granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall, were the youngest of the four bridesmaids.

Van Cutsem's family has been close to the royals for many years.

The other bridesmaids were Louise Windsor, 7, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, countess of Wessex and Margarita Armstrong-Jones, 8, daughter of David Linley and Viscountess Linley.