William and Kate head off on their honeymoon

After a beautiful wedding at Westminster Abbey, Prince William and Kate Middleton left Buckingham Palace by helicopter this morning to begin their honeymoon together.

They were seen walking hand in hand towards the helicopter waiting for them in the grounds of the palace.

The newly weds looked happy and content after celebrating their marriage at the palace until late last night with around 300 friends and family.

They are travelling today to an undisclosed location although it is expected that they will start their honeymoon with a short stay at one of the royal residences in Scotland.

There is speculation that the couple will spend their honeymoon in Jordan, where Kate spent two years as a child.

Police estimate that a million people lined the procession route yesterday to catch a glimpse of the royal couple – now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

In the UK, 24.5 million people tuned in to watch the royal wedding on the BBC and ITV.

Many people came together to watch the event on big screens set up in squares, parks, churches and pubs across the country.

Around 2,000 people attended a breakfast in St Andrews, the Scottish town where the couple met.

Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, held a street party in Downing Street joined by 90 guests who included local school children, charity fundraisers and representatives of Age UK and Contact the Elderly.

A brass band played as guests sipped tea and tucked into sandwiches, red jelly and ice cream.

Mr Cameron said the wedding was a “great moment for Britain”.

“There’s no greater country and better place to be than right here, right now," he said.

Local communities across Britain celebrated the wedding with traditional street parties, picnics, barbecues and big screen events.

Even in the US, there was considerable excitement, with millions of people waking up early to watch the event on TV or join celebratory English breakfasts.