Celebrations whatever the hour as globe gets in on the act

Wedding fever reached every corner of the globe today as British- themed parties kicked off.

In Australia revellers took advantage of the time difference to celebrate well into the night, with live coverage of the wedding starting at about 8pm local time.

The Australian British Chamber of Commerce organised the biggest bash with a celebratory ball at which the wedding was screened live.

English pubs threw parties for Union Flag-toting expats, and Sydney's Lord Dudley Hotel, known for serving "warm" English ale, had staff dressed in tiaras, serving cucumber sandwiches and pork pies.

Less fortunate were those in the United States. They had to get up at 5am to watch the couple take their vows. But hundreds of restaurants, hotels and bars opened early. The ceremony was broadcast live on two giant billboards in New York's Times Square, and hundreds turned up under the Manhattan bridge at 5.30am to watch on another screen.

In Victoria, Canada, the Fairmont Empress Hotel laid on a "rise and shine" breakfast at 3am for guests in pyjamas. Later there was a grand tea on the hotel's front lawns, presided over by a Queen impersonator and the dinner served to King George VI during a visit in 1939 was repeated for guests, using the Queen's own china.

The British Club in Singapore arranged 10 days of festivities, including a street party and a Cliff Richard lookalike.

Ex-pat group Dubai Reunited held a street party at the city's Polo and Equestrian club. In Bahrain the British Club watched the wedding live with champagne, before enjoying a street party, an old-fashioned fairground, a disco and live music.

In Thailand the British Club in Bangkok held a family garden party, with a live wedding screening, a buffet and a bouncy castle.

In the Netherlands Ma Brown's English restaurant in Haarlem was the focus of Dutch celebrations.

The British Society of Amsterdam organised a "Will and Kate" wedding breakfast featuring poetry, comedy monologues, stories and songs.

In Sweden the British embassy in Stockholm organised a street party for children of 40 nationalities.

Dr Anthony Stokes, British Ambassador to Vietnam, hosted an embassy party in Hanoi and, in Italy, the group British Ex-Pats in Italy partied at the Domus Talenti theatre.