The Royal Wedding of HRH Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton was celebrated in Tonga on Friday evening with a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner for Tonga, Mr Malcolm McLachlan and Dr Mary McLachlan at Consular House, in Nuku'alofa.

The High Commissioner and staff from the Suva diplomatic mission came to Tonga for the occasion.

With Tonga 13 hours ahead of the United Kingdom, the London morning wedding ceremony was celebrated in Tonga on a very warm evening. Guests watched a video of last year's Royal engagement on a wide screen in a marque on the lawn of Consular House.

Consular House was the former residence of the British High Commissioner in Tonga, but since the British closed down their diplomatic mission in Tonga in 2006, the property retained its name, as it was known to Tongans, 'Api Konisela, the Consular House.

The Royal Wedding was celebrated at other venues in Nuku'alofa, with revellers watching the pageantry of the Westminster Abbey wedding on television. The Reload Bar in central Nuku'alofa was packed with customers watching the wedding ceremony on screen with some dressed for the evening in wedding finery.