Hague to wed in Commons ceremony

The Tory party leader, William Hague, is to marry his fiancee, Ffion Jenkins, right, in a ceremony at the House of Commons, it was announced yesterday.

the couple will marry on 19 December in the chapel at the House of Commons crypt, with the marriage vows being read in both English and Welsh - Miss Jenkins' first language.

Mr Hague, 36, and Miss Jenkins, 29, have chosen a traditional wedding service which will be conducted jointly by the Speaker's chaplain and a Welsh Methodist minister.

The couple do not want their wedding to be a political event, and around 140 family and friends are expected to attend.

A reception will be held in the State Rooms of the Speaker's House, followed by a wedding breakfast in the Members' dining room. The day after the wedding a family party will be held in Wales to reflect the balance between the couple's backgrounds.

Miss Jenkins, whose engagement to Mr Hague was announced in March, is the daughter of Emyr Jenkins, a former director of the Eisteddfod who is now chief executive of the Welsh Arts Council.