the first look at prince william and kate middleton's official engagement portraits. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" >> mitchell: and good evening. even for a midwest that is no stranger to winter storms, this weekend's powerful blast is a stunner. the storm is sweeping eastward tonight across the heart of the country with no let-up in sight. besides playing havoc with nfl schedule, the storm is also disrupting air and ground travel across the region. cynthia bowers is in a less-than-balmy chicago this evening. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, russ. it's hardly that. a lot of times winter storms don't live up to the hype, but this one has, dumping snow from the dakotas to nashville, tennessee, an behind that precipitation, bitter cold. wind chills here expected to be negative 25 tonight. first came heavy snow. enough to collapse the 9.5 acre roof of the minneapolis metrodome, hope of the minnesota vikings. it gave way this morning, unable to stand up to the fifth heaviest snowfall in twin cities' history, 17 inches in 18 hours. the v

with kate middleton's flair for fashion.enough to land a prince. kate middleton is at the top of that very glamorous list. what they lack in likeness, they make up for in attention to detail. her clothes, her hair, sensible and stylish. elegant and at least some of it surprisingly accessible. for the engagement the future princess didn't turn to designers, she went to her closet. this dress was off the rack from the british store reece. kate bought it two years ago, the blouse, from a store called whistles. >> she's going for something that any girl in london or anywhere would have access. >> reporter: not like princess diana. more like michelle obama and j. crew and talbot. kate gives herred ed admirers a within reach. the new york salon sees a steady stream of wannabes. >> her style is simple, she's classy and beautiful. so i was going for a look like that. >> reporter: to be fair, it may not be as easy for everybody. >> i've got a little length in the back. >> reporter: those looking to buy the kate middleton look are ver

>> kate middleton. >> reporter: if kate middletare with it?ke dressing like a princess every day. >> reporter: to be fair, kate middleton and prince william look alikes are now cashing in. they have doubled or tripled their prices. when you walk in with kate and the queen, you just walk right in. >> they were saying when they walked in with you, peter, that's why they got in, but that's all right. >> reporter: that's why it was a five-hour wait until they came. >>> up next, should women in their 40s get annual mammograms or not. the results of a new study right after this. with the capital one venture card we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a holiday trip to the big apple twice as fast! dinner! [ garth ] we get double miles every time we use our card. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang! it's hard to beat double miles! i want a maze, a sword, a... oww! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one and earn double miles on every purchase, every day. go to capitalone.com. i wonder what it c

sunday prince william and kate middleton released their engagement photos.s earlier prince charles and his wife were caught in the middle of a violent protest. elizabeth palmer reports. >> reporter: in the shaky video, you can see the windows of the royal rolls royce were open so prince charles and camilla, at least at first, weren't completely shielded physically from the crowd. britain's home secretary didn't specify what kind of contact was made with camilla, but she did hint that the royal couple might, in future, travel in a more secure vehicle. >> i think you are going to see a real sort of upsurge in security and the scrutiny around people that may have got close the last time certainly won't be happening again. >> reporter: british police have released 14 photos of people they want to question in connection with thursday's violence. although it's not clear which, if any, are suspected of attacking the royal car. pockets of demonstrators also defaced public buildings and monuments during a protest against the tripling of university tuition fees. meanw

. >>> date night, prince william and kate middleton hit the town for the first time since announcing their royal engagement, plus details on kate's prechristmas lunch with the queen, "today" sunday you kate's prechristmas lunch with the queen, "today" sunday you december 19th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning, everyone, welcome to today on a sunday, i'm lester holt. >> aim jenna wolfe. can you imagine having to deal with that kind of attention every time you -- >> going on a date? >> you probably go through that every day. lester holt goes -- >> back in my dating days. what toward believe, get used to it a taste of what is in store for the future princess, she start hearse new life as a royal, under pressure, in the spotlight, the inevitable comparisons. today, we will look at what the date night is like for the prince and future princess. >> no that the long ago was it? >> it was. horse and carriage. >> he said it. i didn't. wow. >>> back home, the west is getting hammered with a series of powerful storms, widespread flooding has been reported acro

famously it was when kate middleton met the queen for the first time. peter and zara will be joining the queen. peter's wife autumn is nine months pregnant with the queen's first great grandchild. and she's due on christmas day. back to you. >> all right. thank you very much, stephanie. i don't think i'm getting invited to any of them. >> i was looking for the invitation. >> i don't think we'll even make zara's wedding. >> but the 49ers. >> now one of the two smiths. alex, troy, they've had the kind of success that singletary needs to muster. the cat is out of the bag as to who is starting. the raiders have an important late december game against peyton manning and the colts and hope the wind isn't out of their sails before kickoff. cal is coasting a team that hasn't played in berkeley in over 50 years. a marquee matchup at haas.

finest form of flattery, this 21-year-old from england named kate fittingly enough is offering kate middletonoyal compliment. kate bev vins is giving up her job at as pharmacy assistant to be a kate look alike. this kate says she's been mistaken for that kate for years. >> reporter: what do people say to you when they see you on the street? >> how's william. >> she's already seeing booking inquiries from the netherlands and the u.s. >> i've got the flip side of it. i don't have do the royal engagements that kate will have to do so i've got the perfect job really. >> here the kate middleton market is swelling with a number of look alikes advertising online. kate's royal resemblance could be the coronation of a lucrative career. >> to be fair, these days kate middleton and prince william look alikes are cashing in. some of them have seen tripled their prices. peter alexander, nbc news, london. >> i wonder if you have a look alike. >>> it's not baseball season, but when you win the world series, every day is baseball season. >> we have about five giants stories today. >> five? >> that's our requ

in fact, they've already backed up kate middleton.otos of her playing tennis were kept out of the papers here by royal legal pressure, and the photo agency which took the pictures had to apologize and pay damages. at the heart of this threat is william's desire to protect kate. it's an arrangement the notoriously unruly british tabloids seem happy with for now, in the pre-honeymoon period. but what happens later? >> my suspicion is that there might be some domestic ups and downs which will still make rather good pictures and rather good words, and therefore will lead to the royal family getting very irritated and on that basis the line may hold, but i wouldn't bet on it. >> reporter: the royals are betting that a happy couple will continue to make good news. >> very nice hat! >> reporter: if not, the law is on their side. mark phillips, cbs news, london. >> mason: there's no better time for caroling than christmas eve, especially if you're joined by one of the world's most famous singers. ♪ and so this is christmas, for weak and for s

kate middleton is spend s christmas for the probably the last time at her family's.ext year, of course, she will be spending it with the royal family. the -- >> in the parks of towns and cities and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time every week to participate in sport and exercise of all sports. or simply encourage others to do so. these kinds of activity are common throughout the world and play a part in providing a different perspective on life. >> the choice of subject matter for the christmas broadcast is very much a matter for the queen herself. it generally has a strong religious flavor and in past years also paid tribute to the armed forces. >> police in india ha -- have raided the homes and offices of the chief organizers of the delhi commonwealth games following allegations of corruption. the properties were raided in dellly and a western city which he represents in parliament. this after the budget for the games reached $15 million up from an estimated $412 million. we report from dellly. >>

. >>> and is that really kate middleton and prince william or is that al gore aon the royal coin? the controversy. >> it's turkey time. >> and should you spend the holidays with jack black some we have your movie releases. >>> and awaiting the next storm. it's going to be a windy one. we'll talk more about that in just a few minute minutes. . >>> i just want to say hi to my parents in union city, california. i'm stationed in germany and i just wanted to say happy new year >>> a beautiful and rain free christmas eve night in san francisco. you're looking at a live look at the bay bridge where commuters are going to and from christmas eve celebrations. things will change tomorrow, though. we'll let you know how. >>> vice president joe biden tonight speaking up about the issue of gay marriage in the united states. in a televised interview today, the vice president said the country is evolving when it comes to same-sex marriage. and that the same thing is happening with the issue with openly gay troops in the military. this week you may remember president obama signed in to law a repe

his fiance, kate middleton spent a regular christmas holiday at home in berkshire. r last christmas as a commoner. next year they will presumably be here with the queen. at least kate won't have to worry about what to buy her. >> what can you buy the queen that she hasn't already got? ♪ >> reporter: surprisingly the queen's speech to the nation didn't mention the wedding. she chose a drier subject, sport, and how good it is for health. >> in the parks of towns and cities and on village greens up and down the country, countless people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts. >> reporter: she wrote the speech herself and enjoyed the attention of a line of 50 children, accepting flowers and laughing. the 84-year-old monarch who in the next few days will become a great-grandmother, the best christmas gift of all. martin fletcher, nbc news, london. >> it seems one of kate's resolutions is to take sailing lessons. her goal, to join prince william for one of his favorite past times. >>> still to come on a sunday edition of "today," a

his fiance kate middleton spent her regular family christmas at home in berkshire.er last christmas as a commoner. this time next year they'll presumably be here with the queen. at least kate won't have to worry about what to buy her. >> nobody spends more than a couple dollars on her. what can you buy the queen that she hasn't already got? ♪ >> reporter: surprisingly, the queen's speech to the nation today didn't mention next year's wedding. she chose a drier subject, sport, and how good it is for the health. >> in the parks of towns and cities and on village greens up and down the country countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sports and exercise of all sorts. >> reporter: she wrote the speech herself and enjoyed the attention of a line of 50 children, accepting flowers and laughing. the 84-year-old monarch for the next few days will become a great grandmother, the best christmas gift of all. martin fletcher, nbc news, london. >>> half a world away, residents of northern australia are coping with a disaster. cyclone tasha has

kate middleton isn't officially a member of the family yet. but an invitation from the queen to her annual christmas lunch is a sign she is already an important part of the royal inner circle. "people" magazine reports that both kate and william attended the annual gathering at buckingham palace on thursday. >> this is the first time she really met the entire royal family in one place together at the same time. and royal experts say hit to be an extremely daunting experience. >> reporter: kate has only met the queen once before. >> the whole notion that kate and the queen have had intimate lunches together or cups of tea by themselves is not true. really, kate has had very little interwax the queen because the queen is so busy. >> reporter: a photographer snapped these photos as they left the palace. kate is smiling from ear to ear. perhaps a sign that he go went well. perhaps a sign the future princess was relieved it was over. >> there's so much etiquette. so much decorum. so much that can go wrg. the fact that she emerged from this lunch be

. >> maybe not just lunch when you are kate middleton, dining with new in-laws who happens to be theen at buckingham palace. >> not just lunch. >> yeah. we'll have all the details on the fateful encounter. >> when we come back. . >> announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by macy's. hi little guy! ahhhhhh! get off me! need help. take a seat. someone will be with you in 28 days. you'd never wait that long. so why wait 28 days for new releases? blockbuster has hot new titles, like a-team and inception, 28 days before netflix and redbox. rent them in store, by mail, stream on demand, and on the go. blockbuster. less waiting. more watching. ah, this is hey guys. what the eightsorry we're late. milk looks warm. finally got the whole gang together. maple brown sugar, strawberry delight, blueberry muffin. yeah, a little family reunion. [ wind rushes ] whoa! whoa! whoa! whoa! we're cereal here! what? just cooling it down. enough said. gotcha. safety first. whoo-hoo! watch the whole grain! [ female announcer ] try kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® hot. just add warm milk and you'v

we'll have tips coming up. >> you, too, can look like kate middleton? notch. emeril is here to serve this knockout turkey gumbo. this is a real favorite. this is with leftovers. complete leftovers to make an incredible meal. first, let's get a look at top stories. check in with juju chang at the news desk. good morning, juju. >>> good morning, everyone. the upper midwest is digging out from a record snowstorm. this is the video everyone's talking about, snow collapsing part of the metrodome this weekend. the team's game against the giants was moved to detroit tonight. our clayton sandell is in minneapolis where the challenge now is the cold. >> reporter: cold is right, juju. officially minus 8 degrees, but the windchill making it feel like 24 degrees below zero and that is going to make it very tough for workers arriving today to start fixing the roof of the metrodome here in minneapolis. in the meantime, this storm continues a punishing storm to the east. snowy blizzards closing roads across the midwest and reducing visibility to near zero. six people

kate middleton had a very important date yesterday.g down with her fiancee's family, including queen elizabeth. mark phillips is in london with the scoop on lunch with the in-laws. good morning, mark. >> reporter: good morning, rebecca. the queen's royal lunch part of the schedule for the holiday period but this particular pre-christmas family get together included a special guest. the newest future member of the family firm. the lunch was a family affair and so private but this shot shows kate middleton and prince william on the short drive from his place to his grandmother's across the road. gatherings of the royal family don't happen that often and when they do it's usually for a grand occasion like a marriage or a major holiday. for kate to be invited to the quiet palace event is a consolidation of the center of the establishment and the accounts of the event say she mingled confidently with the members of the royal family in attendance. >> kate middleton is a confident, young woman. i think we saw that on the engagement footage. p

here they are, the official engagement photos for prince william and kate middleton just released overnight. we've got the pictures and some new details about security concerns on the big day. >> dan, i know you were anxiously awaiting those photos. >> needed to see them. >> they looked beautiful and the famous fashion photographer mario testino got to take them and he's known for doing one of the last photo shoots with princess diana for "vanity fair" just before her death in 1997. >>> we're covering this huge storm. this thing is a beast affecting 1,500 miles from the country from the plains all the way to the gulf. in minneapolis. this is the fifth largest snowfall ever recorded. we'll begin in minneapolis. that monster storm that's hitting a huge swath of the country. even for cities that are used to snow, this is a bad one. chikage windler from our twin city affiliate is out braving the conditions for us this morning. good morning, chikage. >> good morning, bianna. we're here in downtown minneapolis. the mall is virtually deserted that is after leaving a swath of 1 to 2 feet of snow in

this morning the official photos of prince william and kate middleton.were taken just after the announcement of the royal engagement and they were shot by princess diana's favorite photographer. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. it's been a difficult week for the royal family with the attack on prince charles and camilla captures and broadcast around the world. the week ended with a different set of images -- official engagement photos of william and kate. a couple in love, engaged to be married, snapped by celebrated photographer mario tostino, the fro tos were released last night. stark contrast of the images of charles and camilla caught in a riot. after the surprise attack on the royals during a street protest, the question now, does royal protection need to be stepped up? >> charles, how are you doing? >> the scrutiny the royals will be under after this event, everybody is now under scrutiny and how to protect our royal family. >> reporter: what will william and kate make of this? william wanted the wedding to be a free-for-all celebra

it's her sapphire engagement ring now on kate middleton's finger.for the official engagement pictures. >> obviously she's not going to be around to share in the fun and excitement. but this is my way of keeping her close. >> reporter: diana was the most publicly adored of all the royals. but barely 20 when she felt into a loveless marriage with prince charles. she struggled to adjust to life in the firm. kate's introduction to the house of windsor has been very different. >> i have been waiting as long as i want to give her a chance to see and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much. because, i'm trying to learn some lessons from the past. and i just wanted to give her the best shot of settling in and see what, you know, what happens. >> reporter: diana passed on her love of charitable work to her children. introducing william to a homeless shelter. last winter he slept rough on london's freezing streets to highlight its work. the charity's chief executive says the prince's hands-on approach is something he got from diana. >> the ide

. >>> prince william and broad to be kate middleton have received their official engagement photographs. mario testino said that the couple seemed to be brimming with happiness when he photographed them in november. the criddle wedding is on april 29. they look at your than charles and diana. the best of both of them. it's 34 degrees. >>> there is a controversial new tax that's helping local governments make ends meet. >> first, a check on traffic and weather every te >>> welcome back, everyone. 4:52 this monday morning. traffic and weather every ten minutes. >> and caskey is in from minneapolis. >> in spotsylvania it has been snowing a little while. it's not accumulating on the roads. temperatures are above freezing in most areas. that's a good thing. rooftopumulating on the slightly and on the decks. let's look at the radar. areas of white represents noel. dale city southward an underground manassas a little and western fairfax county and the dulles airports, west of chantilly institut into eastern loudoun county. 95, dale city, ala it reduces bird dance bought the land. calvert count

and prince william and kate middleton release their royal engagement photos. ♪ well, it feels so good female announcer ] when you have a softer bath tissue, you can enjoy going more... while still using less. introducing new charmin ultra soft. new charmin ultra soft has an ultra-cushiony design that's soft and more absorbent. so you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. [ both ] ♪ soft to the touch... [ female announcer ] using less never felt so good. new charmin ultra soft. enjoy the go. >> prince william and kate middleton release their official engagement photos over the weekend. they chose a photographer close to the prince's family for the honor. >> it meanwhile, they are still dealing with the attack on his father, prince charles and his stepmother's card last week. >> they are in love. "the prince of cuddles" one british headline read. >> the reason why they look so happy is because they are. >> for much of their courtship for eight years, they're rarely seen touching, even hand in hand. it was these touching photos of diana before her death that led him to

una moneda conmemorativa de cinco libras en ocasión del compromiso del príncipe guillermo con kate middletonya que los criticos dicen que las imagenes de los dos no se parecen a la pareja. --middleton aparece con el rostro y los labios regordetes y tiene bolsas bajo los ojos... algunos críticos dicen que william se parece a al gore.--disponible en plata u oro, la moneda marca la boda del segundo

one rior operations due to the >>> prince william and kate middleton.al look, the secrets to taking a fabulous photo every time as we say good morning, america. i'm george stephanopoulos. elizabeth vargas is here. >> one of the secrets is having mario taking the shots. boy, did they look good. >> they really look great. >> but if you have kids, chances are they're fans of the hugely popular children's series "the diary of a wimpy kid." the latest series has sold 6 million copies. so popular, it comes with its own tour bus. author john kinney is here. >> i was a hero last night when i told my kids i was interviewing jeff kinney this morning. >> absolutely. >>> we've got recipes coming up. all week long, we've been giving our favorites. this morning, it's emeril's turn. >> he's in the studio, he's cooking up turkey bone gumbo. you actually take the carcass and cook it up. >>> but first, we've got cam newton. the latest winner of the heisman. >> glad to see you. >> everybody knew you were going to win this, it must have felt great saturday? >> everybody kn

>> well, first of all, move over, kate middleton and her 18 carat diamond and sapphire ring. the$50,000 engagement ring is back. tiffany's and harry winston, two huge diamond sellers have said that people are spending more money on diamonds because of several reasons. more comfortable in our financial situation so putting it down. also, people from china, india, russia, these kind of countries like to show off their new wealth owe diamonds -- so diamonds are a way to do that. and gold is at a record high so people are viewing the diamond mark tote have a safe haven investment. harry winston reported their earnings and they said quarterly sales for diamonds was up nearly 200%. >> what is coming up next on the fox business network. >> i love how i have to read these things. count downto the closing bell, sex make a deal. friends finder, ceo. and the willis report will have the iowa attorney general. that is tom miller coming up. >> you are keeping us entertained. >>> watch the left third of your screen now. a place they call home. big problem! we'll talk about this coming up. >

pictures of prince william and kate middleton were taken by martin testino. e took these pictures. "people" magazine is reporting that kate skipped the star treatment, did her own make-up for the pictures. very down to earth of her. she looked really stunning. and tony, like i say, the wedding is more than four months away, but the excitement has already built. there's a frenzy. everybody's whipped up into a frenzy already. >> yeah, you can feel it. you know what, brooke? the video of this wedding may end up on youtube one day. we see so many wedding videos on youtube. >> possible. >> yeah, it's possible. but i understand youtube is identifying their most watched videos of the year. i'm curious as to what made the list. >> it's that time of year, tony, you're right. it's the collection most of us are familiar with. including some people that are very recognizable. like can we show the first guy isaiah mustafaa? the old spice guy. that was number five on the list. some great commercials he made. the number six video features a guy who gets a little bit excited

the marriage of chris william -- prince william and k tilton -- kate middleton. she has a 16 grandchildren -- has 16 grandchildren. >> thank you for being with us. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center. >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home. >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living ro

kate middleton accompanying prince william for the first time on a royal engagement.age in norfolk to support a charity that helps teenaged cancer patients. a low-key start to a long-term commitment. this after all is the sort of thing william and kate will be doing for decades to come. >> comments on her appearance range from fabulous and stunning to an admiring silence. >> reporter: turn the clock back nearly 30 years and this is the first time princess diana accompanied prince charles after their engagement, in a frock which caught the fashion commentators by surprise. >> his lady has well and truly arrived in a manner few of those present are likely to forget in a hurry. >> reporter: back to 2010. those who saw prince william and his bride seem impressed. >> very nice hat. >> a bit shellshocked at the moment. >> they seem a really genuinely nice couple. for them to speak to us as well, i think it was really nice of them. >> what did you think of her? >> i thought she was beautiful. >> gorgeous. >> stunning. >> yes. >> they're so great together. >> yeah. >> look re

. >> the first photos of britain's prince william and kate middleton are out. >> it shows the couple relaxed and casual and smiling. >> the other is more formal. they were taken by a celebrity photographer and he is a royal family favorite. >> william and middleton will marry april 29 at westminister abby. >> did you get invited? >> i did not. >> from all of us, thanks for joining us. >> "who wants to be a húhúhúhúhúhúgtog

kate middleton isn't officially a member of the royal family yet, but an invitation to the queen's annualnch ---both kate and william attended the annual gathering at buckingham palace on thursday. >> this is the first time she met the entire royal family in one place at the same time and royal experts say it had to be an extremely daunting experience. >> and kate has only met the queen once before. >> the whole notion that kate and the queen have had lunches together or cups of tea by themselves is not true. really kate has had very little interaction with the queen because the queen stays busy. >> reporter: kate is smiling from ear to ear, perhaps a sign that everyone went well, perhaps a sign that the future princess was relieved it was over. >> there's so much that the go wrong, so the fact that she emerged from this meeting with a smile from ear to ear is an indication of how it went. >> it is quite a stuffing environment. the royals at christmas is a very regimented, what is the day before christmas eve and the day itself is run like clock work with precision. >> reporter: but this

and prince william and kate middleton have released their official engagement photographs. >> reporterdy's keeping track, right? this is a couple that used to walk in and out of buildings separately so avoid being photographed together. so these photos are really being viewed as a breath of fresh air. and they may mark the start of a more modern royal age. they're at ease, affect not and in love. the prince of cuddles, one british headline read. >> they have had time to adjust to each other and that's what carried them through and the reason they look so happy is because they are. >> reporter: always conscious of scrutiny and intense speculation. today even kate's wardrobe is getting credit, affordable and class eye. >> the world absolutely adores her because she's her own person. >> reporter: prince charles and diana appeared distant back in 1981. and in their first photo, queen elizabeth and -- the engagement photographer described the young couple as in their prime and brimming with happiness. the portraits mark a stark contrast to the jarring images of prince charles and camilla wh

. >> prince william, soon to be a married man and kate middleton are going into counseling. not because they're having prewedding problems but because it's customary for a church of england wedding. they will discuss their vows and other subjects to prepare them for marriage, how to handle disagreements, remain faithful and deal with in laws. >> we'll be right back with the snl comedian going to the white house. s. >>> meyers will host the next correspondent dinner in april. that's the one day of the year washington actually makes fun of itself. the choice of host became closely watched anticipate debated after stephen colbert's scathing jokes about president bush back in 2006. >> the highlights are always great. i imagine that would be a great event to go to. "nightly news" is up next. >> more local news at 6:00. see you then.

how you can look like fashionable princess to be kate middleton for less. and today carries the announcement of the golden globe nominations live as host ricky gervais breaks it down with matt and meredith. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. >> the first photos of britain's prince william and kate middleton are out. >> it shows the coupleaxed and casual and smiling. >> the other is more formal. they were takeby a celebrity photograer and he is a royal family favorite. >> william and middleton will marry april 29 at westminister abby. >> did you get invited? >> i did not. >> fro all of us, thanks for joining us. >> "o wants to be a millionaire" is coming up next [ male announcer ] whether you're new tcalifornia or you've been groovinhere for some time now, you know that value comes in manforms. for some it's a classic car, for others a profession that lets them give back tohe next generation. for many californians, it's a medicare plan that gives. with anthem blue cross, you can get a medicare adntage ppo plan that offers $0 premiums and prcription drug coverage, you can see any doctor who accepts medicare, even the ones you already know and trust. plus members always talk wh a real person when they call, not some computer system. th's what we used to call grooving. if you are eligible fomedicare or will be soon, ask ab

and finally, just in time for christmas, prince william and kate middleton's official royal wedding china is on sale in england. all proceeds from the officially approved cup, plate and pill box will go towards the royal collection trust which maintains the queen's art collection. >>> orlando's new guys produce the same old results and there's no stopping sid the kid. plus, brett farve made a surprise start last night in minnesota, but he probably wishes he stayed on the bench. your early morning sports headlines are just ahead. >>> two more days left of heavy rain on the west coast and then that storm moves across the country. your tuesday forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." what can i get you? i'd like one of those desserts and some coffee. sure. decaf or regular? regular. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream please! (announcer) when other toppings are made with hydrogenated oil, the real dairy cream in reddi wip's sure an easy choice. nothing's more real than reddi wip. fork or spoon? >>> good morning. if you're just waking up,

critics say one featuring prince william and fiancee kate middleton looks nothing like that. still, the coin was approved by both the queen and prince william. yeah. not even close. >>> u.s. markets are closed for the holiday weekend, but here is an early look at how they ended on thursday. the dow closed at 11,573 after adding 14 points yesterday. the s&p shed two points, the nasdaq dipped five. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei lost 67 points while in hong kong, the hang seng fell 69. >>> on wall street's last day of trade before christmas thursday, stocks mostly flat and volume was low, but that didn't stop 14 weeks of gains. the day's data was almost entirely rosy. consumer sentiment rose to its highest level since june. demand for durable goods surged. first-time jobless benefits edged down. the latest survey on investor sentiment rose to a six-year high. energy stocks led as the price of oil continued its sharp rise up to a two-year high of more than $91 a barrel. not coincidentally, aaa announced the average pump price of regular gas

and the first photos out, engagement pictures of prince william and kate middleton. >> one shows thecouple relaxed and smiling into each other arms. >> other one is more formal. pictures taken by mario testino. >> he's a royal family favorite capturing iconic images of princess diana. >> william and middleton will marry in westin sister

the marriage of prince william and kate middleton. queen victoria's nine children gave 17 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. >> stay with us if you can. still to come, what happened to the iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning? our correspondent investigates. first flooded communities across eastern australia could be under water for more than a week, and the cleanup is expected to run into billions of dollars. days of torrential rain have left part of queensland inundated. river levels kept rising as water made its way to the sea. steve marshall has this report for the bbc. >> residents rescued from one of the many queensland's towns swamped by rapidly rising flood water. both are now the only form of transport. more than half of queensland is now officially a disaster zone. >> we have a number of communities facing the prospect of increased flooding over the next couple days, so this disaster that is unfolding on an unprecedented level is far from over. >> thousands of people have had to move from their homes as record

kate middleton went through that today. she had lunch with queen elizabeth and met 40 members of the royal family. kate seemed happy when she left. it appears she has nothing to be nervous about. >> maybe she was just happy she was leaving. this winter weather has been messy but impressive. check out this historic white house in ohio. it is on the mouth of lake erie. and it is completely encased in ice and snow. this is a working like house that uses solar lights. but they are having a tough time using -- doing their jobs through the ice. >> the lighthouse keeper is not happy inside that. >> you need to get some supplies. >> each winter when we get these storms -- these early winter cold patterns. stay tuned. outside tonight and today -- now what is left of our snow is long gone we still have some clouds. they are breaking up a little bit. that is the reason there is a range of temperature. our temperature stayed below freezing. i mentioned how dry the area is in the crystals that formed or really fine. they formed an were s

. >>> and with the wedding of prince william and kate middleton just months away, why american, so obsessed with england's royal family. >>> now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. >>> prince william and kate middleton hahave released their official engagement photographs.he photographer says the couple appears to be brimming with happiness. the photographs were taken at st. james's palace in. -- alice. the royal wedding will take place on april 29. >>> we are expecting a rough morning commute. >> with snow showers and rain that we had, now that temperatures are sliding, we will look for the potential of black ice to develop in the early morning hours. if you have a little extra time, you might want to take it. the wind is beginning to settle down for the time being. but it will pick up later tomorrow. by tuesday, that level really be going in the wind. it is 45 degrees. compare this to the 36 degrees for now at upper northwest d.c. officials high at reagan national airport was slightly below average for this time of year. normally, we see 48 degrees. it was 54 degrees for the high at bwi marshall. that was a morning high temperature. the wind chill factor is not so bad. temperatures are cool enough, especially to the cumberland area. annapolis is at 42

and prince william and kate middleton stepped out for a cancer charity in london. the world's most watched couple in this their first public appearance together since they told the world, we're getting married. >> very nice hats. >> i just can't believe it. i'm a bit shell-shocked and starstruck at the moment. >> congratulations. >> reporter: meanwhile, william's little brother harry is in germany where he received an award for his charity work. he even sprechen sie a little deutsch. [ speaking german ] >> reporter: harry founded a charity in africa. he and william visited this past summer. their mother, diana, says harry, the inspiration. and on his brother's upcoming wedding -- harry said "i'm absolutely delighted that he's finally popped the question. we all are. i've always wanted a sister, and now i've got one." this is now kate's job, looking great, smiling. supporting her husband-to-be, william. for "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, london. >> harry's german, very impressive. >> you were doing a little translating. >> what was he saying there? >>

england's prince william and his fiancee kate middleton released two official photographs to mark their engagement. they were taken by mario castino who is also famous for taking beautiful shots of william's mother, the late princess diana. >>> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 11,410 after adding 40 points friday. the s&p edged up seven points and the nasdaq climbed 20. taking a look at overseas trading this morning in tokyo the nikkei rose 81 points while in hong kong, the hang seng climbed 154. >>> is a big holiday ack business significance the kind of spark that will help wall street keep its so-called santa rally going today? the financial times reports general electric, the current owner of this network, may announce a $1.2 billion takeover of the english oil services company as early as today. also the great atlantic and pacific tea company, more commonly known as a&p filed for bankruptcy sunday. once america's largest grocer the chain plans to keep stores open with no interruption of business during reorganization. >>> today