THE Chinese character for Double Happiness and the flag of Hong Kong flew in Copenhagen yesterday as the territory's royal bride was presented to the Danish people.
A banner read 'East and West - the world joins together' as Alexandra Manley and Prince Joachim made their first public appearance in the capital, riding in a 103-year-old closed carriage through the streets from the Queen's palace to a reception at the city hall.
The first real snowstorm of the winter had caused concern that some of the 43 horses of the Royal Hussars escorting the couple might slip.
But snow ploughs cleared the path minutes before the carriage travelled two kilometres along the cobbled streets of the old part of Copenhagen past thousands of cheering Danes waving flags bearing the pictures of Ms Manley and her prince.
More than 500 police lined the route which passed shops with windows filled with pictures of the couple - many of the decorations organised by a jeweller whose store Prince Joachim visited in person some months ago to buy his fiance's engagement ring.
A giant poster of the couple 252 metres square was draped outside a hotel along the way - an attempt to get into the Guinness Book Of World Records for the biggest ever.
