As one would expect when a former British Cabinet Minister marries a former civil servant, the wedding took place in private, writes Matthew Engel. It was followed by a night at a secret location as the prelude to a honeymoon at an undisclosed destination.
None the less, a supposedly reliable source announced yesterday afternoon that, at 2.38 p.m. precisely, William Jefferson Hague married Ffion Llywelyn Jenkins in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster. The source added that there had been a sharp intake of breath when the bride walked up the aisle; that no one had fluffed their lines; and that the new Mrs Hague had not promised to obey the Leader of the Conservative Party. That, at least, is in keeping with the mood of their country.
Mr Hague has done what his party expect of him as a first step towards changing that mood by finding himself a bride with good looks and teeth and an apparently sound constitution.
About 170 people attended the ceremony and the reception in Speaker's House. As Sir Leon Brittan was at the more glamorous end of the guest list, this was not exactly Camelot.
When the Conservative politician Duff Cooper married the beauty Lady Diana Manners in 1919, thousands are supposed to have lined the streets. A crowd did gather yesterday. But, excluding the media and passing tourists who stayed just long enough to discover what the fuss was about, the grand total of gawpers, on a chill, grey afternoon, appeared to be seven.
At one point an elderly couple from Portugal came by. " What is happening?" the lady asked. "You know about William Hague?" "'Ake? Yes. Is a fish."
Ms Jenkins, who had kept her groom waiting an acceptable 10 minutes, looked stunning. The source described what she was wearing as a sheath dress, with a drape neckline and short train.
Among the presents were a photograph album from Tony and Cherie Blairs and a subscription to Gay Times from the homosexual group Outrage.
Mr Hague has promised to spend every Sunday and at least one whole weekend in four with his new wife, away from politics.
He started his wedding day early at London's Covent Garden flower market where he bought the wedding flowers. "I'm more nervous about my vows than speeches at the Palace of Westminster," he joked.