Kate to walk up red carpet to marry William

Kate Middleton will walk up a red carpet to marry Prince William.

The aisle of Westminster Abbey will be covered for the wedding ceremony on Friday.

The Royal Household recently requested the carpet following rehearsals at the venue, attributing the decision to past tradition and the look of the Abbey, as well as the ease of walking.

It will also help maintain cleanliness during the big day, with hundreds of guests due to file into the ancient royal church for the ceremony.

The only stone that will not be covered along the aisle will be the grave of the Unknown Warrior in the Nave

Kate, who will be escorted by her father Michael Middleton, will not walk over the poppy-lined tomb but divert around it instead.

The carpet for Princess Elizabeth's 1947 wedding at the Abbey was red, while for the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson's in 1986, it was blue.

- AAP