Prince William in clash with courtiers who tried to make his party too stuffy

Prince William clashed with Buckingham Palace courtiers as he moved to stamp his authority on royal wedding preparations, one of his friends suggested today.

ITV journalist Tom Bradby, a confidant of William for a decade, revealed the prince's determination to ensure that the dinner-dance hosted by Prince Charles for 300 friends and family is not too formal an affair.

Writing in The Times, Bradby, who will attend Friday's wedding with his wife Claudia, said William "fights protocol tooth and nail" and doesn't care much for "pomp and circumstance".

Bradby, ITV News's political editor, said: "You can imagine that negotiating details of the wedding with the keepers of the traditional flame across the park at Buck House has not been without issues.

"It is no great secret that William would much rather be getting married in the village church in Bucklebury, Berkshire."

Soon after William's engagement to Kate Middleton was announced last November, his private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton made clear the couple's wish to direct proceedings.

"This is Prince William and Catherine's day," Mr Lowther-Pinkerton said. "They are giving us very clear direction and calling the shots."

Today it was reported that Miss Middleton's sister Pippa had rowed with palace courtiers over her insistence that glitter balls be erected in the throne room to turn it into a temporary nightclub. The Daily Mail said this had "gone down like a lead balloon" with courtiers, sparking an intervention from Prince William.

One source told the paper: "William stepped in and insisted he wanted the evening event to be very different from the formal champagne and canapéreception being thrown by the Queen immediately after the wedding."