LONDON - Britain's royal wedding is generating around 9,000 mentions a day online, or one every 10 seconds, according to a study from specialist technology firm Greenlight published on Thursday.

A royal supporter waits for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II outside Westminster Abbey in London on Thursday. The Queen was attending a service during which she distributed Maundy money. [Photo/Agencies]

Those excited by the marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 outweigh the naysayers by six to one, the company's research shows.

The wedding will be available on YouTube via an official royal channel.

With one week to go before the royal wedding, London is putting on its best face. The fountains have been cleaned, the lawns trimmed and giant Union Jack flags are flying in the wind.

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To make the capital look as good as the bride, teams of contractors have given it a spring clean, and huge media stands have been erected to ensure the visiting hordes of journalists get the best possible view.

Dozens of British flags have been installed opposite Buckingham Palace, with more expected to be hung along the Mall, the road leading to the palace down which the newlyweds will drive in their carriage after the wedding.

Speakers have been set up among the chestnut trees to relay the marriage ceremony live to the crowds, and in nearby St James's Park, the grass has been trimmed and the flowerbeds packed with new blooms.

During March and April, there have been 158,000 posts related to the wedding on online media, with nearly 61,000, or 38 percent, coming in the last seven days alone.

Posts about Middleton's dress (23 percent), the guest list (20 percent) and gifts (18 percent) were the most popular.

The celebrated silk-and-lace bridal gown worn by Queen Victoria offers some clues about what Middleton will wear, even if much has changed since Victoria's low-key wedding in 1840.

A small basic dress like Victoria's simply won't do, said Joanna Marschner, senior curator at Britain's Historic Royal Palaces, which takes care of Victoria's gown and other dresses worn by past royal brides.

"The dress has to rise to the occasion," said Marschner. "It has to be big, it has to stand up to the scale of the space and stand up to the scrutiny of all those eyes. It has to carry the day, it has to say something about our time, and it has to be the choice of the bride. She has to be comfortable in it."

Despite intense interest, the identity of Middleton's designer and the style of her dress have remained a closely held secret. Palace officials say Middleton wants to surprise fiance Prince William when she steps out of her Rolls-Royce to cross the Abbey threshold.

Marschner would not make any predictions, except to say that the designer must respect the decorum associated with Westminster Abbey. That means a strapless gown or a plunging neckline are unlikely - Middleton will probably have to wait for an evening reception at Buckingham Palace if she wants to wear something more revealing.

The royal wedding is expected to be one of the year's most watched events globally, with some estimating up to 2 billion viewers.

Reuters - AP - AFP