The price of a fairy tale

    The April 29 nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton are approaching, and with them the expected $48 million to $80 million economic boost to England. But there is a downside to this fairy tale: the cleanup, virtual shutdown of the city, and security from five government agencies (including MI5) for the throngs of gawkers. Here, the costs of bringing a fantasy to life.

    $9.6 billion

    The estimated cost of lost productivity on a normal bank holiday in Britain, which, under the orders of Prime Minister David Cameron, the wedding day has become.

    $8 million

    The estimated cost for the security provided by London's Metropolitan Police over the course of the wedding weekend. Not included: the costs of units like MI5, Intelligence, and Defense.

    28 days

    Estimated amount of time to clean the streets of London, beginning four weeks before the wedding and potentially continuing up to two days after, using some 140 extra cleaning staff.

    600,000+

    The number of additional spectators predicted to be in London specifically for the wedding. That's on top of the average 500,000 visitors to the city on any given day.