Details of the programme's production were kept under wraps by the Royal Household until this morning, when it released a free electronic version in two formats, as a page-turning Ceros edition and as an Apple iBook.

Profits from the sale of the programme, which is priced at £2, will go to the charitable Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Antalis McNaughton supplied the 17 tonnes of Novatech Coated Matt paper (250gsm cover, 150gsm text) used for the programme, while Stephens & George printed the 150,000 A5 copies that will be sold on the day at locations in Green Park, Hyde Park, St James's Park and Trafalgar Square.

"In production terms the job was relatively easy - it's 24 pages plus cover and 150,000 copies," said Stephens and George group managing director Andrew Jones. "The main thing was that once the job went into production we had to be very careful regarding the security.

"So any waste sheets off the press and off the folders were cut up and put into our bailing system and then after stitching any waste or bad copies were cut up and put into our waste extraction management system, after that the product was shrinkwrapped in fifties to be delivered today."

The programme was designed and produced by Haymarket Network, with reprographics by Haymarket Prepress, distribution by IVS Group and digital edition by Ceros.