Royals After "I Do"






Royals En route to Abbey






Reporters and Papparatzi






Pics from the crowd




Friday 29th of April was THE Royal Wedding. Seems like most Brits I knew weren't very into it. The extra bank holiday encouraged people to get out of town. (There were 2 four day weekends in a row here. All one had to do was take off the 3 days in between for 11 days off for the price of 3!)

We also planned a trip out of town (to Madrid, details in another post), but I made sure we were in town for the wedding. Why not try to catch a glimpse of the royals? How many other royal weddings will I ever be in London for?

I don't remember Diana and Charles' wedding but I do remember the night Diana died. It was one of my first nights at BU. I was on the 12th floor of Claflin Hall watching the news report with my new friends. In 1999, during my first trip to London, I remember going to Harrods and seeing the eternal flame memorial for Diana too. I wouldn't say I am a royalist, but who doesn't love a good wedding?

I decided I would leave the flat early on the wedding day and stake out a good spot. My main concern was where the toilets would be and who would save my place while I went to visit them. I couldn't convince any of our friends to join me. The weather called for rain that day too, which didn't help my cause.

After a good talking to from his mum, James decided to join me. We met at Westminster Abbey the night before to see how many people were already camping out and where the bathrooms were. This would help us choose our spot for the morning. It was nuts down there! Tons of tourists were walking around with Kate and Will masks, Union Jack flags with the couple's picture on them, and taking photos. The tents were 3 deep in front of the Abbey. One retired guy had been on the news because he had been sitting out since Tuesday. Music was blaring (God Save the King, I think) as sound checks were performed. The air was full of excitement!

James had discussed with a college good spectating spots along the route earlier in the day. He had ridden his bike down the Mall and saw that it wasn't too crowded (yet) and there were rows of portapotties. Score!

That evening I packed up sandwiches, snacks, drinks, and Royal Wedding cupcapkes I made especially for the big day (vanilla sponge with a cream cheese frosting). We charged batteries in the cameras and went to bed early. Friday morning we were up at 5:30am and out the door by 6:15am. Originally, our plan was the cycle the entire way to our spot. We decided to hop on the Tube instead and walk in from a few stops away. We alighted at Piccadilly Circus at 7am and walked down Reagent Street. There was a barricade up boxing on all the news trucks. We found a set of steps which gave us a good advantage point even though we were farther from the road. There were tv cameras and reporters from all over the world right next to us in the middle third of the steps. We settled down on one side but then James saw the other side was not as crowded. So picked everything up and switched sides. Lucky we did because about an hour later the police made the people on side we were originally on all move so the stairs were clear. Of course, this made our side more crowded. I tried to make it down to the toilets about 8:30am but couldn't get through the crowd. At 9:30am I tried again and managed to get up the stairs on our side, but the police weren't letting anyone down the stairs on the other side. Or out of the barricades. I went into random buildings, talked to bus drivers, and could not find a bathroom. I made it back to James and resolved not to drink anything else.

There were people around us dressed up for the wedding- Canadians in Canadian gear, women in Team Harry and Team Will shirts, and ladies in fancy hats. Here are some photos of our favorites.

Just after 10am, the Royal marching band lined up in front of us on the road and played some songs. Soon after, cars started zipping by. The cars had started at the Palace and were headed to the Abbey. We didn't even realize it was Will and Harry in one car until it was too late. Busses full of random royals went by, but the windows were tinted so you couldn't see who the people were.

We did manage to get a few snaps of the Queen even though she was on the opposite side of the car to us (which we showed to the ladies around us who were interested in what color she was wearing) and Kate. Kate was wearing lace! An interesting choice. I was eager to see what the rest of her dress looked like, but knew I wouldn't until later when we could get on the internet. From what I saw it reminded me of Grace Kelly.

From 11-12:15, we waited around and read the books we brought. There were speakers playing the audio from the ceremony, but they were pointed away from us. Once in a while, when the wind blew the right way, we could make out a word or two. Actually, James heard the exchange of the rings while I couldn't hear anything. The crowd around us was still abuzz.

The return processional was amazing! There were so many horses and horse-drawn carriages which allowed a better view of the royals at a slower pace. We snapped a few of the newlyweds and the bridal party. The Queen was in a carriage with a roof. This time she was on our side of the road but leaning forward so the frame blocked any good photos we could have taken.

Once the processional ended, James and I headed back to his office, where we watched highlights of the ceremony and Kate's dress. We saw the fly by from his office too.

Afterward, we met a friend for coffee and headed home for a nap. A successful day all in all!

All photos belong to The Millingtons and may not be used without permission.