The Royal Wedding: An Unforgettable London Celebration

           Newspapers called it a “storybook wedding”. Magazines said it was a “fairytale romance come true.” And sitting there in Hyde Park, watching the magic unfold, it truly was.

Outside Buckingham Palace

            Yesterday I had the incredible fortune of being in the city that seemed at the center of the universe. All of the world’s eyes were turned towards London as England’s most famous couple finally said, “I do.” And to be honest, the experience was once-in-a-lifetime. When Prince William and Catherine first announced their wedding date, I thought to myself how amazing it would be to witness the Royal Wedding first-hand, to be in London when all the parties, processions and preparations were going on. I knew it would be a day I would cherish forever and never, ever forget. So I made it happen.

Mom's picture from the Royal Wedding, 1981.

But for me, this day was more important than the wedding itself. It was important because of the family history I had tied to it. Exactly thirty years ago, at Charles and Diana’s wedding, my parents stood amongst the crowds in front of Buckingham Palace. They saw the famous kiss on the balcony and witnessed London in its finest hour. To be in the exact same spot, thirty years later, well, it was moving. Let’s just say I could feel their spirits there with me.

Hyde Park on Wedding Day

           


So yesterday morning, as I trudged off in the early hours towards Hyde Park, I was more excited than usual. Being ill-equipped to camp out for two nights before, I couldn’t even hope for a spot in front of Buckingham Palace. According to our cabbie, it had been closed off since the night before because there were too many people. Instead, we made our way towards Hyde Park, where three giant screens would project the procession and ceremony to tens of thousands of viewers. Upon arrival, we could see the crowds were already looming large. Most of the park’s viewing area was filled with people picnicking, drinking, and waiting for William and Catherine to make their first appearance. As we were only two, we managed to squeeze ourselves into a spot near the front, with great views of the action. While we waited, we popped the cork on the first of a few bottles of Prince William commemorative champagne.

British pride

            As I looked around me, I noticed that the park itself had been transformed. It appeared as if I had stepped onto carnival grounds, complete with ferris wheels, funnel cake stands, Pimm’s vendors, and row after row of port-o-potties. But nobody seemed to mind the seedy atmosphere. They were there to watch the wedding of the century, and everyone was giddy with excitement. I saw more wedding dresses than I could count, from little 4-year-olds dressed up like princesses, to 40-year-olds in bridal couture. Men ran around in their morning suits while ladies wore intricate, head-turning hats. The faces of William and Catherine appeared everywhere in the crowd, as many onlookers wore masks to look like the happy couple. There were children with red, white, and blue mohawks, sporting Union Jack face paint, and carrying giant flags with the couple’s picture in the middle. I have never in my life seen the Union Jack employed so cleverly. Everything from flags and face paint to pants, capes, suits, hats, t-shirts, and scarves.

Commemorative royal masks

I listened carefully to the people around us. I wanted to know where they were from, how long they had been here, and how much this wedding meant to them. In our immediate vicinity I heard at least three or four foreign languages, and met English-speakers from around the world. The family in front of us, half-Indian, half-American, had camped out overnight in the park to make sure they got a good spot.

Catherine arrives at Westminster Abbey

When the coverage of the wedding and procession finally started, the crowd grew very quiet. As each member of the royal family appeared at Westminster Abbey, loud cheers and applause pierced the skies. And when the yellow-clad Queen exited her car, the cheers grew louder than I had ever heard them. This is truly a country that loves its monarch. Finally, at 11am, the time came for Catherine to appear at the abbey. As she stepped out of the Rolls Royce with her father, the crowd gasped at her unbelievable beauty. Many clapped for her elegant, lace-covered gown, and when it was announced that Sarah Burton was indeed the designer, you could tell that Britain was pleased with the choice. During the actual ceremony, not a sound could be heard in the park. Those who couldn’t find seats on the grass filled the sidewalks, standing, eyes glued to the big screens. The only break in the silence? When William put the ring on Catherine’s finger and many thought it wasn’t going to fit! Men in the crowd chuckled while women moaned at the misfortune of it all, until the ring slid on and sighs of relief rang around the park. At the end, when William, now Duke of Cambridge, left the abbey with his new wife, blue and red confetti rained down from the skies.

The famous first kiss.

Just before the start of the procession back to the palace, we made our way to the streets, attempting to get close enough to Buckingham Palace to see the couple emerge onto the balcony for their first kiss. However, unlike at Charles and Diana’s wedding, the police held the barriers fast, and even blocked off access to many side streets. There was no getting to the palace. And so I spent the time of the procession jostling my way through the streets outside the palace, in what felt like a never-ending line at a Disneyworld ride, with people pushing through for a better view, and kids riding atop their parents’ shoulders to glimpse a bit of the action. People stood on every available surface – from steps to stoops to windowsills – all in the vain hope of seeing the carriage go by. But with crowds 20-people deep from the barriers, it was seemingly hopeless. Many didn’t stop from trying, and for that I give them props, but I eventually made my way into a nearby pub to watch the kiss and RAF fly-by on TV.

A modern monarchy.

         At 1:30pm the multi-hour wedding saga was nearly over. And as the couple made their way back to Clarence House in an Aston Martin, I took the tube back home. Today, sitting here and looking back on the day, I realize how truly lucky I was to witness this magical event mere feet from where it was actually occurring. I may not have gotten to Buckingham Palace to see them in person, but wrapped up in the crowds and clinking champagne glasses with some of London’s finest, I witnessed the wedding in a unique and unforgettable way.