The Wedding: view from abroad
Our hard working intern Sarah gives us her thoughts on the upcoming event
Since Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement in November, America has been all a buzz. When people found out I was coming to London to study for a semester one of the first questions asked was always “are you going to be there for the Royal Wedding?” My friends and I joked that Prince Harry would invite us as his date and my mother complained that the price of airline tickets would rocket to sky high prices, thus making it much more expensive to come and visit me. Being someone who loves celebrity gossip and news, I am thrilled to be here for the Royal Wedding. A once in a lifetime experience, to really see a “common” women become an actual princess.
Since arriving in London I’ve noticed the wedding is not as talked about as it is in the States. Several morning television shows in the States have weekly segments devoted to the Royal Wedding, updating Americans on any new and interesting facts. Many of the Londoners I have met are not excited at all over the wedding. All they seem to be looking forward to is the bank holiday and the fact that the pubs will be open much later; many do not even plan to watch it! Even if they don’t plan on watching it, it will most likely be playing throughout every pub because there is going to be a live stream of the wedding, so not a moment will be missed.
Walking around and seeing the different tourist shops, they have recently begun having more and more souvenirs dedicated to the wedding; mugs, commemorative plates, shirts, flags, post cards, ash trays, shot glasses even an Oyster Card all with the happy couples face plastered on them. There are also copies of the engagement ring you can purchase and a commemorative coin, all this for a wedding! I, of course, will most likely go home with a few souvenirs as well as the thousands of tourists who visit London from now until who knows when.
If you plan on watching the Royal Wedding and following the procession route, Kate will either leave from Buckingham Palace or Clarence House, then travel along the mall, cross the Horse Guards Parade and head towards Parliament Square and of course end at Westminster Abbey. London residents and property owners who have great views of the procession are selling them for as much as £100,000! The top spot is the Sanctuary besides Westminster Abbey which is selling space for £100,000; another spot is the National Iranian Oil Company, which is hiring out two offices for the same price. The cheapest seems to be the Methodist Central Hall which is having a champagne- breakfast for £60 and the rooftops look down at the Abbey’s west entrance.
Although, if you don’t have the money to spend a top spot there are many other options to celebrate the wedding! There will be an outdoor party at Hyde Park in central London with huge screens to watch the activities. Another great outdoor option is South Marine Park in South Tyneside; here you can enjoy a picnic away from the crowds and still get to enjoy the wedding from big screens. Also, if you want to get away for the wedding weekend look no further than Clapham Common in South London, hundreds are expected to go there to party and celebrate from Thursday until Sunday.
There are plenty of places to enjoy the wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton, just make sure wherever you decide you get there early!
For more information on the Royal Wedding
