Day 8 Royal Wedding Sun May 20 flying home from London

Flight on time, easy check in. Plenty of reading material in the tabloids to relive it all.

Watched Star Wars and Darkest Hour movies on the plane. Ate teriyaki chicken for lunch and pizza for dinner in the air. Landed in Philly at 1p, Columbus at 5p and drove home by 8p. Went to sleep and woke up today at 5:30am to unpack, do laundry, and go grocery shopping before heading back to work tomorrow morning.

It was a bucket list trip of a lifetime and I'm so glad we went. The official programme read "You are witnesses of the marriage, and express your support by your presence and your prayers. Your support does not end today: the couple will value continued encouragement in the days and years ahead of them." They can count on it: I came home an even bigger fan of Great Britain, London, and the royal family. I hope to get back there again some day to paint.

Day 7 Royal Wedding Sat May 19

What a wonderful day! Breakfasting at the hotel, everyone was wearing suits and dresses and it was as though we'd all been invited to Harry's wedding, even the reporters. We haven't been able to identify "Sir David" from the BBC who we saw in Windsor on Tuesday but saw Reeta Chakrabarti interviewing people on the Long Walk after breakfasting next to her at the Holiday Inn Express.

 

Our Uber driver did great -- got us right to the Windsor Farm Store, where we were stopped by police and politely asked whether we were guests or spectators.

Since we really didn't have an invitation, we confessed to being spectators and got out of the car to follow others to the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park. It was a beautiful, cool sunny morning walking through actual farmland. Laurie with her Kappa Kappa Gamma sign she'd made to hold up for Meghan, who pledged that sorority at Northwestern. (She wore her Theta visor too).

I figured it might get us on camera somehow but it didn't. After about a 20-30 minute walk, we reached the Windsor sign. Shortly after that, saw this big green TV studio at the corner where the carriage parade would turn from surface streets onto the Long Walk. It was 8a and already packed with people.

I saw the back of Anderson Cooper's head and knew that booth was CNN's.

We found a good spot right in front of a big screen monitor. Here's what it looked like when they were setting it up on Tuesday and here's what it looked like today.

Note the green TV stand in the background. We were probably 3/4 of the way down from the castle and 1/4 away from the top by the green TV stand. Look at the girl with the woodpecker on her hat; Laurie said it was a kiwi and she was probably Australian. We saw lots of Americans and Canadians.

I wish I'd taken more pictures of the crowd; best people watching of my entire life! And I thought everyone was very polite and well-mannered considering how many people were packed in there -- much more than I think they would have been in the States. I thought we were close enough to see the carriage parade twice -- once coming from the town (to my right) and then again coming down the Long Walk (to my left). But remember, this was only 8a. By 1p, we were just glad to be close enough to see the carriage from one direction: on its way back to the castle. Here's a picture Laurie took on the Long Walk on Tuesday -- quite different from this morning!

And I don't know why, but Laurie and I both thought everyone would be in the carriage parade, not just the bride and groom. I guess that would have been a real security nightmare but it would have been great!

There were people of all ages, children, dogs. I was glad to have my hat for shade as the sun got higher in the sky. There were food stands, drinks, and portalettes a plenty. Laurie and I relaxed on our plastic ponchos, thankfully not needed, with our raincoats and my flag spread over them, reading People magazine. Someone had an official order of the service, which I'd wanted to buy, but never found one, so I've printed it out from the royal.uk web site and linked it here so you can too.

People cheered when the bobbys came and arranged themselves along the parade route. The big screens didn't show anything until all of a sudden, Cliveden appeared. That's where the bride had stayed the night before with her mom. We saw the car pull out but couldn't see the dress. But it was on its way here and was supposed to drive right past us. Excitement built.

It's fun to watch this stuff with your friends but it was even better to watch it with 100,000 fellow fans. The big screens started showing guests arriving and people would yell out who they were. We stood with two British ladies and they told us who the Brit celebs and royals were while we clued them in on the Americans.

How everyone cheered when Fergie appeared; she looked great! And I'd bet that Harry wouldn't shave his beard -- figured Meghan liked facial hair. But didn't guess that the Queen would give him permission to wear uniform anyway. Thought the boys looked nervous walking down to the West Steps of the Chapel. But could picture every step since we'd walked that way Tuesday afternoon. And envied the Golden Ticket holders who got to see them for real, not just on TV.

But wasn't the coverage great?! Enjoyed seeing Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Princess Kate arriving. Everyone went "awww." People cheered for Charles and Camilla -- no one booed. And I must say, Charles has won me over on this trip. Supposedly he was rude to the Middletons at Kate's wedding because they were commoners. But he couldn't have been more gallant with Meghan and her mom. And its always been obvious he loves he sons and tries to do his best for them.

Just before the Queen came down, Meghan's car flew past past us down the Long Walk. So fast it was a blur. I think they were behind schedule. But sure hope the carriage goes a little slower! Next got distracted by seeing Philip with the Queen. Loud roars went up all around us for her and the Iron Duke, who didn't even need a cane to get into the chapel via the Galilee porch where we'd stood just a few days ago. All was now ready for the bride to appear.

I thought her dress was just beautiful! The tiara was beautiful! The veil was beautiful! And I laughed out loud when I saw the face of the gap-toothed page boy who turned out to be Brian Mulroney. Best photo bomb ever! How did Meghan manage to look so gorgeous as a bride without outshining Kate, who will one day be queen? Masterful: the whole thing was just perfect in every way!

Most people in front of us were sitting down in soccer chairs but we stood for the entire telecast of the wedding -- I didn't want to miss a thing. We could hear the carriages as they came down the street before turning onto the Long Walk. I'll never forget the looks on Harry's and Meghan's faces in that carriage -- as beaming as they'd seemed on TV. It was over in a minute as we watched them head on back up and into the castle.

Great photos of the whole thing on the Royal web site


We moved from the sun into the shade and got some lunch from a food stand. Not sure how we were going to get home. Announcers said the Cambridge Gate and Train Station were clogged with people and to please stay and enjoy Windsor. Laurie took her sorority sign over to the Northwestern folks and we talked to them for awhile. Then we walked along the street down which the carriage had come. Lots of beautiful homes with people having parties in their front gardens. Sort of like you pass walking to the Indy 500 on race day but a little more elegant. Did get a photo of what I thought was Frogmore House, where the evening party was to be held. That's the one place we never got close to, even on Tuesday.

Laurie is good at celebrity sightings and her record is intact -- she saw Gayle King on the street in Windsor and went up and talked to her!

We slowly made our way down to the bridge from Windsor to Eton and miraculously found a table along the water at a pub in Eton.

Relaxed there and watched boat traffic. Saw two crazy guys in a little zodiac boat wearing Harry and William masks -- sorry I didn't get their picture. Watched the Queen's standard waving in the breeze atop the castle.

Finally at about 6p we took the train to Slough, hoping to catch the 81 bus back to our hotel. Got a little screwed up there because we needed Oyster Cards and Laurie didn't have one but eventually got back to our room just as they were televising the newlyweds leaving the castle in the Jaguar convertible. We watched a little of the retrospectives on TV but too tired to stay up for the fireworks at 11p.  Heard they were planning to go to a private club in Marlybone after that. Set the alarm so we could catch the 645a Hoppa bus to Heathrow and went to sleep.

Day 6 Royal Wedding Fri May 18 London

I'd been thrilled to get "timed tickets" to Kensington Palace on Friday and figured we might see its residents coming or going to Windsor. We didn't but Kate was spotted the day before walking baby Louis and Charlotte in the park, so I had the right idea. These gates gave Laurie pause as she remembered all the flowers piled there when Diana died.

 We never did see anyone but had to be careful taking photos at the private gate here where the family comes and goes from their living quarters.

This was close to the Kensington High Street tube station. But we got to London by retracing our steps from yesterday -- Hotel Hoppa to Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station. Walked from there to, and through, Kensington Gardens. Another glorious May day ... we've been so lucky and the same is forecast for the wedding day tomorrow.

Laurie was charmed by this little Rolls Royce ice cream truck. Have the royal kiddies ever visited it?

I have always loved Peter Pan, so was happy we got to see this statue.

I wore my wedding hat today for a "trial run"  Had a bag to carry it in if I got tired of wearing it, which I did. That worked on Saturday too. I packed the right stuff for this trip -- lots of layers -- and wore most of it, including all four pairs of shoes. We walked a lot!! I wore a different pair each day and carried a spare pair, which I usually had to change into around 4-5p.

Swans, beautiful scenery and birdsong as we proceeded to Diana's Memorial Fountain. You can see its rippling waterfall on the left.

When the park is closed to the public, do the boys come here? Will their children play here?

We walked past lots of people with dogs and children towards Prince Albert's Memorial 

Having watched Victoria on Masterpiece, I think of her having this golden idol of Albert built after he died and feel sadness for her.

Royal Albert Hall, which I'd wanted to see, is right across the street.

As Freddi would say, "scaffolding tour of Europe" since many things are often under scaffolding like this.

Back into the gardens, we head for the Palace, where Laurie wants to show me the sunken garden where Harry and Meghan announced their engagement.

Here is the lovely spot, which was one of today's highlights. But we had to ask a warden where they stood.

Two reasons we didn't figure that out on our own

That was November, so things weren't as in bloom.

 

And two, the Orangerie behind them is now being renovated and therefore covered up by a cafe that wasn't there then. 

To take the photo below, I stood where photographers did that day. The birdbath in the middle of the pond has a heart in it.

Almost time to go inside. In addition to state apartments open to the public, there are 2 exhibits -- Victoria Revealed and Diana: Her Fashion Story.

A papparazzi or television reporter was set up right behind me with a camera, so he must've thought he might spy one of the royal residents here today too. But they were supposed to take Meghan's mom Doria for tea with the Queen and Prince Philip in Windsor and so may have already been on their way there.

Statue of Queen Victoria

Public entrance to Kensington Palace, or KP as they call it.

 At a PEO stop, Laurie wanted me to see the Diana wallpaper she remembered from a previous visit.

I really liked these candle lights on the grand staircase going in. There was so much tromp l'oeil painting here in the palace, all done by the same artist. I couldn't imagine being able to do it all in one lifetime.

This is the card room where Queen Caroline gambled while her guests danced in the ballroom next door. As we heard a talk by an "educator," I noticed the painting rail around the top of the room with chains holding the heavily-framed paintings ... a gallery system.

Here's that ballroom. We saw the room where Victoria was born and where she was christened.

This gallery is much like St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle, only about half the size of it.

Here's a look out the window

And here, entering the Victoria Revealed exhibit is a silhouette of Lord M

These two coats reminded me of the ones Albert and Ernst wore

 The gold braid was unbelievably heavy!

Sorry I don't have more photos of the Victoria exhibit -- which covered her life birth through death. Felt very close to her and Albert and their family. Below are pillows Laurie remembered from her previous visit -- with very cleverly stitched portraits of KP residents.

I ended up in tears during the Diana exhibit. Due to slides that showed how much her boys have carried on in her footsteps with their charitable work these last twenty years...

...in sadness that she never had Charles' love, thought of her own wedding day as the worst of her life, and didn't get to see her sons grow up and marry for love themselves...

and teared up unexpectedly again when I saw a particular purple dress that she'd worn in Chicago marked as "on loan from the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Henry of Wales."

Even though we didn't go to Althorp, this was the Diana pilgrimage Laurie and I had always talked about making. Her presence was palpable during the entire wedding on Saturday and I kept thinking it was her happiest day.

I got to eat a piece of the wedding cake (elderflower and lemon) in the tea room before we left for Selfridge's -- it was delicious!

Prompted by liking the show Mr. Selfridge, and the fact that the wedding florist displayed and sold in the store, we took the tube from Kensington High Street to Bond Street.

 I had forgotten about the clock above the front door until Laurie reminded me of it.

 Here is the florist's display in Selfridge's. Weren't the wedding flowers beautiful?

 I loved that Harry had picked flowers for Meghan's bouquet from their own garden, including his mother's forget me nots. But those floral bowers at St. George's were spectacular. Way to go, Philippa Craddock!

And here is Laurie in front of a window displaying holograms -- always an innovator, it seemed like Mr. Selfridge would approve of that.

We ate supper at a pub inside the store before hiking back through Hyde Park to Paddington Station and home via the good ol' Express train. Little did we know that the princes had done their "walkabout" on the Windsor High Street and that a woman who looked a lot like me had been photographed with them and so many friends thought it was me. I wish!

I'd tried to talk Laurie into going to Cowarth Park near Ascot where the boys were supposed to be spending the night, in case we might see them. But we decided to get a good night's sleep in order to get breakfast at 7a and head out for the wedding.

I wished I'd gotten to see Ascot. And Windsor Race Course. Apparently Prince Philip was spotted at the races briefly last Sunday and he's supposed to attend the wedding.  With the crowds we're seeing on TV, we decide to take an Uber from the hotel to Windsor Farm Store in the morning. That is where all the invited guests are supposed to arrive between 8 and 10a to be bussed up to the Round Tower. I think our best spot for the wedding is going to be on the Long Walk, which we scoped out on Tuesday while visiting the Castle. 

 This is the Cambridge Gate, the closest a commoner can get to the castle from the Long Walk. We already know we can't get any view of St. George's and Windsor High Street is already packed densely with people.

 Here's where we saw them assembling a big screen TV on Tuesday along the Long Walk. This was before they put barriers up in front of the road the carriage will be on.

It looks so different here than it did Saturday with double barriers next to the road and a bobby stationed every few feet. But kudos for security: no one got hurt to my knowledge.