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.