At Buckingham
Everyone was eagerly waiting for Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to come on to the balcony. One woman exclaimed 'I don't even like the Royal family but when I see them, I'm calling out woo hoo!' This wedding had ignited so much excitement and seeing the couple, even just a glimpse, made you feel like you were a part of their special day, one of the people who made history. I suppose you could liken it to being in the wedding party versus being a guest, you have a role in the whole production and everyone else is watching. So too, the crowds were being watched by billions around the world.
Children sat on their parent's shoulders, the weather was perfect with not a drop of rain as expected. When the couple appeared, we all swelled forward, standing on our tip toes, chanting and clicking our cameras. It's no wonder that Kate said wow because we were an awesome sight, though we didn't feel the magnitude of the number at the time because we were not sardine packed in like you are on the tube during peak hour. They kissed and delivered what we had all come to see. William was obliging to the continued cries to kiss and they kissed again. The two of them standing on the balcony of the palace was an image from a fairytale.
The planes were coming and we all shuffled around.All eyes turned away from the palace to look up into the sky. The planes zoomed overhead, a perfect formation, and then the second set of planes flew overhead. The Royal family left the balcony and we all tried to leave. It took some time to get out of Buckingham Palace. People wanted to come in and so we stood around for about 10 minutes waiting.
- See how Buckingham Palace compares to The Tower of London in Battle of the London Tourist Attractions.
The Afternoon Around London
St James Park was crowded with people having picnics. Some had champagne, others had packed or bought sandwiches. It was warm with a slight breeze. Ducks were swimming in the lake. A band was playing and lots of families were enjoying the music. A stand sold memorabilia - champagne balloons floated at the entrance.
Westminster Abbey is a smaller than St Paul's where Charles and Diana married. It's been the venue for many other major events. Read about the Easter celebrations at St Paul's.
At Trafalgar Square, there was a concert. The crowd was younger and it was very lively.
Soho was where the fun was congregating. Drag queens wandered around - one was dressed in red as Queen Elizabeth II. Some guys were dancing to It's Raining Men, DJs played music as crowds danced to Black Eyed Peas and JLo. It was the party place. It's no surprise that the gay community would celebrate Princess Diana's son's wedding day. She campaigned for AIDs victims and worked to fight the stigma associated with the disease.
That Night
On the news, we saw Kate's evening dress, another Sara Burton creation. I expect this is the dress Kate would have preferred to wear to the church, it was more modern and revealing, but no doubt she had to make many compromises because it was a royal wedding at Westminster Abbey.
That night we watched the wedding which we had taped. We were tired, but we didn't want the day to end.
After the ceremony, Kate asked William if he was happy. Perhaps he told her it was bittersweet because his mother's funeral was also at Westminster Abbey. Perhaps he wanted a quiet wedding without the press and public and the compromises required of having a royal wedding. Perhaps William had been told that hs honeymoon would have to be postponed and Kate sensed he wasn't happy. But the point is that she cares about him and they are in tune with each other.
We couldn't believe how great the day had been, it was beyond our wildest expectations. We thought how wonderful it would be to see another royal wedding 30 years from now when perhaps one of William and Kate's kids walk down the aisle.
Prince William and Kate Middleton were partying with friends and family at Buckingham Palace. The telegraph reports that guests drank champagne, peach bellinis, elderflower cocktails and mojito (www.telegraph.co.uk - Royal Wedding Party). There were commentators talking fashion and E's fashion police did a Royal special - which I'm sure Pippa or someone has taped for Kate to revel in.
London truly is an amazing city. Read Why London is Better Than New York.
London truly is an amazing city. Read Why London is Better Than New York.
The London Royal Wedding which has been much anticipated has been and gone, but for William and Kate it is just beginning of the public spotlight, the media circus and a lifetime of duty, which hopefully will be also filled with happiness and love.
Read more and see other photoes on Willaim and Kate:
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