Royal Weddings 101

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Part I: PLANTING THE SEEDS
My paternal grandmother and/or aunts were 
always going to England and back on 
big ocean liners when I was a child.
We have family there.
(My maternal grandmother, born in London, 
always said she'd only go back when they 
built a bridge). 

Her mother, my Great grandmother, 
told me she saw Queen Victoria riding 
in a carriage during her Diamond 
Jubilee celebrations in London (1896).
Then there was the Coronation of Queen
Elizabeth II. Pomp and circumstance,
red velvet, ermine, diamonds and gold
(in black and white). Also newsreels at the 
movies showing the great crowds gathered
in front of Buckingham Palace at the end 
of WWII.
By Princess Margaret's wedding in 1960, 
My brain was bursting with the lives, legends 
and lore of Tudors, Stuarts, Hanovarians and 
Windsors and working on the Plantagenets.
Figuring, 4 years college, then a job and 
saving money, I promised myself a trip to 
London when Prince Charles married.

By the time he  decided on Lady Diana Spencer, 
I had already been to London several times
and followed the Queen and Prince Philip around
Philadelphia in 1976 during our bicentennial.
My reward, a brief exchange with HRH The Duke
of Edinburgh in a royal walkabout behind
Independence Hall. (More of this on a future post.)

Part: II  I'M OFF
My English friends Rosalind and Rob welcomed 
me with open arms and the news that if I intended 
to have a good spot along the procession route, 
I'd be spending the night before in St James' Park 
and should be there by early afternoon at that.

Dear Ros packed some sandwiches, a thermos of 
coffee and a pint of orange juice and took this 
picture of me (above) when we got to the Mall. 
Then I took one of her, her daughter Fiona (white 
and red dress) and Fiona's friend Caroline (lavender 
dress) and they left.

I was just across the street from Clarence House on 

the Mall where Diana was staying, as I had planned.
The crowd grew. Rented one of the wood and canvas 
deck chairs available for something like 65p for the 
duration. (which ended abruptly at 6AM next 
morning with 4 hours to go until the procession)

But I digress. 

As the afternoon wore on a potentially serious 

problem arose. Only one public loo at the far 

end of the park in the direction of the Admiralty 

Arch. And it was already very much out of service. 

Anyone who knows the area understands. No place 

to go, literally. One side, park. Other side, Clarence 

House, Marlboro House, Lancaster House, St James'

Palace. Private closed to the public, Mansions and 

Palace.

The sun went down. Most folks lit out for Hyde

Park fireworks, leaving their belongings

in the care of the few like myself who remained. 

(Listen, I wouldn't have even been there if "there" 

was HERE!) And it was 30 years ago.

Shortly after sun up. we lost our deck chairs.

Tired, grubby, needing a loo, all moved

forward. We all were keeping each other upright. 

Won't bore you with the details of street sweeping

and lining the Mall with bearskin hatted guards

(facing in), police between (facing us). A guard

fainted and was instantly replaced. 

Somewhere around 10AM the procession began.

Scarlet, gold and black. On foot, on horseback,
shiny plumed helmets, sabers and boots. Warm day
for the wool jackets laden with gold braid.

Managed to snap Princess Anne (yellow hat) 

riding with Princess Margaret (orange feather 

behind yellow hat).

Not sure who this was, possibly Queen Beatrix 

of the Netherlands. It was all whizzing by so quickly.

(And I'm really needing a LOO).

The bride's coach came towards me, turning

left into the Mall. Amid clouds of cream silk a

beautiful veiled face and a waving hand and

gone down the road. And it was over.

As for the ceremony, heard Diana take "Philip 

Charles Arthur George" to be her lawful wedded 

husband on some one's transister radio, but that was

all. 

I would have given MY kingdom for a "ladies", but I 

moved up to the Buckingham Palace gates instead. 

I'd come this far. Seemed like hours before the

carriages returned and the main players came out on 

the balcony. I did my best with my pathetic telephoto

lens. But that balcony is miles from the back gates.

(The back of BP faces the Mall. The front faces

the gardens).

The wisdom of my having chosen Illustration 

over Photography as my life's work demonstrated

for all to see.

In this detail from a photo in Invitation to a Royal 

Wedding, by Katharine Spink, the yellow arrow on 

the lower left near the center is point down on the 

top of my head.

Part:III CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED

So, for those inclined to fly over and watch it all

in person, unless you have received an engraved

invitation for the Abbey be prepared as there are 

no loos, or port-a-potties of any kind anywhere near 

the route of the procession.

Hard to believe in England, a country of great beer 

consumption. But then again, the crowd 30 years ago, 

mostly foreigners. Aussies, New Zealanders, Canadians, 

Americans. Anglophile fools like me. And I think

the natives know about the loo situation.

PS: Immediately after the balcony scene, I headed down 

Birdcage Walk (on the right side of St James Park,

if your back is to the Palace).

Found an open restaurant, with a clean loo. 

Then headed back to Ros and Rob's.

Opening the door to my disheveled self, Rob commented

"In retrospect, you will be glad you did this."

Turns out, he was right.

But I will be watching this year's Royal Wedding from

my comfortable bed just across the hall from my lovely 

precious loo.