Brits and Australians celebrate Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding
BRITAIN is in party-mode after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot. Here's how Aussies are joining the crowds to mark the occasion.
BRITAIN was painted red, white and blue as hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Entire towns were covered in bunting and Windsor itself was a sea of Union Jack flags, Harry and Meghan masks and paper crowns
It was estimated that pubs would pour 50 million pints of beer across the day as Brits also celebrated the FA Cup final.
Jubilant fans started popping the champagne early with pubs specially allowed to open from 7am.
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By 10am local UK time, 250,000 people had packed into Windsor. Some fans had spent more than four nights camped out to ensure they got the best seats.
London train stations were packed from 5am, with partiers spotted singing in the carriages during the ride to Windsor.
Hundreds of street parties were held across the country, with so many people celebrating that major retailers sold out of bunting.
That included Party Pieces, the website run by Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents, which sold out its bunting sets and Union Jack paper plates.
At Windsor, merchandisers were selling masks, flags, tea towels, china, life-sized cut-outs and even cheeky royal underwear.
Some fans turned up wearing their own wedding dresses with signs begging Harry to ditch Meghan and marry them instead.
University student Colette Lipp, 25, from Canberra was at Windsor where she was hoping to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds. “I couldn’t sleep at all last night I was so excited,” Ms Lipp, who is studying at Oxford University, said.
“I made everyone leave at 4:15am because I didn’t want to risk missing a good spot.”
Bev Prestwick, 51, who had travelled from Kadina in South Australia, also left her accommodation at 4am to get a prime position in the crowd.
“The whole atmosphere and all the pomp and circumstance is amazing,” Ms Prestwick said.
“After it’s all over we’ll have a pint of beer for them.”
All over England fans were enjoying high teas and dress up competitions.
The wedding was screened live everywhere from churches to rooftop bars and even at London’s Big Day Out music festival.
Sarah Magro isn’t your ordinary English bobby.
The Belconnen woman moved to London 14 years ago, on the usual gap year trek taken by thousands of young Australians, before joining the police force nine years ago.
“I started working in the pubs and now I work for the police force in Oxford, actually. I’ve just been brought in for the day,” Constable Magro told News Corp Australia.
On crowd security just outside the St George’s Chapel, she was thrilled to be in such a prime position along the carriage procession route, near Windsor Castle.
“This is my [first royal event] so it’s pretty exciting. My parents live in Belconnen so a big shout out to them … missing you heaps,” she said.
Just along the guard rail, Melbourne woman Michelle Poggi was peaking after spending four days camping on the streets of Windsor for her front-row seat.
The Caroline Springs paramedic has been a royal loyalist since the age of 10, when she found comfort in the “fairytale” wedding of Lady Diana Spencer to Prince Charles.
It was 1981 and her own parents were divorcing and “it was not a good time.”
“Princess Diana was getting married and it was huge. She was that young, teenage girl and it was love and the big dress … I was hooked on the fairytale,” she said.
Following her life, the birth of her two sons and then her tragic death, Ms Poggi said she has embraced the princes William and Harry, saving up for six months to be at his wedding.
“The royals don’t let you down. Politicians, life, big companies, corruption, world leaders … people can let you down, but the royals never do. Their grace, they’re regal.”
Jennifer Glasson, Shirley Pinch, Lynne Doherty and Chris Footer, all from Adelaide, changed the plans for their three-week UK holiday to make sure they’d be in Windsor for the royal wedding.
“The day the wedding date was announcement, we booked our accommodation,” Mrs Pinch said, with Mrs Glasson adding “in the middle of the night to make sure.”
Mrs Footer said “I’ve always loved the royal family and we also love Harry.”
English-born Mrs Doherty has been living in Australia 47 years but admits it was her friend Chris who converted her to be so passionate about this Royal family.
“We went to Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove the other day … he was there but we didn’t get to meet him,” she said.
Despite a week of scandal and fractured family headlines, the group all rallied around Meghan Markle as Harry’s one true love.
“She’s had a terrible week, her family have been shocking … but she makes him happy and that’s all that matters.”
Originally published as Brits and Australians celebrate Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding
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