The one about THAT wedding...

 

So. I wasn't going to do a post about the Royal Wedding due to the fact that every blogger and her aunt has done one over the weekend - it's getting a bit boring isn't it? Well actually, no, not for me as I am a woman OBSESSED. I cannot stop reading about the wedding and I'd watch it over and over if I had mt way. I'm thinking of having it as my Mastermind subject...In all seriousness, I loved the wedding. It completely lived up to the hype didn't it? and yes, I was one of those mentalists that traveled down to London for the event, and I'm so glad I did!

We got into London relatively early by my standards, not so early by everyone elses. By 9am all the entry points to the procession route were closed. Sad times! Never fear we found a good vantage point - Trafalgar Square.  This wasn't entirely by choice. The Royal Wedding will always remind me of cattle-herding, as that is what it felt like all day long. We were shepherded from one spot to another, prevented from leaving areas, blocked from entering others. The police didn't know which way to send people for the best, the show event guys didn't know their h'arses from their elbows.

Crowds in Trafalgar Square

Anyhow, we were pretty lucky to get into Trafalgar Square as not long after it was closed off, it was seriously busy. There were hundreds of people outside the square wanting to get in and people stood on bus stops outside the barriers to watch the big screens.  We picked a spot with a good view of the large screen and there we waited for the main event. In the run up to the actual wedding there was a whole lot of flag waving and cheering when the various VIPs arrived at Westminster Abbey. Even David Beckham got a good old cheer.  As 11.00am grew nearer tensions were rising, people were jostling for position and elbows were sharpened.  I offered a few foreign tourists some choice words of advice - like "the words you are looking for are excuse me" and "manners cost nothing you know" whilst menacingly waving my William & Catherine flag.  How very British of me.

Bus stop viewing

Big screen viewing - down with the tall people - off with their heads!

And then she appeared. Wow. What a dress, absolutely stunning and what a response from the crowd but then silence fell for the wedding service. It seems odd to think of somewhere like Trafalgar Square being quiet but it was, you could have heard a pin drop at times. Everyone gave a big cheer after the wedding vows and the atmosphere was just brilliant. We did have a comedy heckling moment when some spud in a brown jumper decided to stand on something and literally block about two hundred people's view.  Mr M and I decided to shout him down and to our glee, everyone else joined in! Up the revolution!  There was giggles from the crowd when Harry had a peek round at Kate coming up the aisle, a sharp intake of breath when William couldn't get the ring on the finger and a slight teary eye from me when they sang Jerusalem which was sang at my own wedding.

Midway through the service we decided to have a tea and wee break and moved the other side of Traflagar Square where we found an even better view.  The whole of Trafalgar Square singing "God Save the Queen" and waving their flags will be something that stays with me forever - I've never felt so patriotic in my life!

Not my video...

A sea of flags (okay it was more impressive than this photo)

Not my video either...

At the end of the ceremony a confetti cannon was released an ticker tape came down over the square - a nice touch I thought.  We had a distant view of the carriages returning to Buckingham Palace and after this we decided to go to The Mall. This sounds easy doesn't it? Trafalgar Square to The Mall? Nope. It wasn't. Nobody would let us out, and once we found a way out we weren't allowed back in. We had to walk a really, really long route but we go there, and it wasn't an unpleasant walk. We passed lots of official wedding guests in their finery thinking they were very important. Clearly as they were walking through Westminster with the rest of us, they weren't all that important.  A last minute sprint through St James's Park and we reached The Mall. Alas, there was no way on earth we could get near for the kiss but we could hear the cheers and no matter where anyone was, they cheered. We were just glad to get there in time for the fly past as that was what Mr M wanted to see.

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 

(which wasn't nearly as impressive in real life as it looked on the TV).

After the fly past we crashed in St James Park (next to someone dressed as a banana? it takes all sorts...) and listened to the brass band playing classics whilst we had some refreshments. I was absolutely dreading the tube home but it was empty, eerily so. I guess people may have hung around longer than we did.

Me on The Mall after it was done and dusted

Sneaking a peek at the Downing Street street party. 

Police dude looks stern doesn't he?

It was a great day. We may have not had a number one viewing spot but it was worth it just to be there - the atmosphere was electric and everyone was in such great spirits.  What a day.

Flags at Westminster, rather impressive in the flesh I must say

When we got home we watched it all on TV to see what we had missed. Kate melted my heart with her "oh wow" when she stepped out onto the balcony, and that little coy look back as they left the balcony was beautiful.  It has to be said, and I know it's being said everywhere but Pippa Middleton - hubba hubba, I think I have a new girl crush!  I adore this image of the two girls.

Not my picture

All I can say is bring on the Diamond Jubilee! And this time, I might camp...

love & kisses

Mrs M x