She’s off to see the Windsors
Ontario teen’s charity work scores her an invite to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
PETERBOROUGH, ONT.— A Peterborough teen who scored an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding says she’s now being approached by designers who want to dress her for the big event.
Faith Dickinson, 15, says the whole experience is “like a dream” and she’s looking forward to getting dressed up for the big day.
The Diana Award — named after Prince Harry’s mother — tweeted the news that Dickinson is one of 200 “exceptional young people” who’ve been invited to attend the May 19 nuptials on the strength of their contributions to charities that are close to the hearts of Prince Harry or Markle.
Dickinson is in rare company. Kensington Palace has said that politicians and world leaders have not been invited to the wedding, although 1,200 members of the public have received invitations, including young people who have served their communities.
Award organizers say Dickinson is the only Canadian out of seven young people involved in the program to snag a spot in the public gallery on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The other invitees are all from England.
Dickinson won a Diana Award last year for Cuddles for Cancer, a charity she launched when she was 9 years old after her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. During treatment, her aunt said she got very cold and so Dickinson made her a fleece blanket.
She now makes fleece blankets to provide comfort to people with cancer or others who need comfort — she recently sent blankets to soldiers returning home with injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder, for example. Dickinson has made more than 3,000 blankets, each personalized with details about the recipient’s hobbies or favourite colour. They’ve been sent across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Australia, France and Africa.
She’s also raised more than $30,000 to keep providing free blankets to those in need.
While overseas for the wedding, Dickinson will be scouting opportunities to expand her charity to London, where she says she’s received interest in a U.K. outpost.
Dickinson says there are already plans to open a second location in Edmonton.
Preparing to attend the royal wedding has been “overwhelming” for the Peterborough teen.
“We’ve been into some stores and they’ve been like, ‘We would love to dress you and make a hat and fascinator.’ It’s very exciting in that way,” said Dickinson, who attends a performing arts high school. “You dream of this when you’re a kid, right? Like, getting all dressed up to go to a royal wedding. It’s so surreal.”
Dickinson says the details of her trip are still being worked out but she’s been told to clear her schedule the night before the wedding and all day on the 19th. She met Prince Harry and Prince William last year when she won the Diana Award.
“I got to meet them 20 minutes before the actual awards ceremony and we got to talk and I was very nervous,” she said. “And the staff just said, ‘It’s all right, just shake their hand like they’re normal people.’ But it’s pretty difficult.
“They felt very personable and they were both very down to earth. They were just so nice,” Dickinson added.
During her last U.K. trip, she and her parents visited Princess Diana’s island burial site on the grounds of Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire. This time, they’re musing about a trip to visit family in Scotland.
In the meantime, Dickinson says she’s still getting used to all the attention.
“I used to get the odd interview when something happened ... but this time it blew up — everyone was calling me and I couldn’t answer because I was in science class and math class and I was getting texts from people,” said Dickinson, a dancer who has acted in music videos.
The wedding hoopla is undoubtedly one of the biggest things to happen to her.
“Even bigger than prom,” she laughs.