‘This is Windsor’s own royal wedding’
Excitement high for Saturday nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
What the “Royal Wedding ” lacked in paparazzi and crazed crowds Thursday in Windsor, Ont., it more than made up for in brides. Five women came dressed in wedding gowns as almost 50 ladies from the Old Bats in Red Hats group geared up for the other royal wedding — you know, the Saturday nuptials for Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. “This is Windsor’s own royal wedding,” said Marian Mills, who bought a wedding gown just for Thursday’s luncheon. Women from the Old Bats in Red Hats group — one of Windsor’s Red Hat Society chapters — gathered with some guests from the Scarlet Rebels Chapterettes for a royal wedding luncheon at the Serbian Centre Thursday. They tossed aside their usual red hat adornment for crowns, tiaras, fascinators, and bridal veils. Windsor firefighters surprised the group after lunch, when they showed up in uniform to play the grooms. Meanwhile, excitement is building among local royal watchers for Saturday’s wedding in England. “Because of the history of my family and the royal family, I’m always excited about things like that,” said Cheryl Kay, who has a link to Queen Elizabeth’s wedding through family members who worked in Scotland for the Queen.
“I actually have a great aunt and uncle who were at Elizabeth’s and Philip’s wedding.” Kay, who wore her own wedding gown from 30 years ago, said she is eager to see what the real royal family and their guests will be wearing. “I guess we all still believe in fairy tales,” Kay said of the fascination with royal weddings.
Many of the women at Thursday’s local event said they will wake up around 4 a.m. Saturday to catch some television coverage that is expected to begin at 4:30 a.m. on CTV and 5 a.m. for CBC and CNN. The afternoon wedding in Britain will start around 7 a.m. EST. Markle is American but spent years living in Toronto while filming the cable drama series Suits, which has created some added interest in Canada.
Evelyn Durocher, 85, dressed as the Queen on Thursday with a blue crown, blue dress and long white gloves. She likes the royals and figures Markle will fit in well. “She reminds them of Princess Diana,” Durocher said. Linda Hill, the Queen Mom of the Old Bats with Red Hats who organized Thursday ’s wedding and wore a wedding dress, still has the late Princess Diana’s wedding on tape. Since Hill already wakes up at 4 a.m., she won’t miss any of the horse and carriage procession, celebrity guests or fancy fascinators. “Just the pomp and grandeur of it all,” Hill said of the attraction. Jeanette O’Brien not only plans to watch the wedding, she’s having high tea Saturday afternoon with 20 friends. Those without a fascinator can borrow from some of her 200 hats.
“I’ve got all my tea cups out. I’ve got all my linen, my cloth napkins. Everything ’s out for Saturday.” Guffy Pidd got a marriage proposal in jest from another society member Thursday who dressed up as a man to play up the wedding theme. Pidd, 86, remembers her mother listening to Queen Elizabeth’s wedding on the radio.
It will be exciting to watch the wedding that will likely be the last for a while since Prince William’s children are so young, Pidd said. She thinks the Brits are ready for an American and Markle will make a wonderful wife for Prince Harry, who was a bit of a playboy. “I think she finally settled him down.”