THEY COME FROM AFAR FOR HARRY’S BIG DAY
ROYAL fever has gripped every corner of the normally quiet English town of Windsor for the now imminent marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Dozens of fans have set up camp metres from Windsor Castle, where the couple will exchange vows in St George’s Chapel.
With balloons, sleeping bags and every piece of royal paraphernalia they can lay their hands on, as well as provisions, these men and women from around the globe probably won’t need to leave their popup chairs until after the wedding on Saturday. Edwina Wilkie, from New Zealand, said she’ll be waiting on a bench outside the castle until Saturday.
‘I’ll pretty much be staying here until then,’ she told the Irish Daily Mail. ‘I’m delighted to be here. I’ve made friends sitting here all day! I’m a big fan of Prince Harry and Prince William. I think Meghan is going to be a classic bride. She has a really good sense of style, I think she’ll look beautiful.’
Another fan, Donna Werner travelled from Connecticut in the US, for her second royal wedding, after being here for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials in 2011.
She also travelled to the UK for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday in 2016, and has been camping feet from the castle since Tuesday morning ahead of Harry and Meghan’s arrival.
‘I met my friend Faith here at the last royal wedding, and we said when Harry got married we were coming back here together again. It’s been a lot of fun,’ she said.
When asked what it was that she loves about the royals so much that she’d travel across the Atlantic to see them, Ms Werner said: ‘We don’t have anything like this in the States. I mean, when you’re a little girl your parents read you bedtime stories about fairytales and princes, princesses, kings and queens.
‘And the prince comes along and sweeps the common little girl who has nothing off her feet and takes her away to the castle, and this is a real life fairytale. This is something that will probably never happen in any of our lives and it’s just fun. I mean, with all of the trouble going on in the world today, it’s just fun. It’s just a love-fest here. The excitement in the air, I love every minute of it.’
Lifting the crowds’ spirit even further was the scorching sun, with temperatures expected to reach 22 degrees in Windsor for the big day. Despite traffic restrictions, businesses in the area are thriving and have decked out their shop windows with bunting and pictures of the happy couple. The world’s media have a strong presence in and around the castle, with reporters and cameras peeking out of every corner.
With what’s set to be the biggest royal event of the year, security is at an all-time high in the town.
And royal fans’ excitement was intensified when Harry and Meghan themselves entered the grounds of Windsor Castle to meet with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland and have tea with the Queen. Prince William and Kate Middleton were also seen entering the grounds, which was Kate’s first sighting in public since welcoming third child Louis in April.