Royal fever is the order of the day for the ladies who brunch
Millions of Americans wake up to the ultimate breakfast TV show
IT was the biggest wedding celebration of them all in Ireland.
Women across the country yesterday flocked to Dublin’s Conrad Hotel to watch Meghan Markle marry Prince Harry at Evoke.ie’s royal wedding brunch.
The website hosted the sell-out event with some attendees flying in for the occasion.
The day was extra special for Amy Waddell, from Newry, Co. Down, who has previously sung for the Queen.
‘I came out because I’m getting married myself in February so I thought this would be class for my mum and my sister. Also, my mum turned 60 just a couple of months ago so we’re having a year-long celebration,’ she said.
‘I love the royals. It’s really nice to see Harry as he’s everyone’s favourite, so it’s lovely to see him so happy.’ Delta flight attendant Robin Miller travelled from New York for the brunch. ‘We landed at 9am, we were off the plane at 9.30, jumped into an Uber, came over here, went into the bathroom and put on my clothes.
‘I wanted to share this experience with the people who are the nicest people in the world and that’s the Irish people.’
Former X Factor contestant Melanie McCabe, who performed at the event, is another huge fan of the royals. ‘I really enjoyed the ceremony. I thought the dress was exactly what she was going to wear,’ she said.
‘It [the wedding] just goes to show what a long way the royal family has come in accepting everyone; it might not have been allowed years ago.’
Janette O’Rourke, of Kay’s Florist School, highlighted the poignant meaning behind Meghan’s bouquet.
She said: ‘The main flower in Meghan’s wedding bouquet was astilbe, which symbolises dedication and patience and the meaning behind it is, “I’ll still be waiting for you”. It’s a really easy flower for people to grow in their own garden.
‘The other flower was Lily of the Valley, which Kate had in her bouquet and symbolises humility, and she also had white garden roses which were chosen by Prince Harry. It was actually a very simple wedding bouquet and suited her dress and the elegance and simplicity of her style.’
For Susan Colgan and Brenda Delaney, the day was an excuse to dress up and enjoy ‘a girls’ day out. Susan said Meghan is ‘a lovely girl’ and ‘it’s great to see an ordinary girl come up. I think she’s taken on an awful lot but I think she’s well able for it.’
‘Nobody will replace Diana for me,’ added Brenda, ‘but she certainly will bring a certain attention to the royal family again and probably take the pressure of Kate and William. I absolutely adore Harry, I love the wild boy, he’s a mischievous man and he should keep that aspect.’ Friends Sarah Sexton and Fiona Scanlon felt it was a historic day. Sarah said: ‘I feel Meghan was true to herself, that she was able to walk down the aisle half way through was amazing. That’s what I was hoping for her and hoping she would do. Standing as a woman on her own, fair play to her.’
‘I think what happened today is historic. It’s the first time that they brought in other cultures and the music was fantastic. For them to embrace that was very humbling but I think that predominantly came from the Queen and Meghan and her mum.’
Fiona said she wasn’t a huge fan of Meghan, ‘but after watching the ceremony I can see how much she loves him’.
MILLIONS of Americans leapt out of their beds before sunrise as Royal Wedding fever swept the nation, fuelled by a growing stateside fan club for the youngest Royals.
The biggest draw for many was the chance to catch a glimpse of William and Kate’s children George, Charlotte and Louis. They came top of the list of people who American fans wanted to see at the wedding in a poll by magazine Vanity Fair. Meghan and the Queen were a close joint second.
Because of the time difference the live coverage on TV networks including NBC, CNN and Fox started in the early hours, prompting thousands of breakfast parties. Despite the early start a record viewing audience well in excess of the 23million who watched Kate and William’s wedding in 2011 was expected.
Students and parents gathered at Meghan’s alma mater Los Angeles’ Immaculate Heart High School at 3am. Sophomore Daniella Bueno, 15, said: ‘She’s representing our school in such a beautiful way.’
At Hollywood’s British-themed pub The Cat And Fiddle fans started arriving at 2am. Alana Hutchinson, 24, dressed in her pyjamas, said: ‘The highlight for me was when Charles walked her down the aisle. I cried a little.’