Royal wedding campers spending night on Windsor streets
WINDSOR: Royal fanatics camped out overnight in Windsor near London ahead of Saturday’s royal wedding, while people sleeping rough on the town’s streets have moved away as part of a security crackdown.
Windsor’s homeless have been in the spotlight after the local authority leader sought a police clampdown on beggars and their detritus ahead of the wedding.
The local authority has offered to store the possessions of Windsor’s homeless population to stop them being repeatedly searched in the security clampdown on the town west of London.
But those who have hung on are now outnumbered by a dedicated band of royal wellwishers who have staked out spots along the carriage procession route.
The hardy souls have bagged prime viewing points for when Prince Harry and Meg han Mark le come riding past following their wedding in Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel.
Tiara and white gloves at the ready, Peggy Desmond was camping outside the castle gates to secure a good view on Saturday.
Joined by her sister, the rock-solid fan of the British royal family flew in especially from Wisconsin to see her US compatriot tie the knot with a British prince.
“We’ll have a pretty good view, I think,” the 49-year-old told AFP, sitting on a canvas camping chair and surrounded by British and US flags.
The sisters are camped out on the grass on the Long Walk, the processional route to the castle that cuts through Windsor Great Park.
After their wedding, the newlyweds’ carriage procession will take them along the treelined avenue.
“We brought chairs, tarps in case it will rain. We brought activities, word search books, sudoku, and at night we have emergency blankets to try to keep us warm,” said Desmond.
“And, of course, my white gloves to wear for the wedding and I’ve got a tiara.”
Like Desmond, other royal fans are sleeping out along the route and in party mood, giving the tourist postcard town a music festival atmosphere.
Shirley Messinger, 72, had already spent a chilly Thursday night camping on the Long Walk and was gearing up to do it all again. No sleep
It is a bit spartan but Messinger, from Milford on Sea on the English south coast, would not miss the occasion for the world.
“A wedding is wonderful, the royal family is wonderful, so the two together,” she said, while wearing a hat in the red, white and blue colours of the British flag.
Further along, a tall man is catching the tourists’ attention. Joseph Afrane is dressed head to toe in British flags: a Union Jack suit, hat, glasses and shoes.
The Londoner, originally from Ghana, had little camping gear with him. But not to worry — he was not intending to catch a wink of sleep.
“I would just chill out through the whole night, I’ll be around talking to people,” the 55-yearold said.
“I’m a royal fan, I support the royal family, all the events,” he said, reeling off a list of occasions he has witnessed.
“Now it’s the turn of Harry and Meghan, that’s why I’ve come down to support them.”
Right by the street entrance to the castle, opposite the statue of queen Victoria, Maria Scott, 56, from Newcastle in northeast England, has been camping out since Tuesday up against the metal barricades.
“It’s very difficult. You get cold through the night and it’s difficult to stay warm but you’ve got to be prepared to do these things in order to get a good position,” she said, with 100,000 people expected to pack the streets.
“It’s the best spot because the carriage will come down and it will slow down, so we’ll get a fantastic view,” she said, wrapped up in a Union Jack. — AFP