Royal Wedding Day thanks
Expats in Spain celebrated the wedding of HRH Prince Henry and Ms Megan Markle on Saturday and the British Embassy in Madrid held a special Garden Party for the event
Costa Blanca News editor James Parkes (right) and freelance contributor Jack Troughton were handed certificates in recognition of outstanding contributions to the British local community in Spain from UK Ambassador to Spain Simon Manley (standing behind Alicante's British Consul Sarah-Janes Morris) in Madrid on Sunday during the celebration of HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle's wedding. See full report on the event and celebrations here on the Costa Blanca
THE British Embassy celebrated the Royal Wedding in style on Saturday with a traditional garden party hosted by Ambassador Simon and Mrs Maria Isabel Manley.
Red, white and blue dominated the lawns of the Ambassador’s residence in Madrid for the occasion and guests were able to watch the marriage of Prince Henry of Wales and Meghan Markle – now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – on four huge television screens.
The ceremony took place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and thousands of people crowded the streets to catch a glimpse of the couple; while an estimated two billion watched the action on television.
And proof how far the fairytale romance had caught the imagination of an international public was seen as three television crews arrived at the garden party to film the event and interview Mr Manley.
Reflecting the royal couple’s desire to support UK charities and invitations to representatives of good causes; British citizens and others from across Spain were invited to the garden party to celebrate their “outstanding contribution” to their local communities.
Mr Manley and his consular team made a surprise award of diplomas to a number of community organisations and individuals – including the Costa Blanca News – for their “invaluable work”; these included charities, church groups, U3A, English newspapers, and honorary consuls.
Welcoming guests to the Spanish capital and the celebration, the ambassador said: “While we cannot quite recreate the splendour of Windsor gardens, we have tried to emulate a little bit of it here.”
He said the guest list at the wonderful event illustrated the “enormous breadth and depth of the contributions made by British people working with our local partners in almost every corner of Spain.”
Mr Manley said: “We have invited Britons from across this country who contribute day in and day out to their communities to help others.
“I am constantly amazed as I travel around this country by the level of those contribu- tions; the view from me, from the embassy and from the consulates is they do contribute day in and day out.”
He said it was decided to award diplomas as a surprise and as a thank you for contributions that were “so rich and varied”.
Guests arriving at the garden party were met at the gates by a poster of Prince Harry and his bride and a British-built Morgan open-topped sportscar.
The gardens and marquees were full of Union Jack bunting and a large display of pic- tures and cards made by some of the 55,000 youngsters who attend British school in Spain.
At the end of the Windsor church service, the ambassador and Mrs Manley cut a wedding cake and guests were able to toast the happy couple.