America in the grip of Meg-mania
‘Super Bowl and Oscars in one’
AMERICA has been gripped by ‘Meghan mania’ – and US broadcasters have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide the best possible coverage for their viewers.
With prime broadcasting spots given to British TV, American networks have ‘annexed’ several guesthouses and hotels around Windsor Castle.
NBC is said to have ‘taken over’ the Macdonald Windsor Hotel, opposite the castle, with a team of around 300.
The broadcaster has built an ‘Olympic stadium’-like studio on the rooftop to achieve the best backdrops and have a view of the castle in the background.
Yesterday Meghan Markle’s co-stars from the TV legal drama Suits appeared in the studio to tell viewers back home how she revealed her romance with Prince Harry.
Meanwhile, rival networks ABC and CBS are said to have removed windows from rooms at the front of the Harte & Garter hotel at great expense to create the best shots.
And a two-storey temporary media centre has been set up on the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park solely for US journalists to broadcast to fascinated viewers back home.
Broadcasters are devoting huge amounts of air time to programmes before and after the wedding, and most are broadcasting or streaming the ceremony live.
In 2011, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was watched by 23million Americans even though it was the middle of the night for many in the US.
But viewing figures are expected to be much higher for Prince Harry and Miss Markle’s ceremony today.
Sandro Monetti, a British journalist who covers the Royal Family and British pop culture for US television, said: ‘America has gone Meghan Markle mental with interest in the British Royal Family seemingly at an all-time high here.
‘This event is the Super Bowl and the Oscars all wrapped in a red, white and blue bow. America can’t get enough of it.’ Yesterday Miss Markle’s Suits co- stars appeared on NBC’s Today show to describe their shock when she confided in them about her romance.
Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty and Gina Torres – all of whom are guests at today’s wedding – revealed that they learnt about the romance long before the rest of the world.
As his co- stars laughed alongside him, Hoffman, who plays lawyer Louis Litt, said: ‘I had got the news early, and I was like, “You got to be kidding me.” And it was like, “Oh, my. You’re dating a prince?”’