The Royal Wedding: London Prepares (To Leave Town)

[Jill Starley-Grainger]

First in a series of four. 

 

The marriage of Prince William, second in line to the throne, and Catherine Middleton, a mere – albeit hardly poverty-stricken – commoner, is a major world event. But for Londoners, it’s a bit of a major pain in the…

 

Here comes the (princess) bride – and there go the Londoners, fleeing the city, via plane, train, automobile, bicycle, skateboard and any other transportation we can lay our hands on.Why? It’s not just because to hip Londoners, being a fan of the Royal Family is as cool as busting Hammertime moves at a trendy nightclub.

 

Spring Break, London-Style

Mainly, it’s because HRH (His Royal Highness) William and HRH (Her Royal Highness)-in-waiting Kate have chosen to hold their wedding (and the inevitable extra public holiday to “celebrate” it) on April 29, 2011 – at the perfect and rare confluence of a late Easter combined with an early May holiday (the first Monday of every May is an official holiday in Britain – no idea why). This means that every employed person in the UK can get an 11-day break for the mere cost of three vacation days from work. And for that, we are all truly grateful.

 

But you’re not coming to rub shoulders with Londoners, are you? You want to see the dress, the parade, the carriages and the tiaras.

 

The Elusive Public Loo

And so the city shall be yours, good tourists, to stand on the wrong side of the tube escalator (as the numerous signs say, “stand on the right, walk on the left” – Londoners don’t have time to stand still, people – move, move!); search desperately for a public loo (they’ve nearly all been turned into nightclubs or pop-up restaurants – space is at a premium here); and link arms in one of the hideous chain Oirish pubs, singing “Danny Boy” and dancing jigs.

 

That said, I'm still here in London, so over the next few days I'll give you an update on the pre-nuptial news, tell you where to get souvenirs, and most important of all, I'll offer some insider's tips on royal wedding events and activities you can enjoy in this, the world’s most exciting city. Not that I'm biased.

 

A London-based American journalist whose work has been published by the likes of Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times, Jill Starley-Grainger loves eco-luxury travel, cutting-edge tech, free hotel WiFi – and her adopted city.

[Melanie Hibbs]

I'm an ex pat living in the US. I'm enjoying all the gosip leading up to the wedding event. The First Monday in May is one of many "Bank Holidays" probably to celebrate May Day.