Royal Wedding: I Went to Windsor to Catch a Glimpse of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on Their Big Day

Let’s set the scene. It’s a wonderfully (rare) sunny day in England – a crisp 60 degrees – and the streets of Windsor, Birkshire are lined with Union Jack bunting and royal fans. Why, you ask? Because Prince Harry — sixth in line to the British throne and everyone’s favorite royal redhead — is set to wed American Meghan Markle in just a few short hours, and we all want our own piece of royal wedding history. And I was fortunate — nay, obsessively determined enough to be among them.

I think the greatest way to describe the atmosphere would be “American bachelorette party” meets “afternoon tea in an English garden.” Women and men of all ages were essentially playing dress-up — sporting fascinators, tiaras, even the occasional veil — but with the most adorably earnest intentions. Teenage boys waved around “official wedding programmes,” which they’d presumably typed up and printed from home (a steal at just £2 a pop, they claimed!), and vendors sold every Harry-and-Meghan-themed item imaginable, from scarves to flags to (not-at-all-creepy) masks of the happy couple’s faces. It was silly and sweaty and overly joyous — everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there.

When asked about her favorite part of the experience, 21-year-old Kelly Boyce, a St. Louis native who’s currently studying in England, grinned and said, “You get to meet so many people from around the world just for this one happy occasion. Everyone’s just so happy, there’s positive vibes all around, and we got to see the royal couple! Like they waved at us, it was so cool!”

It’s reported that more than 100,000 happy spectators (or wannabe wedding guests, as I dubbed us) were expected to pour into Windsor on the day — each braving crowded trains, early wakeup calls, and the challenges of squeezing between dozens of other zealous fans for a chance to catch a coveted wave from the newlyweds. Personally, I woke up at 3 a.m., hopped on four different trains, and parked myself along The Long Walk (a tree-lined expanse on the carriage processional route) at 8 a.m., where I sat on a sidewalk curb for five hours straight, wishing I’d had the foresight to pack a few snacks.

Now, I could say that I did this all for the sake of journalism, but who are we kidding? Much like Kelly Boyce, I did it because I love the British royal family with the kind of fervor that makes my friends uncomfortable, and I couldn’t not attend. Seven years ago, I woke up at 4 a.m. to watch the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tie the knot from my sofa in north-central Florida, wearing a hand-painted “I <3 Will and Kate” T-shirt and a tiny hat (why yes, it was made for dolls) to mark the occasion. And, believe it or not, I’m not alone.

“I woke up in the seventh grade at one o’clock in the morning [PST] to watch William and Kate’s wedding in my pajamas and a tiara,” 21-year-old Kate shared with me. She and a friend — both Americans — had flown over from Berlin for the wedding, citing their “patriotic duty” as the reason for the trip.

“We’re doing an internship in Europe this summer, and I bought a ticket to London the day I found out I got the internship,” she explained, later adding, “[Meghan Markle] is American, I’m American, we’re basically best friends.”

This feeling of a best friend kind of bond seemed to be ever-present, as nearly every young woman I spoke with hailed from the United States or Canada. While the crowds were truly international (I heard no fewer than seven different languages spoken over the course of the day), many of the youngest members seemed to be eager North American ladies like myself, Kelly, and Kate — each having watched William and Kate’s wedding with heart eyes back in 2011, each overjoyed to play our own minuscule role in Harry and Meghan’s big day.

“I watched William and Kate’s wedding I think it was [at] 3 a.m. my time… I skipped school the next day so I could watch it and everything,” said 19-year-old Katelyn Dunphy from Canada. “I’m just excited about seeing the carriage procession. I mean… It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see [this] kind of thing, right?”

Right.

Throughout The Long Walk, massive screens aired footage of the ceremony, and we all oohed and aahed as Harry and Meghan exchanged smiles, vows, and a few happy kisses. The crowd hummed along to the choir’s rendition of “Stand By Me” and waved flags with patriotic passion during “God Save the Queen.”

Then — what felt like a million hours later — that “once-in-a-lifetime” moment came. The now Duke and Duchess of Sussex rolled by on their carriage, waving and smiling at the seemingly endless crowds. (I’m pretty sure Meghan Markle and I made eye contact, and I would like for my tombstone to say so, thank you very much.) It was brief and magical and well worth the sleep and snack deprivation.

“We were just a part of history,” I heard one woman shout behind me, shortly after the royal couple had left our sight.

A part of history we were.

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