Schaumburg native gets glimpse of royal celebration

Hello from across the pond,

This morning I left my home here in London with the same hope as thousands of other people — the hope of catching a glimpse of Will and Kate.

The British wonder why Americans are so excited about this wedding, but it makes perfect sense. We love the idea of a regular person having the opportunity to become anything she wants, even a future queen. It's the American dream.

With Kate's humble beginnings, it's easy for me to imagine this fairy tale unfolding for someone I know. Kate easily could have grown up with me in Schaumburg and been one of my classmates at Hoffman Estates High School.

So, armed with our Union Jack flags, my American friend, Raquel Pichardo-Allison, and I began our quest to see the royal couple.

We took the Tube and walked past Big Ben to our first stop, Westminster Abbey. Big mistake. People crammed against crowd-control barriers and stood in gridlock. At 5-foot-something-or-other, both Raquel and I had a significant height disadvantage.

We doubled back along the Thames River to reach another vantage point at Whitehall, the main road where the British government operates. The crowd was only four or five people deep there. If I stood on my tiptoes, I could see a tiny bit of road.

As the royal family zoomed past, I almost caught sight of Will and Harry in their car. Then, I managed to snap a picture of Queen Elizabeth and her yellow hat. Bride Kate was next. The crowd jockeyed for position and cheers rose up. I barely saw anything. I was too short, stuck behind too many cameras.

The ceremony began, and disappointment set in as we trudged along Whitehall in search of a better position. Would we see anything? Was this all a waste of time?

Then, Raquel spotted it. We had to climb, but once we got up on that wrought-iron fence, we had a bird's-eye view of the very street the newlyweds would ride along in their carriage. Only an hour of ceremony left until they arrived.

We heard the wedding broadcast on loudspeakers and watched a giant screen across the road. The crowd sang along with the hymns and cheered when the couple said, “I will.”

My arms ached. We took turns climbing up and down the gate to hold our spots. Men, women and children clung to the rails, not willing to chance losing their perches, either.

Camera in one hand, gate in the other, I practiced taking photos of the royal couple. The crowd rumbled in the distance. Will and Kate would be there any minute.

Then, I spotted trouble. A protester with his hood up and a giant, black flag positioned himself in front of us. Police officers inched closer. Was he a terrorist, or worse yet, would his ugly flag block our view?

The cheers grew louder. Flags waved. Cameras clicked. Police ushered the hooded man to the side.

And THERE THEY WERE!

Kate looked like she was glowing, and so was I. Holding on to the gate with one hand, I stretched out to take pictures with the other. The crowd turned to watch Will and Kate ride away.

I now have a photo of Kate's veil and the back of a little girl's head to remember the moment forever.

So here's to William, Kate and the American dream. I'm off to arrange my collection of royal wedding merchandise.

Cheers,

Nicole

Nicole Wagner Carter grew up in Schaumburg and now lives in London with her husband and son.