The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton also found an appreciative audience in the United States. In New York, revelers dressed up royally and reveled as the sun rose in Times Square. In suburban Washington, the Union Jack pub opened its doors at 5:00 a.m. for early risers to witness the pomp and ceremony.
Royal wedding watchers in New York came to Times Square in the early morning hours, some dressed in special attire.
"I'm wearing a hat because I'm attending the royal wedding at Times Square in New York City. Thirty years ago, I was a college student and I got up at 3 o'clock in the morning to watch Lady Diana marry Prince Charles," says Christine Pajor. "It was a wonderful event so I wanted to attend this event as well."
The wedding of Prince William’s parents was also on the mind of Washingtonians who came to Union Jack’s British Pub to watch the event.
"I was always jealous of my parents and older friends who would say, ‘I remember when Diana was married,'" says wedding watcher Lindsay Weldon. "So I was like, I’m going to do the same thing."
The vast majority of the customers were women, but Kyle Reedy came with a group of friends.
"I thought it would be fun to do something we had never done before and probably never would again," he says.
Wedding watcher Shana Hattis agrees. "It’s one of those things kind of like the presidential inauguration. You want to be a part of it, and it’s fun to be with a bunch of other people."
It's also important to wear a hat. Hattis wore one. "It’s all part of getting into the spirit. It’s a hat or a tiara, and I definitely don’t have a tiara."
Liz Vigil and her friend, Sian Fisher, wore hats, too. They could have worn them at home in front of the television, but it wouldn’t have been the same.
"I think you can get into the feel of it and other people who are excited for it, versus watching it at home, where you’re kind of alone," says Fisher. "So it was worth taking the day off and coming down."
