This year we have the excitement of a royal wedding to look forward to and we love it, especially as we are a bi-national, British/American couple ourselves! These events bring people together and we could certainly use that right now.
HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Nothing beats the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding and now Prince Harry is marrying an American, Meghan Markle, you can count on the fact that there will be even greater interest this side of the pond. This is more than a wedding of two people, this is even more than a royal wedding, this a marriage between England and America. Those in America, who love the royal family, will feel a dusting of royalty has been sprinkled their way. If it brings a unifying moment and something to feel positive about, why not harness it. Incredible things can come from a marriage. When my wife and I married in both England and America, we had no idea our fight for marriage equality would lead us all the way to the judiciary committee in Washington DC. Our marriage helped strike down a law.
Laurie (American) and Caroline (British), Wedding Day, Midhurst, West Sussex, England.
When we married we didn’t have the resources of a royal wedding, so, to enable all our family and friends to attend, we decided to get married in both countries. First, we married in America on July 29th, 2006, exactly 25 years to the day after Prince Harry’s parents married. Then on August 18th, 2006, in Midhurst, West Sussex, England at the Angel Hotel, a stone’s throw from one of Prince Harry’s favored polo grounds.
I remember Charles and Diana’s wedding so clearly, I had turned 18 that year and my best friend, Alison and I were so excited. We took the early train from Havant, in Hampshire and traveled up to London, Waterloo, to be a part of this amazing event.
Buckingham Palace.
We headed across to The Mall, not a shopping mall but the road which leads to Buckingham Palace, where the wedding procession would travel. There were hours to go but we wanted to be at the front of the burgeoning crowd, we sat down on the curb and waited. They felt like very different times back in 1981. The streets were soon crowded and awash with union jacks, I had made myself a large, colorful top hat, with two union jacks sticking out from the top. I had hoped, that if the TV cameras panned my way, I would be spotted, but I simply blended in with the patriotic crowd.
The procession route was lined with policemen all facing the crowd. One policeman stood in front of us, he was jovial and explained, when the wedding procession went by he was not allowed to look. Instead he had to keep his eyes fixed on the crowd for safety reasons. As the enormous procession started to go by the crowds cheered loudly. Even the royal pooper-scoopers, who followed behind the horse guards, stopped by us and got a round of applause as they collected another freshly laid deposit!
1981, Lady Diana - Royal Wedding, taken on my very old Kodak Brownie.
Finally, here came Lady Diana, as she was known then, in the ornate horse drawn carriage, I couldn’t believe it, there she was waving right at us! It was all so magical and majestic. Later, after the ceremony, we waited outside Buckingham Palace for the now famous balcony kiss. The cheering crowd thrilled by the sight. As we walked back down The Mall, an American woman approached me admiring my hat. “I Love your hat” she gushed in her thick American accent, “I made it” I replied happily. “I’ll give you 10 pounds for it” she said enthusiastically. I was totally astounded. I took the hat off my head and gave it to her “here, you can have it, I don’t want any money.” She was delighted, it felt such a momentous day.
Bi-National’s, Laurie and Caroline Hart - Continue their fight for equal rights.
I had no idea one day I would find my own American woman, who would become my wife and we would fight for our human rights in the USA. Now, as I look forward to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, I wish them as much love and happiness as we have. I know that if our marriage brought about a positive change, theirs most certainly will.
Caroline and Laurie Hart - Balmoral Castle - Scotland.
I was thrilled when I received a special invitation to take Laurie to visit Balmoral Castle, the Scottish home of the Royal Family, where Prince Harry has spent many joyous days. I would absolutely love to take Laurie to experience the wedding on May 19th,sporting our rainbow facinators and rejoicing in this royal bi-national love affair, taking in what will be a memory to last a lifetime!