A ROYAL WEDDING

On March 19, 2018, Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. The ceremony itself was filled with so much love and celebrated both Harry and Meghan beautifully. People all over the world tuned in to watch the marriage, and I, of course, was no exception.

HOW I CELEBRATED

Actually being in the United Kingdom for a royal wedding was an experience. I found myself easily caught up in the pomp and circumstance of it all, even if most of my friends didn’t find it quite as amusing. Unable to travel down to Windsor, I opted for the second best thing: meeting up with my friend Megan and watching two different live streams of the wedding in her house. She quickly took over the living room and we had both of our laptops streaming CNN and BBC’s coverage of the royal wedding.

Pro-tip: BBC’s was better and when the ceremony began, we exclusively watched BBC.

In order to celebrate properly, I brought over some biscuits from Marks and Spencers in a special commemorative tin and a small bottle of champagne to toast the newly-weds with. I also made sure to properly dress for the occasion.

WHAT I WORE

Danielle Dress from Hobbs London — I picked up this gorgeous little dress at the launch of Hobbs newest collection. While it was a bit expensive, I know that it will last and that it is the perfect dress for so many occasions!

Cath Kidston Royal Wedding Tote — I immediately bought into all the commemorative items that came out around the time of the royal wedding. I was deciding between this tote and the one from Radley London, but went with this tote! It has so many stunning motifs and can easily fit all my royal wedding party essentials or all the items I  need for a day of dissertation work.

Valentino Rockstud Nude Flats Dupes from Primark — I love a good designer dupe. These are my go-to nude flats. They instantly elevate an outfit because of the recognizable Valentino Rockstud design, but I didn’t have to pay nearly as much for them!

WHY I CARE ABOUT ENGLISH ROYALS

Honestly, I was convinced I was going to be a princess when I was younger. My favourite movie was Anastasia so I was waiting for the day that someone would tell me that I was secretly a princess and I could jet off to Paris to wear a tiara and a beautiful gown. Growing up in the States, there’s this strange fascination with the British royal family. While I was 2 whenever Diana died, I remember seeing her in magazines.

From there, I became a full-blown Anglophile. It honestly became a defining characteristic of mine, especially during my high school years. I started collecting commemorative magazine issues whenever anything of consequence would happen. I still have every single one back home, and have begun to share my love with my youngest sister. (If you ask Grace who Diana is, she’ll tell you she’s a princess who is dead like her cat.) I developed a crush on Prince Harry that began when I was probably about twelve and continued until literally the moment he said, “I will”  on Saturday.

I also have always been interested in English history. Numerous television series (such as The Tudors, Reign, and The White Queen) sparked my interest. But I decided to take my interest a step further and start researching the actual lives of these individuals.

You could say that it was my initial love of Queen Elizabeth and her family that led me into English history which led me to watch and read historical fiction which led me to write my undergraduate dissertation on negative images of Richard III in history which led me to apply for a MA in Medieval Studies at York which led me to this moment here.

WHAT I WOULD HAVE WORN TO ST. GEORGE’S

Since arriving in York in early September, York has honestly become one of my favorite cities in the world. Therefore, I would want to bring a little bit of Yorkshire to Windsor by supporting a couple of the incredible businesses based here in the North.

For the dress, I would immediately turn to Antonia Houston, a Northern Irish fashion design that has based herself here in York. Her incredible designs were a highlight of York Fashion Week.

While perusing her collections, I found this gorgeous dress from her Great Gatsby Shoot at Bettys Collection. The color is absolutely stunning and ultra-feminine, which I find perfect for a May wedding. I also love the intricate lace detailing on the bodice and how the dress is slightly off the shoulder. It is both incredibly classic while being chicly modern, much like Meghan Markle herself!

I wouldn’t be a proper English wedding guest without a hat. For this, I instantly thought of Rose and Flo Millinery. Another highlight of York Fashion Week was a fashion show including wrap dresses from Antonia Houston and the unveiling of Rose and Flo’s gorgeous Spring Collection! My favorite from their spring collection is the Sophia!

Rose and Flo offers a bespoke option to ensure that your hat is the perfect addition to your outfit! Therefore, if I were to go to the royal wedding, I would work with the amazing team to design something as classic, delicate, and elegant as the dress!

—

I hope that y’all enjoyed the royal wedding as much as I did! Stay lovely and wonderful, darlings!