PALM COAST — Forget all those so-called royal wedding experts on TV.
It would be hard to find a more experienced observer of Saturday’s much-ballyhooed wedding of Britain’s Prince Harry and Los Angeles-born actress Meghan Markle than Nan Reid, 85, who has watched every royal wedding since Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation, an event she attended as an American exchange student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
This weekend, the Palm Coast resident will be watching again, setting a 4 a.m. alarm on Saturday to experience the royal nuptials with three longtime friends in a suite at the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s only one of what likely will be many such pre-dawn royal gatherings throughout Volusia and Flagler counties.
For the four Palm Coast Anglophiles — a group that also includes Marilyn Gingles, 80; Sue Freytag, 74; and Sandy Haines, 73 — the soiree is a repeat of a girls-night-out at the same hotel in 2011 to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Reid said.
“I’ve always been very fond of Harry,” Reid said, comparing the excitement of this weekend’s wedding with past ceremonies. “With the memories of (Princess) Diana and the two boys, that makes it a little special. It’s pretty exciting. And, in this case, we have an American bride.”
In the hotel lobby on Friday afternoon, roughly 18 hours before the exchange of vows, the four friends are already adorned in feathery fascinator headgear that has become a signature fashion element of the royal wedding. Haines sports the most elaborate example, an ebony platter-shaped creation that she painstakingly tilts to the perfect angle.
Nearby, Gingles is dressed elegantly in a saffron dress accented by a classic string of pearls. In contrast, Reid is attired in formal black, with a necklace of braided pearls.
“You’ll probably see a lot of big unusual hats,” Freytag said of the wedding guests to be featured in TV coverage that will start on numerous networks hours before the ceremony at 7 a.m. Saturday. “They all try to out-do each other.”
At the Hilton, the four friends don’t plan to miss a moment of it. They plan to start the day with coffee before dawn, then nosh on room service fare (pastries and fruit) until it’s time to break out the champagne that will be kept on ice in a silver bucket modeled on a British design, Reid said.
“Our celebration really starts tonight,” Freytag said. “After all, it is Friday night!”
“We’ll invite our husbands to that,” Gingles said, provoking another burst of laughter.
All joking aside, however, the women, who have all traveled to London, also acknowledge the history of the occasion.
“It’s so unusual that in our lifetime we’ve watched three princesses get married,” Reid said. “It is history.”
Even in the historical realm, they say, this wedding is special.
“This is totally different,” Haines said. “She (Meghan) is an American. That breaks with everything in their (British) history. She’s divorced; she comes from a biracial family, and they’re all accepting of her. It shows a change in their culture, in the world’s culture.”
In front of the TV in the wee hours, the hotel wedding celebration also will reflect the depth of friendship among four women who have shared laughs on the golf course in Palm Coast’s Grand Haven community and supported charities in the Federated Women’s Club and other groups.
“We’ve known each other for more than a dozen years,” Gingles said. “We’ve been friends a long time.”
How will you celebrate?
Nan Reid and her Palm Coast friends weren't the only area residents excited about Saturday's royal wedding. Here's a look at what some other area residents are doing to celebrate:
"My daughter and I will be getting up at 3:45 a.m. Saturday morning to prepare for the wedding. We’ll be in our silk lounging PJ’s with our fascinators. Our menu throughout the viewing will be the following: Biscuits and hash; English tea served in bone china cups with scones and turnovers; crunchy chicken fingers; potato salad; macaroni salad; rolls; virgin mimosas; deviled eggs; wafers with cream cheese; and cake. This is my third Royal Wedding Watch since Charles and Diana and William and Catherine." — Claudia V. McConnehead, Daytona Beach
"My plans for the royal wedding include having five girlfriends come over. The theme is 'Pajama's and Pageantry.' My party starts at 8 a.m. as I am going to DVR the wedding and we will start watching at 8:30. We will have champagne, English tea, various breakfast dishes, salad and dessert. Everyone is to wear their pajamas and their best jewels (real or costume), fascinator or hat. Just in case someone doesn't have a fascinator, I have ordered several, so no one is left out. All of my guests are excited and I have a countdown on my chalkboard along with items I have to take care of before my guests arrive. I will also be using my grandmother's silver, linens and some of her handkerchiefs will be available for the happy tears." — Beth Marotte, DeLand
"I will be watching the royal wedding for sure. In 1981, I watched Charles and Diana; in 1986, I watched Andrew and Fergie; I watched William and Kate in 2011. In 2001, my husband and I visited Princess Diana's home at Althorpe in England. My younger daughter is named Diana. Princess Diana and I were born 11 days apart in 1961. You should see my book collection and my collection of magazines. Some are over 30 years old. I will be up to watch it all. I may even open a bottle of celebratory champagne. That is, if my husband will open it for me. I'm terrified of the cork!" — Sue Golding, Port Orange
"I watched the wedding of William and Kate and plan to do the same with Harry and Meghan. I do not follow a lot of social media or celebrities, but in the case, it is history being made. So I will wake up early and enjoy the excitement of watching this live major event going on in England. It feels like the world gets smaller and people unite when we take the time to enjoy something together. I have friends in Germany that I know will be watching at the same time." — Jessica Murgittroyd, Palm Coast
"Who in their right mind cares about this wedding? Especially at 4 a.m. I personally wouldn’t look out the window if it were in my back yard. Enjoy." — John Shafner, Ormond Beach