Yesterday, Saturday 13 June 2015, will stay memorable for the little French girl who loves European royal families that I am. For the first time in my life I saw the woman that has become almost mythical along the years. The woman that many people in the UK consider a member of their family, the matriarch of their society. The woman that I sometimes wish was one of my grandparents cousin. Yesterday, Saturday 13 June 2015, I saw Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II for the first time in my life, and nothing was able to ruin my day thereafter. I thought I could share with you some elements of that day.
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| The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, followed by Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, and William, Duke of Cambridge. |
1- Check out the weather...
... it is London after all! And whatever the forecast says the night before, you should know that the London weather is like a stubborn teenager that does not like to follow the rules. The best thing to do is to wake up early and look at the sky. If it's cloudy, there are high chances that it's going to rain at some point, if it's sunny and windy, that are chances as well. In other words, you are in London during Spring time, so carry an umbrella with you at all time.
2- Know the programme and be patient.
The ceremony itself started at 11am and lasted one hour, and the carriages will pass twice by you if you are waiting on The Mall. If you are not keen on standing for hours, then arrive late and wait. Yesterday, I arrived at 10:45 and stood behind very tall people that were blocking the view - apart 10cm. Nightmare? Horrible view? Waste of time? Well... not really. As most of the time, people decide to leave after they see the Royal family, the crowd runs away and all the good spots free themselves. You can then stand with the people that have arrived at 7am, aka that time when you were still sleeping.
The ceremony itself started at 11am and lasted one hour, and the carriages will pass twice by you if you are waiting on The Mall. If you are not keen on standing for hours, then arrive late and wait. Yesterday, I arrived at 10:45 and stood behind very tall people that were blocking the view - apart 10cm. Nightmare? Horrible view? Waste of time? Well... not really. As most of the time, people decide to leave after they see the Royal family, the crowd runs away and all the good spots free themselves. You can then stand with the people that have arrived at 7am, aka that time when you were still sleeping.
3- Be nice.
That is the most important rule of all to be quite fair. To be nice to people around you can only be a good thing for you: people in front of you, because they might want to squeeze a bit more to allow you to see something; people behind you, because you were there one hour ago; the Metropolitan Police officers, because they know things you don't and have the power to ruin all of you pictures/footage by photobombing them. And to be honest, if it is to be rude to people, better stay at home and watch it on BBC.
4- Prepare your camera.
There are signs that some members of the royal family will pass by soon. The guards in position are not doing this 'routine' that you saw for more than 45minutes. The London Metropolitan Police is in position as well and looks more and more tense. The mounted guards are back in position. The carriage will be there soon, so be camera-ready.
5- Enjoy.
You cannot see the Queen on a daily basis, unfortunately. There are less chances to see her with her husband Prince Philip in an open carriage. Even less chances to see her with most of the royal family members. So do not only look at the life, the royal life, through the lens of camera or the screen of your phone, and enjoy.
There are signs that some members of the royal family will pass by soon. The guards in position are not doing this 'routine' that you saw for more than 45minutes. The London Metropolitan Police is in position as well and looks more and more tense. The mounted guards are back in position. The carriage will be there soon, so be camera-ready.
5- Enjoy.
You cannot see the Queen on a daily basis, unfortunately. There are less chances to see her with her husband Prince Philip in an open carriage. Even less chances to see her with most of the royal family members. So do not only look at the life, the royal life, through the lens of camera or the screen of your phone, and enjoy.
Here are a few pictures I took of of the event:
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| William, Duke of Cambridge, with his aunt Anne, Princess Royal, following the royal carriage. |
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| Andrew, Prince of York, with his two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. |
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| The Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Philip, Duke of Edinburg. |
Have a good day
xx
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