Mary Kickham couldn’t wait to “worship the royal wedding” over the weekend.
The Mount Herbert native awoke early on Saturday morning, dressed to the nines and donned a fancy hat before making her way to Charlottetown to attend a viewing of the royal wedding at St. Peter’s Cathedral hall.
On May 19, Prince Harry, 33, and American actress Meghan Markle, 36, were married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in England, which was followed by a carriage procession around the town of Windsor.
Although the wedding was in England, the world tuned in as the newest royal couple tied the knot.
Kickham said she was curious to see how the prince and his new bride’s families would interact, considering they come from different worlds and Markle isn’t royalty.
“No, she’s not, but I think it’s just wonderful,” she told The Guardian. “They are human like everyone else; they have feelings like everyone else.”
Kickham said she enjoys watching members of the Royal family get hitched, adding she also watched when Prince William married Kate Middleton.
Not only that, but when The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Island in 2011, she had the good fortune of meeting them, as her grandson was a Father of Confederation Player at the time and was an escort for the couple.
“They were just beautiful,” she said.
Kickham was one of about a hundred invited guests who attended the viewing, hosted by the Royal Commonwealth Society.
The president of the P.E.I. branch of the society, Horatio Toledo, said he was “totally blown away” by the interest for the royal wedding shown by Islanders.
As society president, he was contacted by CTV to see if there would be a viewing in Charlottetown. He thought that was a great idea and was able to book the church hall, where he is a member of the congregation, but there was a limit to how many people could fit.
“If I knew we were going to have such an incredible turnout, I would have done something bigger.”
On Saturday, members of CTV did a live broadcast of the Charlottetown viewing, which was being televised internationally. Having a televised event such as the viewing is a great way to put P.E.I. on the map, he said.
“It’s just a wonderful opportunity to have P.E.I., this church, seen around the world. Why not embrace it? When Kate and Prince William came, the whole world learned about us,” he said adding it’s important to market the Island with more than one thing. “We can’t survive just on potatoes.”
Following the wedding, there was a reception at the hall complete with cake, scones and other treats.
