The Royal Wedding

OK, we watched.  Our apartment building had its own "street party," hosted by the people who live in the two basement flats, who happen also to have lovely gardens that we didn't mind a closer look at.  The gathered group consisted of some residents (most, though, were out of town, hence the hard sell that the porter Alf gave me about attending), and friends of the hosts.  Some were such fierce royalists they didn't come until the ceremony part was over, but most were more skeptical.  Many jokes about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge having to run a pub in Cambridgeshire for a living, and "pulling pints."  We arrived in time to see the first look of "the dress," which drew widespread approval.  The hideous get-up of two of William's cousins (Beatrice and somebody) provoked utter derision.  This was also about food: we had Buck's fizz (champagne and orange juice) to start, and then more champagne to toast the lovely couple.  After the ceremony, while the royals were having their luncheon, we too noshed on sausages, chicken, tomato and feta salad, and cake for dessert.  Back in time for "the kiss," which was intensely anticipated but received a C-.  (Replays of the kiss of Diana and Charles from 1981 got even lower reviews and a great deal of cynical or sympathetic commentary.)  There was a second kiss, which received better marks, but 9 of us had crowded into the lift (that holds 8 people) to go to the rooftop, to watch the "flyover," so we missed it.  We sort of saw the 4 RAF jets disappear into the mist over Buckingham Palace, and the Lancaster bomber and 2 escorts making its return trip, with many jokes about the reductions in the budget reducing the RAF to just these 7 planes.   As Americans, we were assumed to be anti-monarchy, and while we didn't fool anyone, I hope we were respectful and polite!  All were especially proud of "how well" we do these pageantry things.  (A newspaper commenter had remarked that all the union jacks along the Mall looked a little too much like the Third Reich.  But I didn't repeat this today.)
The gardens were lovely, with climbing roses, breeding blackbirds, bluetits at the feeder, and lots of shrubbery and florality.
Best of luck, Cambridges.