Celebrations have already started outside Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh
Well-wishers are taking to the streets in Edinburgh ahead of the marriage of the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and England rugby player Mike Tindall.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are among guests expected at the wedding in Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile. It is Scotland's first royal wedding in almost 20 years.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Catherine, and Prince Harry are also attending the ceremony and reception at Holyroodhouse.
The doors of the Canongate Kirk are to be closed to the press and public, but crowds have begun gathering in Edinburgh's Old Town to watch the arrival of the royal family.
One, Anne from Linlithgow, told BBC Scotland that having so many royals in the capital was "extremely exciting".
Jackie Rushton, 48, from Yorkshire, said: "I just love anything to do with the Royal Family, I'm a big fan, I have great respect for them.
Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall are due to marry in Edinburgh on Saturday
Another well-wisher, Margaret Kittle, 76, said she had travelled from Winona in Canada to see the wedding.
She said: "I've come to all the royal weddings since Princess Anne and Mark Phillips' wedding.
"I like to come to the weddings and all the royal occasions that I can, because the Queen is queen of Canada."
Other guests are likely to include Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
The private afternoon ceremony will be followed by a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The couple hosted a pre-wedding party on the royal yacht Britannia, which is moored in Leith, on Friday night.
Ceril Campbell StylistIt also might be that Mike Tindall is going to wear tartan, in the Phillips tartan, which is blues and purples”
They had previously attended a rehearsal for the ceremony at the kirk with the bride's parents, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.
Princess Anne's second marriage, to Timothy Laurence, was the last Scottish royal wedding in 1992.Mr Tindall, who plays for club side Gloucester and has been capped more than 60 times for his country, is likely to have invited some of England's best-known rugby players to the wedding.
He and best man Iain Balshaw were part of England's winning 2003 rugby World Cup squad in Australia, where the couple were introduced by Zara's cousin Prince Harry.
Ceril Campbell, who has previously worked as a stylist for Zara Phillips, told BBC Radio's 5 Live she expected to see her wearing a Stewart Parvin designed dress, which is likely be quite understated, with a top or jacket which she can take off later.
She added: "It also might be that Mike Tindall is going to wear tartan, in the Phillips tartan, which is blues and purples, and although we may not see Zara's shoes I would put my money on the fact they will be the highest heels you could possibly wear, because that's something else she's always loved."
Lothian and Borders Police said they had been working with the Palace and Edinburgh City Council to ensure the event's smooth running.
Supt Ivor Marshall, who is the Silver Commander responsible for overseeing security arrangements, said the kirk's location, close to both the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, yet set on the busy tourist hub of the Royal Mile, presented unique challenges.
No comments:
Post a Comment