British community marks royal wedding in Prague

Millions around the world are watching with bated breath as preparations conclude for the United Kingdom’s royal wedding on Friday. Interest in the Czech Republic is of course rather marginal, but Prague’s English community is looking forward to celebrating the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton from afar. We found out some of the events set to take place in the Czech capital.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, photo: CTK

It may be a bank holiday in the United Kingdom on Friday as an heir to the throne of Britain takes a bride, but commerce continues – at least the hobnobbing end of it in the British Chamber of Commerce, where the director Richard Robinson told me how they plan to mark the occasion.

“The British Chamber of Commerce is having a special celebration on the eve of the royal wedding for our members to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. It’s being held in the garden of the Augustine Hotel and there is very much a kind of celebratory feel about it with a champagne reception and live music. This is following huge demand from our members to mark the event taking place in London, and we’re looking forward to having a great time enjoying the weather, enjoying the celebration and to wish the royal couple well.”

Royal enthusiasts are camping out outside the Westminster Abbey, London, photo: CTK

So much for the British business community; now where will the well-wishers among the Czech government and diplomatic corps be marking the event? I asked Nick Groves of Her Majesty’s Embassy in Prague:

“The 29th of April, when the royal wedding is taking place, is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, so the embassy will be closed for normal business, but we will be holding a small event for diplomatic colleagues from commonwealth countries represented in Prague to watch the wedding, and later on we will be toasting the happy couple with members of the Czech government and other members of Czech public life.”

Elsewhere though some British organisations in the Czech Republic are planning more accessible commemorations. Mark Robertson of the association of English nurseries called Kindergarten is making sure the folksy side of a royal wedding is catered to in Prague.

Royal fans in London, photo: CTK

“We are going to have a party for expats and also for Czech children in Občanská plovárna, a very nice location down by the river. The children will be dressing up in prince and princess outfits, and thanks to the Prague British School we will have a welcome from a traditional bagpipe player. Then the children will have a long table for about 100 and a party in traditional English style; lots of food, lots of drink, and we’ll play games with them and party games, et cetera. Thanks to the BBC we will be streaming the wedding live so the children will of course be able to see it.”

Some options there if you’re wondering where to watch the British royal wedding in British company – another option is of course to drop by one of city centre Prague’s many English pubs to get some of the flavour of a British-style celebration.