I was so happy to land in London to realize that Kate had held off having the baby a whole week for me to get back in town! I didn't want to miss this important event....
People keep asking me what it's like to be in London with the birth of the royal baby. The answer? It's like Tuesday.
Contrary to my expectations, no one was talking joyfully about the baby on the tube (no one was talking on the tube at all - per usual). The conversations on the elevator/at work were more influenced by the recent thunderstorm than the baby. There was a 21 gun salute at the Tower of London (which we can see from the office) and people did not rush to watch it through the windows (except me - and I missed the majority of it).
One of my coworkers walked by buckingham palace when the sign was revealed announcing the baby (by mistake) and reported back that it "was clearly all tourist and no Brits". Yes, there are some diehard Brits who waited outside the hospital for Kate plus one to appear but the thought of taking off work to stand there didn't exactly cross my mind.
Where is the parade?!?
Part of the lack of overwhelming excitement is due to the republican view that there shouldn't be royals and they are a waste of money etc. One of the online newspapers even has a "republican" button you can press that turns off all baby details.
Princess Anne, when asked what she thought of the royal baby said she was happy for the family but it doesn't effect her life. I think that's how several of my British friends feel too. It isn't "new news" that Londoners are more reserved than the average American.
In conclusion: the streets of London haven't joyously burst out in songs of praise the king and William did not yet hold the baby for a "reveal" like something out of lion king.
Sorry to disappoint. (But I was disappointed as well)
Great article! I'm a royalist so I was celebrating. Should've been in the feeder room, there was a lot of talk about the baby yesterday. And then Mark Goff's baby :)
ReplyDeleteOooh just to mention: 21-gun salute is the traditional royal salute. An additional 20 rounds are fired (so 41) in Royal Parks and Residences.
However, at the Tower of London 62 rounds are fired - the basic 21, plus a further 20 because the Tower is a Royal Palace and Fortress, plus another 21 for the City of London (for the citizens of the City of London to show their loyalty to the monarch)
Interestingly, 124 are fired whenever the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday (62 rounds) coincides with the Saturday designated as the Queen's official birthday (also 62 rounds).
19-gun salutes are used for Field Marshals, ambassadors, and the heads of executive branch of Parliamentary governments (i.e. Prime Ministers).