THE ROYAL wedding of Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29, will see many British expats living in Paphos celebrate the event in style.
Paphos has the biggest resident British population on the island and many are getting into the spirit of the occasion by organising street parties and gatherings with family and friends.
Sue Keats along with her husband and children are organising a traditional British style street party in their cul-de-sac in Peyia village in Paphos, and have invited neighbours and friends to join them to celebrate the wedding.
“We are all dressing up in red, white and blue are expecting lots of people to come,” Sue said,
Family, friends and neighbours have all clubbed together to supply a dish of food each and donated nine euros per head for drinks.
“I’m really excited. This kind of event makes you proud to be British. I know the country has gone downhill a bit, but this wedding is the kind of thing that brings everyone together,” she said.
Sue said that the wedding of William and Kate inevitably brought back memories of the ill-fated nuptials of Charles and Diana in the 1981.
“I’m sure that this marriage will be a success though.”
Sue and husband Darren, along with the help of friends, are arranging tables and chairs, traditional red, white and blue bunting, balloons and flags to line the street outside their home. They will all also watching the event live on a projector screen, supplied by another friend.
“It’s such a lovely occasion,” she said.
The royalist said that a number of her friends were also organising parties at their homes.
“They are all British, although one lady is married to a Cypriot so I’m sure some locals will be celebrating too,” she added. “Most of these house parties are in Emba and Kissonerga.”
The Paphos branch of the UKCA is also holding a street party on the day of the royal wedding, but has chosen to host it indoors.
One of the organisers Steve Kay explained that this decision was made due to the changeable weather at this time of year.
“Tickets are nine euros and the party starts at the club at 11.30 am,” he said. “We will watch the event on three TV screens and have traditional British street party food such as sausages, sandwiches, and cheese and pineapple on sticks.”
Steve said that he isn’t a royalist and that most of the men he has spoken to “aren’t really too bothered about the wedding at all”.
“It’s mostly the ladies that like this sort of thing,” he said.
But he’s confident the bash will be a real success with party games and a mobile disco proving entertainment.
“The party will go on as long as everyone wants it too,” he said.
Meanwhile, Paphos-based event organisers, In any Event, are organising a party to celebrate the royal wedding, offering food, champagne and TV coverage of the event.
Event organiser Anita Hopkins said, “The royal wedding is a huge occasion across the world. They don’t happen very often, but when they do the British like to celebrate them.”
The company will hold’ two events in one’ at DT’s bar in Paphos. A ‘street party’ style event on the lower terrace and a VIP event on the upper terrace.
“The response has been amazing. We only have a couple of tickets left for the VIP area and we have sold out of the street party tickets. In fact there is a waiting list,” Anita said,
“We are all really looking forward to it and it’s going to be a great fun day.”
But the reaction elsewhere in Paphos has been considerably more lukewarm.
Magda, a 35-year-old Polish national living in Paphos, said: “It’s a day like any other. I will go to work, I won’t celebrate the event or watch it on TV.I couldn’t really care less about it,” she said.
Her view was echoed by Dave, a 50-year-old British plumber living in Tala.
“There are a lot of Brits where I live in Tala who are having parties and things, but I’m not bothered about it,” he said. “I’m sure it will end in divorce any way, most royal couples seem to end up that way these days.”
But Paphos local and pensioner, Anastasia disagreed.
“I will be watching the wedding of William and Kate on the television with my family and I have invited some friends to my house to watch with us. We are all Cypriot ladies and love Prince William,” she said.
“It’s so romantic. Times are hard for everyone these days and something like this wedding will make us all feel happier. I wish them many happy years together,” she said.
In addition, most bars and cafes in Paphos will be screening the live event, which will be watched by millions of people across the world.
