In England everyone's getting a four-day weekend, and true to form it's been raining horribly, but here in California we weren't going to let little details like ridiculously hot and sunny weather stop us from doing our royal duty.
Hannah spent the day cooking mini Cornish pasties and fairycakes, and the bunting that I had loyally imported from the UK was strung up around our club house. We even got to fly the Union Jack out the front of the apartments, to remind all the passing Americans that they should be acknowledging their original ruler too.
We toasted the Queen, people jumped in the pool, we had a Shakespeare corner (though strangely no performers), and all the Champagne disappeared quickly. The biggest draw was a DVD of last year's royal wedding that (improbably) I found in our local library. There was much discussion between ladies old enough to know better about who wanted to grow up to be a princess.
We eventually called a halt at 10pm, around seven hours after we started, which I think proves the appetite on this side of the Atlantic for a non-elected head of state. Ten more years until the next party! God bless you, ma'am.
A small corner of England in Walnut Creek.
And the most important flag to fly as well.
Amazingly our neighbour Rachel owns a knight in shining armour. She offered him for our party. How could we refuse? He was the bartender.
A fairycake stand, provided by my Mum.
Hannah does a little scullery maid work before the guests arrive.
Full British buffet.
Kate and Will's wedding was very much like Hannah's and mine...
