Americans Royally Celebrate William and Kate's Wedding

Nancy Withbroe rose before the sun on July 29, 1981, to watch Lady Diana Spencer, she of the tremendous white train, marry Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. She joined her sister and mother in front of the television in their Arlington, Mass., home to watch the nuptials taking place across the Atlantic.

"I was 13 ... ripe for romantic fantasies," she told AOL News. "I'm sure we had scones, tea, strawberries and jam. That may even have been my first introduction to clotted cream."

Now a fundraiser at a Washington, D.C.-area nonprofit and, like the late Diana, mother of two boys, Withbroe finds herself equally interested in the April 29 royal nuptials of Prince William and commoner Catherine "Kate" Middleton, but lacking a date.

"I haven't been able to convince any D.C. friends to join me for a 4:30 a.m. start on a Friday, so I'll be watching by myself or going to one of the hotels in D.C. that are hosting viewing parties," she said.

Withbroe can choose from several options, including rashers, bangers and big screens at the Ritz-Carlton.

The luxury hotel in the District's West End joins lodging establishments and eateries around the world offering guests royal options for wedding viewing. From 5 a.m. until noon April 29, the Ritz-Carlton will serve a breakfast buffet and broadcast the festivities from flat-screen televisions in the hotel lobby. Guests are encouraged to wear bridal attire, and will receive wedding favors.

Royal watchers wanting to sleep till the last minute can check into the hotel the night before. They'll enjoy Prince William and Catherine champagne cocktails and 18-carat Sapphire cupcakes at the bar, and go home with a copy of "William & Kate: Celebrating a Royal Engagement."

DisneyFamily.com contributor Miranda Becker won't be at the D.C. Ritz or among the London throngs, but the Los Angeles-based craft designer will be watching the wedding with particular interest.

"I am actually engaged and getting married in a year," she told AOL News. "As a woman planning my own wedding, this is a very exciting thing to watch."

Wearing her Disney crown, Becker's also been brainstorming ideas for an at-home royal viewing party.

Using simple craft materials, children can create their own coat of arms, like the crest the palace recently granted Kate Middleton. Hers features three acorns, one for each Middleton child and representing the oaks growing in her hometown; as well as a gold chevron symbolizing her mother's maiden name, Goldsmith.

While the 6 a.m. start time may prove too early for full formal attire, Becker suggests achieving some easy glam with a homemade "fascinator," a jewel-and-feather topped hair ornament.

"Fascinators ... are traditionally worn by women going to weddings in England," Becker said. "They're beautiful and really fun."

English tea options abound, but Becker suggests sticking with tradition and making fruitcake-inspired cupcakes (recipe here).

"The traditional wedding cake in England is fruitcake topped with marzipan. We thought we'd take some of the flavors of fruitcake and make it a little more palatable.

"This cake mix is made using a box cake mix and dried fruit and a little bit of almond extract. It's a really easy recipe but you capture some of those flavors that are traditional to the fruitcake."

Disney, which has cornered the American princess market, offers a number of additional crafts on its website, include a printable Princess Kate paper doll complete with a closet full of princess-wear.

While bars around the world are creating signature event cocktails, AOL News suggests the "Ginger Royale," created in the early 1900s for King Edward VII, William's great-great-great-grandfather, famed for his large appetites, sexual and culinary.

The Ginger Royale
1 ½ oz. King's Ginger Liqueur
4 oz. Champagne

Cheers!