The glorious garden at The Goring, site of many a royal rendezvous
London’s Goring Hotel–the place where Kate Middleton spent the night before her wedding to Prince William—just received a very prestigious honor: a Royal Warrant from the Queen, the first ever issued to a hotel. I wrote about it yesterday for CNTraveler.com, but what I didn’t mention was what a gorgeous spot this is for a wedding.
In addition to all its elegantly Edwardian indoor spaces (the Royal Suite, where Kate got her pre-wedding beauty sleep, is a particular beaut with two bedchambers, two receiving rooms, and a balcony as long as the entire building), The Goring commands a glorious garden, larger than Centre Court at Wimbledon. And the treatment you’ll receive will be nothing short of princely; owner Jeremy Goring (the hotel has been in his family for 103 years) reports that regardless of all the “rooms and suites oozing class and Gainsborough silk-lined luxury” the aspect of the hotel people always write to him about is the staff, who make each guest feel genuinely special.
The British marriage laws make it a little tricky for Americans to legally marry here, so we recommend having a civil ceremony back home, then flying to London for a blessing in The Goring garden or on a terrace, followed by a few nights of revelry. Reports are that the royal wedding’s after-party, famously attended by cousins Eugenie, Beatrice, and Harry, went on until 6 A.M., when The Goring bar ran out of beer. Let’s see what kind of mischief you and your gang can get up to. —Sally Kilbridge
The Bar at The Goring, site of one seriously royal after-party.
