Harry and Meghan: Upcoming nuptials excite Tauranga royalist

Laurel Abraham has always loved the royal family.

The Tauranga woman says she grew up during a time where royalty and the Commonwealth were a "big deal".

Which is why she was looking forward to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Abraham, who considered herself a royalist, said she would be glued to her television on Saturday night and would even record the screening.

"I'm going to be highly organised in my jammies sitting in front of the TV, ready to watch the royal wedding," she said.

The 68-year-old said her family's love of the royal family influenced her view.

"My grandparents worked at the palace, and that had an impact on how I think about the royals," she said.

The sales co-ordinator had followed the royal family most of her life and remembered watching both the weddings of Prince Charles and Princesses Diana and Prince William and Kate Middleton.

"I've been brought up in that era where they [the royals] were a big deal, and they were always in the news."

Abraham had passed her love of the royals on to her daughter and they regularly sat and chatted about the royal family.

"It will be awesome seeing Harry get married. He's the free-spirited playboy Prince, so it will be nice to watch him settle down," she said.

The upcoming marriage had made headlines in recent weeks for Markle's strained relationship with some of her family members.

Abraham said the "family drama" did not put her off the build-up of the nuptials.

"It's gone in one ear and out the other," she said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what Meghan wears and what the Queen wears. The jug will be boiled regularly."

Abraham had never been to the United Kingdom but said visiting London was on her bucket list.

"I'd love to go to the palace and say 'that's where my grandparents worked'."

The Royal Wedding

-The wedding will be held at St George's chapel inside Windsor Castle.
-The service starts at midday UK time (11pm NZT)
-The service will be conducted by Reverend David Conner and officiated by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who baptised Meghan Markle in a top secret service.
-The wedding reception will be held at St George's Hall, followed by a private evening at Frogmore House.