Prince Harry and Prince William have arrived in Memphis, former home of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.
Beale Street is the entertainment hub of Memphis. Carlo Allegri, Getty Images.
USA Today reported that one of the brothers arrived at the Memphis airport earlier Thursday — it was presumably Prince Harry since later tweets showed photos of Prince William arriving at the airport later in the day.
Big excitement in Memphis! prince William arrives for a wedding. #royalwatcher #william http://t.co/gdGB9iM9E6—
(@emilygest) May 01, 2014
People magazine even reported that the Duke of Cambridge had a layover at Chicago’s O’Hare and had a little snack — pulled chicken nachos.
The Bluff City is rolling out the red carpet for the princes this weekend as they attend the wedding of one of their best friends, Guy Pelly. Pelly is marrying Memphian Elizabeth “Lizzy” Wilson, granddaughter of the founder of the Holiday Inn hotel dynasty.
Lizzy Wilson and Guy Pelly, shown here in a file photo, are to be married on May 3. File photo, Getty Images.
Prince William’s wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, is not believed to be attending, choosing instead to stay in England with the couple’s son, Prince George.
Prince Harry, meanwhile, is newly single after news that he and his long-time girlfriend, Cressida Bonas, had broken up. Some said the issue of the cost of airline tickets to Memphis had been the subject of a recent blow up that put the final nail in the relationship’s coffin.
The Daily Mail reports that Prince Harry took advantage of his new bachelor status on Wednesday night in Miami.
Prince Harry was spotted partying at LIV nightclub at Fontainebleau, Miami. File photo, Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.
“Missing the funeral of Mark Shand, the brother of his stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall, held in the U.K. today, the Prince and his pals dined at Hakkasan and then went on to the trendy LIV nightclub at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel,” the Mail noted. “And Prince Harry was certainly not letting heartbreak get in the way of having a good time as he hit the town and was given VIP treatment in one of the club’s SkyBoxes – a private booth which overlooks the scene – where a mystery brunette was seen hugging him.”
A Miami Herald blog noted that Prince Harry seemed to have only one bodyguard with him and that the gathering of friends was low key.
“This was no bachelor party,” the blog said. “Though we saw Harry happily chatting with his tablemates and one brunette female in particular, it was all innocent, friendly and, well, civilized.”
Meanwhile, the city of Memphis, known for its blues and legendary barbecue, was bracing for royal visitors.
In a press conference reported by the Associated Press Wednesday, Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton Jr. would not confirm that the royals will be in town, but said the city would be ready if they did. Now that the princes have arrived, it would seem Wharton Jr. was simply trying to keep a lid on massive public interest — he noted that his office has received calls from reporters around the world.
WAFF Memphis reports that paparazzi have descended on the city and police have done background checks on guests of the wedding, which is to be held Saturday at the Memphis Hunt & Polo Club.
Darren McGrady, who was chef to Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons for more than a decade, blogged that the princes will undoubtedly go for some Memphis’s famous barbecue this weekend.
“Both William and Harry love BBQ and especially baby back ribs,” wrote McGrady. “As teenagers when I was cooking for them at Kensington Palace they requested them all the time much to Nanny’s disgust.”
Prince William and Prince Harry are on their way to #Memphis and both love BBQ ribs. You had better start smoking @Rendezvous_Ribs—
The Royal Chef (@DarrenMcGrady) May 01, 2014
And he was right. Crowds had gathered outside Rendezvous, known as one of the city’s best restaurants for barbecue earlier in the day and The Telegraph reported that Memphis police had already been spotted at that location.
One woman I spoke with says she's been waiting two hours at Rendezvous hoping to see the Royals #localroyals http://t.co/3enbQcDVS7—
Austin Lewis (@local24austin) May 02, 2014
Sure enough, shortly after 9 p.m., local news media snapped a shot of the princes entering the restaurant.
Prince William and Harry have arrived http://t.co/eqhVPduAcf—
Austin Lewis (@local24austin) May 02, 2014
The Daily Mail also reports that the brothers are planning a trip to Graceland, the stately mansion (with the tacky interior) that was once the home of Elvis Presley.
Some think that the princes may stop for a visit at Graceland, former home of Elvis Presley, at some point during the weekend. Stan Honda, AFP/Getty Images.