With Kate Middleton’s due date inching closer and closer, it’s hard not to feel the excitement for a royal baby coming from across the pond. We can’t legally bet on the sex or name of the baby like they can in England, but we can drink some English tea and watch a game of polo in preparation of royal baby madness.
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Keeping up with their public image of being modern royals, the Prince and Duchess of Cambridge will announce the birth of their firstborn on Twitter as well as the traditional easel outside of Buckingham Palace. America fell in love with Will and Kate at their lavish nuptials and we can expect their baby will receive the same amount of buzz. Here is what you can do in NoVA to be a part of the British celebration.
Tea
Venture to Aylesbury Tea Room in Leesburg to drink English tea and take bets on whether Queen Elizabeth will ever abdicate the throne. You can sip your way through the full afternoon tea complete with English biscuits and finger sandwiches.
(Photo courtesy of Jeff Mauritzen)
The Guardian (The UK’s version of USA Today) has an article on how to prepare and drink tea the British way if you fancy some tea in your own living room. If you are wondering where to buy real English tea, The British Pantry in Aldie and Old Town Alexandria is a good place to look.
Polo
Prince William is a huge fan of polo. He plays so often that in 2002, the UK even had stamps made of the soon-to-be father playing. Polo isn’t as big in the U.S., but NoVA boasts two locations where you can enjoy the sport of royals.
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The Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains hosts twilight polo matches almost every week during the summer. Check their website for the schedule. Royal Fun Fact: the club president even met Queen Elizabeth II at the Westchester Cup (also known as the International Polo Cup) in 1992.
Travel even further out in the Virginia countryside and you will find the Virginia International Polo Club in Upperville. Watch league games and sign the kids up for polo lessons with the club, a member of the United States Polo Association.
Pub
After the birth of the next royal heir, celebrate with fish and chips at the Union Jack Pub and Restaurant in Winchester.
Cheerio!
Anne