Royal Wedding Tour at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park: Live Like a Prince (or Princess)

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed)
Mar 16th 2011 at 11:18AM

This is, without a doubt, one of the more over-the-top packages we've seen recently.

Book the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park's Royal Wedding Tour and you'll receive special access and hosted tours by family members and associates of the royal family to Kensington Palace, Chartwell, Spencer House, Althorp and Westminster Abbey, all venues which members of the public have not had such private access to before.

The hotel itself also has a rich history: Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Margaret first learned to dance in the gilded ballroom, Prince Charles and Princess Anne visited the tearooms as children and more recently, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were guests at Baroness Margaret Thatcher's 80th birthday party. Sir Winston Churchill was even a temporary resident while his London house was being refurbished. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park also boasts the only private Royal Entrance from Hyde Park.

Gallery: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

If we had an extra $30,000 lying around, we'd love to book this special tour, which includes the following itinerary:

TUESDAY, APRIL 26
Check in to the hotel. Pre-dinner drinks and a welcome dinner, before retiring to a deluxe room.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27
A tour of Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill's family home in Kent since 1924, with a special greeting from a member of the Churchill family and lunch at the nearby private family home.

That evening guests depart for Spencer House, the home of the Spencer Family, for drinks on the terrace overlooking Green Park followed by a private tour and dinner in The Great Room designed by James Athenian Stuart.

THURSDAY, APRIL 28
The morning begins with a visit to The British Museum followed by lunch at The Wallace Collection, with a special visit with the Director Dame Ros Saville.

Dinner will take place at the home of a member of the royal family, at their private London townhouse.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29
Visit the Institute of Contemporary Art with exclusive use of the venue and roof terrace overlooking The Mall. Guests will have unrestricted views of the royal wedding parade, nestled above the crowded streets and hustle below. Toast the happy couple with a glass of champagne before a sumptuous three-course lunch served in the gallery.

After returning to the hotel, guests will then depart for Kensington Palace where the evening will begin with drinks in the sunken garden, followed by a tour by esteemed curator Nigel Arch and dinner in the newly restored Kings Gallery.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30
Begin the day with a visit to the setting of the royal wedding, Westminster Abbey, with the Dean. This senior church in London is where great coronations, weddings and burials take place, and is an historic Royal Peculiar (a church whose jurisdiction falls directly under the monarch).

The afternoon allows time for a leisurely roam around London or perhaps a visit to The Spa at Mandarin Oriental to soothe aching muscles and unwind tired minds, followed by dinner at one of the hotel's celebrated restaurants, Bar Boulud, London or Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

SUNDAY, MAY 1
The day starts with a trip to Northamptonshire for lunch at Althorp,the ancestral home of Diana Princess of Wales' family since 1508. A private visit and lunch will be hosted by a member of the Spencer family. That evening, guests can enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel before departing on Monday morning in majestic triumph.

The Royal Wedding Tour package is priced from $18,120 for one person and $30,146 for two people sharing the same accommodation and is vlid between April 26 and May 1. Some taxes and fees are excluded.

Tags: hotel, london, mandarin oriental, mandarin oriental hyde park, royal wedding