Taipei, April 28 (CNA) Some British diplomats and expatriates will attend a party Friday in Taipei to celebrate and witness the royal wedding of Prince William of Wales and his bride Catherine Middleton.
A street party-style event, organized by the British Trade and Commerce Office (BTCO) in Taipei -- the de facto United Kingdom representative office in Taiwan -- and the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (BCCT) , will be held at the BTCO office to allow British expatriates in Taiwan to celebrate the event, said BTCO Director David Campbell.
"It will be in street party style. Street parties are a great tradition in Britain and for a century have been linked to royal and other national events. All 50 seats are fully booked, " Campbell said.
"There has been a lot of interest in the event, not just from British nationals but from many other people who see this as a `good news' royal story and wish the couple well, " he said.
The local media has also taken great interest in what is arguably the most anticipated royal wedding since the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana Spencer -- Prince William's parents -- in 1981.
Sanli TV, CtiTV, ETTV and Next TV have sent journalists to London and will broadcast the wedding live from Westminster Abbey Friday, according to the director.
Campbell said he remembered the huge interest and excitement at the time of the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981, when millions of people watched the spectacle on the streets of London or viewed the ceremony on television with friends and family.
"The additional visitors who come to London especially for the wedding could easily spend upwards of NT$2,500 million (US$87.1 million). However, the big opportunity is not about people coming for the wedding but about the billions of people who watch it on TV and who might be encouraged to visit the U.K. as a result, " according to the top U.K. diplomat in Taiwan.
"This wedding, combined with other forthcoming major events such as The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 London Olympics, are expected to generate well over NT$100 billion over the next few years, " he added. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J