Sure, we may never be royals, but the nuptials of Prince Harry and (Northwestern alumna!) Meghan Markle are reason enough to celebrate like nobility. From high tea to spa treatments worthy of a queen, here are 10 ways to celebrate the Crown.
Take a stroll
English Walled Garden at the Chicago Botanical Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, 847-835-5440
Although it might not be the Sunken Garden where Prince Harry and Markle announced their engagement, the English Walled Garden is “one of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s most enchanting and popular places.”
Designed by famed English landscape architect John Brookes, the green space consists of six garden rooms, including the Pergola Gardens — which contains plants in silver, purples and cool blues — and Cottage Garden with fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Brookes said the garden “should be visual, of course, with color, but also scent and texture in the planting, and a feeling of it all not being too immaculate. Plantings should be full and almost overflowing their borders. It should be a joyous and restful place above all else.”
If you’re looking for a nature experience closer to the city, Princess Diana walked through the sculpture garden at Northwestern University while visiting Chicago in 1996.
Stay calm and practice self-care
113-125 N. Green St., 312-754-6915
Described as “the quintessentially British spa and lifestyle brand of Soho House,” this spa at the entry level of the Chicago hotel boasts luxurious facials, massages, salt scrubs and hand and foot treatments. Cowshed’s 100 percent essential oils (crafted from organic plant extracts and with names like Moody, Wild and Grumpy) will leave you feeling like a queen, or at least a princess fourth in line to the Crown (looking at you, Princess Charlotte.) The spa offers services for men as well. Hours: Sunday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Prices range from $10 to $185. Reservations: sohohousechicago.com
Honor afternoon tea
140 E. Walton Place, 312-787-2200
The Drake has hosted royalty including the Empress of Japan, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth. For nearly a century, the Near North Side hotel has offered Afternoon Tea at the Drake. Guests have the option of 17 selections by Palais des Thes and finger sandwiches, scones and other pastries. Daily afternoon tea can be booked every half hour from 1 to 4:30 p.m., with each service lasting an hour and a half. Wednesday through Sunday, a live harpist performs. $45 per person, $24 for children 4-12.
Afternoon Tea with Wedgewood at the Langham Hotel
330 N. Wabash Ave., 312-923-7710
The Langham Hotel pulls from the tradition of the original London location (which debuted tea service in 1865) for its Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood. Attendees sip proprietary Langham teas and munch on sweet and savory treats. According to Pavilion, everything is “served with traditional displays and flourish, accompanied by live music — blending together to create a relaxing and pampering afternoon diversion.” End the experience with a glass of Champagne. $78 per person, $30 per child 5-12. Reservations: langhamhotels.com
Drink a cup of British brew
Department of Coffee and Social Affairs
800 W. Diversey Parkway, 773-697-9581
Although tea is the traditional caffeinated drink in England, coffee culture has taken over the United Kingdom with an explosion in the number of independent and chain coffee shops.
Department of Coffee and Social Affairs opened in London’s Leather Lane Market in 2010 and has since expanded across the city and U.K.
The shop’s Lakeview location is its first in North America and features a variety of coffee classics (cold brew, flat white, latte, mocha) as well as seasonal drinks: Current offerings include an orange blossom cortado, a rose water lemonade and “dreamsicle” iced Earl Grey tea with almond milk and vanilla syrup. If you’re feeling more traditionally British, there’s also a slew of Rishi teas to sample.
The airy cafe has large windows and comfortable wooden furnishings and also sells cold-pressed juices, quiche, pastries and gluten-free snacks.
Guard the wicket with cricket
Although Chicago might not yet have its own professional cricket stadium (said to be coming by 2020), the Patriots Cricket Club (which is part of the American Cricket Conference) has expanded from one to three teams in the city and plays in over 40-50 games a year, with both day and night matches and tournaments.
Most teams start recruiting and practicing indoors in the winter before the seasons starts in April. Interested in playing or just going to cheer a team on? Email cricket.players@hotmail.com. The Tape Ball Cricket Association also has a slew of teams who compete in the Chicagoland area.
Get in a rugby scrum
If you prefer Prince Harry’s sport of choice, rugby is the perfect opportunity to make a few tackles. The Chicago Area Rugby Football Union (CARFU) includes men’s and women’s teams around the Chicago area that compete against each other and visiting leagues.
Outdoor teams play spring through fall and indoor touch matches occur during the winter, making rugby practically a year-round sport in the city.
According to CARFU President Louis Raymond, “With over 40 teams playing collegiate and senior rugby, and another 50-plus youth and high school teams, there is something rugby related happening all the time.”
Top it with a hat
605 N. Michigan Ave., 312-965-9182
No royal outfit is complete without a signature hat or fascinator, a decorative headpiece attached to a hair clip or comb. Gold Coast Couture founder Nicole Betti grew up riding horses and was inspired to sell hats out of her Loop home and online after attending the Kentucky Derby.
Betti, who helps clients find headwear for a variety of events, said the accessories add fun, personality and sophistication to an outfit. She offers everything from delicate fascinators with feathers and sparkles to wide-brimmed statement pieces in a rainbow of colors.
She travels to Europe to buy from designers such as experimental Irish milliner Philip Treacy and Jane Taylor London, a favorite of Kate Middleton. Her pieces can go for as little as $50 while others sell for over $1,000.
Customers can book an appointment online or email customerservice@goldcoastcouture.com. Her hours are typically Monday through Friday 5 to 9 p.m. as well as throughout the weekend.
“One thing I love about it (wearing a hat) the most is that you feel like you’re a different person for a day, kind of like royalty,” she said. “There’s just something about it that makes you feel more confident.”
Grub at the pub
2700 N. Western Ave., 773-235-2930
If you’re going on a blind date (it’s how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met), get cozy at this pub, decorated with rustic wood and leather furnishing and a fireplace. Though the dishes might be from across the Atlantic, the fresh ingredients are sourced from local farms.
Start with house charcuterie and cheeses or share pork rinds, beef tenderloin tartare or oysters. Larger dishes include bubble and squeak (potato mash, vegetables and aged English cheddar) Ploughman’s (house rashers, smoked ham, Barber’s cheddar cheese, hard-boiled egg, curry pickles and brown bread) as well as the traditional bangers and mash and fish and chips with English pea puree.
Stay late exploring the extensive beer list (with domestic, British, German, Belgian and other offerings) and stop by Saturday lunch or Sunday brunch, which includes house-made crumpets, scones, fruit and pastry boards and a “full English fry up” with tinned beans, fried egg, house rasher, brown bread, blood sausage and banger.
2119 S. Halsted St., 773-523-7437
British-inspired meals, house-made pastries and locally roasted coffee are aplenty in this East Pilsen cafe and bar named after a 19th-century cottage in rural Yorkshire.
Signature royal pies include steak and ale (beef stew with carrots, shallots and herbs) chicken Balti (a stew with chicken, tomatoes and curry spices) and premium steak pasty (a traditional Cornish hand pie with steak, potatoes, rutabaga, onion and black pepper).
Or snack on traditional pub grub, like a Scotch egg, curry chips or bangers and mash. End the meal with a decadent sticky toffee pudding or seasonal fruit trifle. Definitely stop by for fish and chip Fridays, the only day the dish is offered.
hsteinkopffrank@chicagotribune.com | @HSteinkopfFrank