A giant campsite will be created to give thousands of people the chance to watch next month’s royal wedding - without having to spend a fortune on hotel rooms.
Royal enthusiasts will get the chance to follow the lead of David Cameron, who as a 14-year-old in in 1981 slept rough on the Mall just to catch a glimpse of Charles and Diana’s wedding, when a London park becomes a camping ground for the heir to the throne’s nuptials.
Clapham Common, in south London, will provide a base for more than 10,000 campers who are expected to descend on the capital to join in the festivities surrounding Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey.
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While it may resemble a music festival, the three-day Camp Royale will be a far cry from the muddy wellies, cider and rock music of Glastonbury, with organisers promising a “quintessentially British atmosphere” complete with free cups of tea and union flags.
The number of visitors to London is expected to soar by up to half-a-million during the wedding, with travel companies seeing a surge in bookings – particularly from America and Europe.
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And many hotels in the capital are hiking up prices to take advantage of the increased interest, while the websites Gumtree and London Rent My House have huge numbers of people offering to rent out their homes.
Dan Cotter, a spokesman for Camp Royale, said: "We hope that this affordable option will appeal to people who thought they couldn't afford to join in the fun."
National Express, which is running special coaches from 35 UK locations to the campsite, described the camp idea as a “stroke of genius”.
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"We are 100% committed to giving people from all corners of the country a hassle-free and cost-effective alternative to cars and central London hotels,” Joy Williams, a spokeswoman for the travel firm, added.
The pop-up campsite will run from Thursday April 28 - the day before the wedding - to Sunday May 1, and will cost £75 a person for three nights.
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Camp Royale will be sited less than four miles from central London and just yards from Clapham Common tube station, meaning campers will be able to use the site as a base to explore the capital.
It will boast 24-hour security, hot showers, toilet facilities, a dedicated quiet zone, a family zone and a "glamping" zone for luxury campers including 18-foot tipis complete with beds, sheepskin rugs and tables.
And groups of 12 or more will be able to reserve a special area together on the campsite so that friends can be together.