Royal Wedding a Bright Spot as British Enforce Austerity Measures

April 27, 2011— -- On Friday, Parliament Square will be packed with royal watchers hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton during the royal wedding, but just a few short months ago protesters were starting fires in the streets as British police on horseback charged into thick crowds acting out just steps from Westminster Abbey. For many British, the royal wedding is a chance to change the subject from dire austerity measures and bad economic news.

Watch a special "20/20" Thursday at 8 p.m. ET for a behind-the-scenes look at the life that awaits Kate Middleton, and join us again at 4 a.m. Friday for ABC News' live coverage of the royal wedding with Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters.

On December 9th, the car carrying Prince Charles, the father of Prince William, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was attacked by protesters armed with paint bombs. They had been protesting new tuition fees for university students after giant cuts passed by the British government when they happened upon the royal couple.

Like the U.S., the British economy is stuck in a rut and the country also has a skyrocketing national budget deficit. However, unlike the U.S., the government there has been slashing spending. So far, they have cut $133 billion over four years. This includes cuts to college funding, public housing and the raising of the official retirement age to 66.

All of this has led to a population desperate for some relief, which is coming in the form of a royal escape. "There's a real sense of foreboding here now," Tina Brown, editor in chief of Newsweek and The Daily Beast, told ABC News. "This wedding is something that England needs, more than want, we need this wedding, to make a turnaround of some kind."

This has happened before. When Prince Charles was married to Diana, 2.5 million Brits were 'on the dole,' as they say there, meaning they were receiving unemployment checks. That is the same unemployment rate they are battling now.

One of the British government's strategies is to make sure that people have a good time on Friday-- already a national holiday. "The prime minister has said that everybody must have a street party--a sort of mandate to celebrate, we're surviving," said Brown.

Frances Bulley told ABC News she will be watching, even though she recently watched her job slip away. She is studying to be a lawyer, but she was told three weeks ago her paid internship was taken away because of the austerity cuts. She is one of the many the British government hopes will get a little joy from a traditionally British source.