A ROMANTIC INTERLUDE
I am all set for the royal festivities today. I'm taping the wedding so that I can watch it with my girls when they get home from school, but of course I'll be sneaking peeks all day. I'm only human, after all! I'll be serving tea, finger sandwiches and scones, and even found a recipe for devonshire cream! I'm hoping to lure my husband in with some Guinness Stout but he is a man, after all, and I'm a realist. Some people may think the whole affair is silly and that's just fine - if ever we needed some silliness, now is the time. Weddings are wonderful things; royal ones even more so. And when the bride is a 'commoner' - a regular girl who nabbed a real-life prince - why, it's practically magical. They seem like a great match; certainly far, far better than his parents.
This wedding really has a different feel to it than other royal weddings. It feels...genuine. Yes, it's formal and conforms to official state tradition - he is, after all, heir to the throne, but there is also a joyousness, most notably in the bride and groom, that has been markedly absent from prior royal weddings. Instead of keeping a stiff upper lip and doing his duty for queen and country, William found his match, and took a long time doing it, just to make sure it was right. But, happily, 'Waity Katie' got her man. The big event at Westminster Abbey will be followed by a carriage ride and a turn on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for the traditional kiss. A formal luncheon reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth is to follow. In the evening, there is a dinner and dance in the offing. The Queen and Prince Phillip will have vacated the palace and retired to Norfolk by then, so you know what that means - it's time to party!!
This particular dinner and dance party, hosted by Prince Charles and organized by the bride's sister Pippa for 300 of the bridal couple's closest friends and family, sounds like it will be a cracking good time. After all, history is being made - there will be disco balls hanging from the ceiling of Buckingham Palace's Royal Throne Room. Now that's a party. For those die-hards who just won't quit 'til the sun comes up, Prince Harry is hosting a "fry-up" at six in the morning on Saturday. Speaking of Prince Harry, he won't be giving his best man speech until after the Queen retires. Considering his notorious sense of humor, one can only hope that's for a reason (and that someone leaks it on youtube).
Charles and Diana's wedding was so formal and traditional. An engineered match for dynastic reasons. William and Kate, on the other hand, are a love match, and it shows in the youthful exuberance and hands-on approach to the event by not just the happy couple, but by their friends and family.
With all that is going wrong in the world, all the things that weigh us down on a daily basis, setting it all aside for a few moments to embrace the pomp, circumstance and love on this happy day is a much needed escape from reality. Luckily, this should be a heck of a wedding. Let's not forget the bride's family are party planners. From disco balls in throne rooms to trees in Westminster Abbey, this wedding may well prove to be the benchmark for weddings for years to come.
And I, for one, plan on enjoying every silly second of it. Cheers!
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