Friday, April 29, 2011

The Royal Wedding of Prince William & Catherine Middleton

The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was the event today, and what a perfect success it was too! The weather even cooperated - it was very cloudy at first and looked like it might rain but the sun came out.

I didn't go into London today because I dislike huge crowds and figured I'd see more on the TV at home but after watching how festive the atmosphere was in London, I wish I had gone after all. It must have been a faboulous experience.

Crowds gather outside Clarence House to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton




I'm not a royalist but I definitely got caught up in all the hype by the media so I made a point of watching the whole wedding, and I must say that I enjoyed every minute! I also tweeted about the event as I watched it and that added to the fun. Twitter is a real bonus for events such as this!

I loved watching as guests arrived, followed gradually by members of the royal family and finally the members of the wedding party. I thought Prince Harry and Prince William looked very handsome indeed in their military uniforms. Prince William wore the red tunic of the Irish Guards. I thought it was sweet how Harry looked more nervous than William did!

The bride's sister, Pippa, as bridesmaid, looked stunning in a white dress, and she was accompanied by four sweet little flower girls and two charming young pageboys:

Lady Louise Windsor, seven, the daughter of Edward and Sophie, the Count and Countess of Wessex; Eliza Lopes, three, the child of the Duchess of Cornwall's daughter Laura and her husband Harry Lopes; Grace van Cutsem, also three, is William's goddaughter - the daughter of his close friends Rose Astor and Hugh van Cutsem; the Hon Margarita Armstrong-Jones, eight, daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley; William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton, ten, the son of William's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton; and Tom Pettifer, eight, the son of William's former nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke and her husband Charles Pettifer.




When the bride arrived with her father, we were finally able to see her wedding dress. It was beautiful and Catherine looked very elegant and radiant as she walked down the long aisle with her father.



The ceremony itself was beautiful and very moving. I was surprised by how emotional I felt as I watched. Mind you, I'm that way at weddings anyway.



By the way, it was announced today that after their marriage, Prince William and Catherine Middleton will become The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

I think one of the highlights of today's event was their carriage ride back to Buckingham Palace. All the pageantry is what makes this sort of event, the envy of the world.




Another highlight was the kiss on the balcony, which they did, not just once, but twice, to the delight of the huge crowd waiting to see them.



The traditonal fly-past at Buckingham Palace was impressive too. The aircraft participating in the fly-past were a Lancaster, a Spitfire and the Hurricane followed by two Typhoon and two Tornado fighters. Very cool.

A short while later, after the balcony appearance, William and Catherine left Buckingham Palace for Clarence House, with Prince William driving an open top Aston Martin (owned by his father) while Catherine waved to onlookers. The car was decorated with balloons and L plates and balloons trailing and it said JUST WED on the numberplate. Brilliant!



This is an interesting bit of trivia I learned via twitter:
The last time a future monarch of England married a commoner was in 1660.

I thought the whole event was a joy to watch. I love all the British pomp and pageantry. Very dignified and also quite magnificent. And I don't believe in fate but William and Catherine do seem very well-matched indeed and her new status definitely suits her. She looked regal even before she married William!

Did you watch the Royal Wedding? What did you think about it?

My view is that there is so much sad news in the world, that this spectacle was pure escapism - a fairytale come true. And it's good for bringing in loads of tourists to London so the tourism business must be very happy indeed!

4 comments:

  1. What an excellent post of the days happenings!
    Although I really had little interest in the precedings I have to say that it was a wonderful day enjoyed by so many people.
    I think that you were better off at home as going to an event like that can be a real trial, and end up rather disappointing.
    It was a faultless display of a ceremony and all the associated pomp that we do so well.
    I agree with your last paragraph!

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  2. Thank you! I knew you had little interest in the event so I'm flattered that you like this post.

    It would have been nice to participate in the festive mood but I think you're right about how going to such an event can turn into a real trial. Anyway, I enjoyed watching the whole event from the comfort of my sofa!

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  3. I watched it all on television in the United States.

    It was all I expected it to be and then some. Though Britain is a thoroughly modern society, I sometimes felt as if I was watching something from 1811 instead of 2011! The ride down The Mall in the open carriage was especially beautiful.

    Tragic events in the United States put American commentators at a loss as to how much coverage to give to this event without appearing trite. I hope to see Prince Harry wed soon!

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  4. I know what you mean about how it seemed like something from 1811, not 2011. Those horse-drawn carriages are kept in mint condition and add a special flourish to the magnificent procession.

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