Oddly, I woke without an alarm, and much earlier than usual. Dreams of weddings were floating in and out of my consciousness.
Naturally, I switched on the television to a very nice start of the day – the pomp and circumstance of the Royal Wedding. And shortly after seeing Kate descend from one of the Queen’s cars and walk the red carpet to join Prince William, there were these words – part of the sermon following the exchange of vows:
This is – as every wedding should be – a day of hope… the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul… the more we give in love, the more we become our true selves…
What do you think of these words?
Did you get up before dawn to see the Royal Wedding?
I tuned in just in time to see this bit of history, and I’m glad that I did. My emotions were mixed; I recall rising early to watch Diana and Charles some 30 years ago. Of course, in William we see the face of his mother and feel the sadness of that union and her missed presence. We see Princess Grace in Kate’s simpler dress than Diana’s, and her regal bearing – more mature and sophisticated than Diana’s as well, yet still so lovely.
Despite my best efforts to do otherwise, I thought of my own wedding and subsequent marriage. I remembered the hopefulness that we all feel when starting out, the desire to be our best selves, the conviction that love will remain joyful, that selfishness will not intrude, that the expectations of married life will not overload us no matter what the future brings.
It was pointed out on ABC that Kate said “love, comfort, honor and keep” – the word “obey” was not part of her vows. Yet the phrase “man and wife” rather than “husband and wife” remained part of the ceremony.
- Did you watch?
- Any mixed feelings?
- Your reactions?
1. No
2. Why the big deal? Are we just a nation of spectators and/or wishful thinkers, with absence of substance? We can’t deal with the 21st century, so we have circuses in the coliseum? Perhaps we identify here with the universal hope for love and affection (good), but I find it hard to identify under these circumstances. (I have LOVED some weddings, particularly ours – very different.)
3. I don’t know them, so no reactions except glad it’s over.
Sorry to sound so bah humbug. I do wish them well, as I would all the thousands of others getting married or starting serious relationships today.
Oh Paul. You sound like my son – though, on second thought – he is less cynical. He shrugged and watched a little with me, just before we headed to the high school. And for some of us (only the women?), this is about so many things – not the fairy tale at all, but about the possibility of the bond of deep caring that marriage is intended to be…
Even in my own comfort with post-divorce singleness, I can appreciate the beauty in this desire to partner with someone who is respected, valued, and cherished. (How sentimental an admission is that?)
There is also an element of the historic, and for those of us who watched Charles and Diana 30 years ago, a stark contrast. We know ourselves, and the world, to be far less innocent.
I am a great romantic and a fool for love (believe it or not) and identify with that “universal hope for love and affection” I mentioned above. Hearing about their marriage is like hearing about sex…knowing someone else is getting it doesn’t do much for me (although it might get me doing something to rectify the situation…good).
I watched it all day and thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle. I love history, fashion and romance and this had it all. I loved the sound of the Archbishop’s voice, the bride’s and her sister’s dresses, the fabulous cars, seeing one of the Queen’s rare smiles – the lot. I could see the pride and happiness that many Brits took in being British today and I was very happy for them. Mind, I live in England so I didn’t have to get up early to see it; doubt you’d have seen me up at 4 am or whatever if I still lived in the US. But it’s been a brilliant day here, with so many lovely things to see, even here in the North the sun has come out!
We heard the sun came out just at the right moment! How delightful to have a full day to enjoy!
A friend at work repeated something she heard from one of the news commentators this morning: That Americans are so transfixed by this wedding because our own culture lacks anything of comparable pomp and circumstance. Presidential inaugurations, maybe, but they lack the romance. Presidential funerals have the pomp, but lack the hope and happiness. We don’t see this sort of thing “at home” so we have to look abroad to get our fix!
As for watching, I’m a girl who needs her sleep. So I let my DVR do the heavy lifting and I will watch it this evening. Pajama pants. Ponytail. And leftover risotto from Easter. Not at all glamourous, but very happy! 🙂
That seems like a very wise observation, Gale. (Enjoy the evening entertainment. Risotto and royalty!)
I’m watching the highlight reel after work, Kate looks amazing as usual. One hopes that she can deal with the emotional void that is the royal family; it will be tough having to live your life through royal protocol.
Did your son soak in the architectural details of the Abbey? I thought it was a Christopher Wren design but it turns out that is St.Paul’s Cathedral where Charles and Diana were married (thank you Wikipedia!).
Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my son was focused on getting to school – while I was focused on dresses and facial expressions. But we should indeed watch again for the beauty of Westminster Abbey.
We watched – and I was the one with the least amount of interest in the spectacle. My daughter, a wistful, hopeless romantic, taped the entire thing. I wasn’t going to watch – but now, I’m glad I shared in some of it.
I think it is about the fairy tale. There are no presidents or congressmen in fairy tales, only princes, princesses, kings and queens. These are the figures that have a grip on our psyches, the Declaration of Independence notwithstanding.