Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Buzz At Buckingham Palace

It seems to be fashionable lately to diss the members of the royal family, but I rather like them. If they didn't exist, we would invent them. The newest generation of royals all seem to be pretty good kids, university educated, well-accomplished and fairly normal. Diana's two boys have grown up to be well-adjusted young men, both lieutenants in the British military, and now there are rumors that William is engaged to be engaged. Wasn't it just last week that Charles and Diana were announcing their engagement? Is anyone *gasp* old enough to remember their lavish wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral? We all thought Diana had caught the brass ring and would one day be Queen. Who could ever have guessed at the twists and turns her life would take, and how it would ultimately end so quickly? Truth is stranger than fiction, and you just can't make this stuff up. That's what I love about the royals.

So, amidst all the stories of infidelities and break-ups -- Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy are the latest couple to bite the dust -- it's kind of fun to speculate on William and Kate's engagement. Will they or won't they? And when? You can bet the "where" will definitely not be St. Paul's Cathedral. And I have a feeling Kate's dress will not be the frothy, ostentatious, over-the-top confection that Diana wore. I think Kate's dress will be simple, elegant and down-to-earth, like she is.

I like William and Kate, I think they're a lovely young couple, and I wish them well. And I hope to God there are no tattooed pole-dancing strippers in William's future.

26 comments:

Scoobyloves2004 said...

They do look like a lovely. Lets hope they have better luck at love then his parents did!!! I remember watching their wedding on TV with my Mother when I was really little. Very over the top, and that dress she wore......well, lets just hope Kate has better taste!!!

DJan said...

Yes, I well remember that lavish and storybook wedding of Diana and Charles. I also remember when the boys were born, and now they are young men. When you don't hear about people every day, you tend to think they are the same as when you last saw them, but they too grow older and (hopefully) wiser, just as we do...

Linda said...

I remember the wedding. It was over the top, but if I remember correctly, Diana didn't have much to say about the wedding, her gown, or even her hair. Her hair was atrocious, and she was such a lovely girl. She was told what to do her whole life, and I think that was her downfall.

I hope for the best for William and Kate too. They look like royalty. I hope she is a strong woman who will stand her ground.

Single and Sane said...

I well remember getting up at 4 a.m. to watch the wedding of Charles and Di. I heard a story this morning that speculated that William wants to wait until Charles is King before he marries. Clearly that's just a silly rumor. I don't think the Queen has plans to go anywhere anytime soon, does she?

They seem much better suited to one another than Charles and Diana. I do hope William makes the move sooner rather than later, and I wish the best for them!

Single and Sane said...

Linda - I always thought the summer weather was the problem with Diana's hair on her wedding day. It wasn't that different than her normal style, but she was outside from the time she left for St. Paul's, and I'm guessing there was no air conditioning in that carriage.

A human kind of human said...

I also enjoy royal families and in particular the British royalty... I guess it is because at one time they were also our royal family. Do you think Charles will become king?

Katy said...

In Diana's defense, it was the 80s, which I thin accounts for the poofy dress. That said, I didn't watch the wedding. I am only 20 days older than Prince William. But I do have a picture book of Diana's life story that my mother used to read to us. It starts with her birth and ends with her wedding to a real life prince. Yeah, so much is wrong with that, but I have held onto the book for its historical and ironic value.

KrippledWarrior said...

King and queen of what?

Rosaria Williams said...

A lovely couple: always of interest to all of us.

Cloudia said...

You spoke my thoughts!


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MOANA said...

I distinctly remember Charles and Di's wedding even though I was really little. I fell deeply in love with Di and consumed anything and everything about her. When she tragically died, I wept as if I lost one of my own family members, pathetic to admit but true. She truly was the "Queen of the people's hearts" and I wish for the greatest joy and happiness for her sons. She always impressed me with the love and concern she showed them. She worked hard to instill within them the importance of first being people and not royals. I believe that the things she taught her sons may provide them with a better chance at success in marriage than she personally experienced. I hope the best for William and will stay up until the wee hours of the morning to watch whomever he chooses to marry.

kenju said...

I have been a fan of those boys for years. I hope that they learn from the mistakes their ancestors have made - and I wish them well. And yes, no strippers or affairs of any kind for them!

Kathy's Klothesline said...

Di did capture the heart of the public and it is only natural that her sons would do the same. They do look so wholesome, don't they?

Jo said...

Arley, yes, I think Kate is a very different style from Diana, but watching the royal wedding was fun, in any case.

Djan, well the boys are both older now than their mother was when she got married (or had them...). Time flies, doesn't it???

Linda, the description for Diana's dress was: " ...a puff ball meringue wedding dress, with huge puffed sleeves and a frilly neckline. The dress was made of silk taffeta, decorated with lace, hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls. It was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, and had a 25-foot train." It was a bit much for my taste. :-)

Single and Sane, well, if William waits until Charles is King, he may be waiting a long time. The Queen's mother lived to be 101 years old, and I think the Queen will too. By then, William will be about 45 years old. :-)

Anna, I think the chances are very strong that the Queen will outlive Charles. I don't know why, I just have that feeling...

Katy, that book sounds wonderful. Diana was a huge historic figure, and will only become more so as the years go on. I would definitely hang onto that book if I were you. :-)

KrippledWarrior, well, some say England, while some say the United Kingdom, and others say Britain. But definitely not America. You guys booted them out a few years ago, I have heard. :-)

Lakeviewer, yes, I like too that they have kept a fairly low profile. They seem to be just regular people.

Cloudia, something special? Omigoodness...! *heh*

The Fullmers, Diana definitely infused the royal gene pool with some fresh genes. Her two sons are very much like her, and I think she would have been proud of how they have turned out. There is no doubt Diana was an extremely interesting person, and tragic in a Shakespearean sort of way. History will remember her.

Kenju, yes, I think they will be a bit more discreet with whatever they do in their lives. I hope they do get married and have a happy life. Can you imagine Diana as a grandmother? Holy doodle! I still remember her as a 19 year-old bride.

Kathy, they do look wholesome. I think they are very suited to each other.

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy has broken up? They seemed to be doing so well. I am disappointed for both of them. Infidelity seems to be in epidemic proportions at the moment. Something is desperately wrong and it is threatening our social fabric. Every ruined marriage also damages the lives and psyche of the children. I am very sad about this trend.

A happy child surrounded by love is such a joy to behold. The alternative is a tragedy.

Brenda said...

I wasn't all that interested when Diana and Charles married, but over the years I became fascinated with her and the Royal Family. I think she was really beautiful and seemed to be such a loving mother. I was really sad when she lost her life so young. Her sons seem to be wonderful young men. I think her death was the first I remember being really upset with the paparazzi hounding famous people.

Carl said...

Yes. I think Charles and Diana were just a short time ago. LOL. How did so much time go by.

Carl

Jo said...

Calvin, yes, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy broke up. I thought they were perfect together. And yes, it is important for children to be part of a happy family unit, isn't it? That was my biggest regret for my daughter, after her father died. It's not easy.

Brenda, Diana, was literally hounded to death, wasn't she? She detested blood sports, and yet she was the victim of a blood sport. It was so sad.

Carl, I know! It was just last summer they were walking down the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. Wasn't it???

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

You can bet their wedding will be the wedding of the decade. It may not be lavish and over the top (who knows), but everybody would want to see it.

PinkPanthress said...

It's hard to look at Diana's first born, he looks so much like his mother. Most of all when he smiles.

I don't like this Kate, but I hope that he'll be more happy & lucky in love than his poor mother was... :(

Charles Gramlich said...

Good point about how if they didn't exist we'd be forced to invent them. People love their gossip.

L. D. said...

I had a color tv in Minnesota cabin and the neighbors all came in to see the wedding at 4 or 5 in the morning.

Marguerite said...

What I remember most about Diana's dress was the train, but thought that she made a stunning bride. I think that William and Kate make a great couple and hope that they will share a long, happy life, together.

Wolynski said...

I have to disagree - it's time to do away with the Royals, an institution well past its expiry date. People born to wealth and privilege for no apparent reason.

People like the Queen for sentimental reasons - her parents "braved" the blitz, it's all part of history. She's the glue holding the family business together. Once she's gone, it'll start unraveling and about time.

And these people have achieved what? A bunch of undeserving freeloaders if you ask me.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I do remember the grand wedding of Charles and Diana, but I never thought she had caught a brass ring because it was hard to get past the idea that Charles resembled a flounder. No queendom was worth going to bed with a fish every night. (See how shallow I am?)

Paula Slade said...

I am a big fan of the "royals" they are so much more interesting than the present crop of pop stars. Hard to believe William and Harry are all grown up. Where did the time go?