I echo all the pundits when I say I thought it was perfect – contemporary, elegant, sophisticated and Grace Kelly-ish. Well done, Kate. (Oh, sorry. I meant the Duchess of Cambridge.) If I were a young woman about to get married, I’d probably aim for a dress just like it.
Sister Pippa’s was pretty provocative though. Shouldn’t the bride be the only white dress wearer? And how about the dress’s slinkiness and plunging neckline? I don’t know, but I guess I expected something more…demure.
Moving right along, I loved seeing Kate and William say their “I do’s.” But I really loved their waves on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the little girl holding her ears and grimacing, and, of course, the two kisses.
I’m a romantic. I hope this couple makes it, despite the challenges of being royal. I mean would you want to be stuck with Charles and Camilla for Thanksgiving dinner? I didn’t think so.
And the hats! The hats! How fun! princess Beatrice, however, looked like she was channeling lady gaga.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1381892/Royal-wedding-2011-Princess-Beatrice-Eugenie-fashion-flops-again.html
During the wedding, it struck me that the true love story in all this is really Charles and camilla. She was the woman he loved and wanted to marry, but his family wouldn’t let him. And now they are together. That is sweet. I still wouldn’t want to spend the holidays with them though!
I was very impressed with the Queen and Prince Philip. She is 85 and he is about to turn 90, but they were physically able to get around easily and the Queen was obviously doing her usual gracious small talk. Maybe there is something to be said for inbreeding after all.
Yes, the hats, Melissa! Such a distinctly British thing. Some of them were ghastly but others were very attractive. As for both of Fergie’s daughters, they seem to be taking after their mother in the outrageous department, Beatrice especially. Lady Gaga indeed. I thought they added a bit of fun and whimsy to the proceedings. I wish I could muster a hint of sentimentality over Charles and Camilla. I’m glad they’re happy, but I wouldn’t want to be in their company. Ditto Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. Gracious? I still remember the Queen from the Diana days and she was cold as ice. And Phillip has said truly dimwitted things about people. Not a fan.
The Queen is known to be gracious to all the “little people” she encounters. She is of a different generation to Diana and I think she just didn’t get why Diana just didn’t keep a stiff upper lip and do what was right for England by staying quiet and sticking with Charles. The monarchy has changed a lot in the last 40 years. Americans really know very little about the royal family and all that goes into being a royal and also the background. But then, we never can because we are not blue bloods so what would we know? We’re only the riff raff.
I’m not a huge royalty fan, they certainly seem rather weird.
As for Philip, what a jerk he is! He has said and done so many stupid things over the years. But I was struck by how the two of them were doing so well physically and also how they seemed able to carry on conversations, etc. I guess having a mom with dementia makes me more sensitive to seeing how people who are older than her are still able to function well. You have your amazing mom as an example!
Charles always seems so dopey, but I have developed an appreciation for some of his ideas. When we lived in England in the early ’80s, everyone thought he was a little nuts because he was promoting organic farming and actually having his lands and farms converted to organic.
There was also a lot of flack over his criticism of British architecture, specifically in London. People were saying how did he know anything. Well, having gone on a tourist boat ride down the Thames when we were there a few years ago, I saw what he was talking about. The beauty of St. Paul’s Cathedral is obscured by these ugly modern buildings.
http://mathieuhelie.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/st_pauls_from_the_south.jpg
Same with the famous Tower Bridge.
http://images.travelpod.com/users/pathfinder35/5.1256774193.view-of-the-thames-river.jpg
And I totally agree with you, I cannot imagine spending time with any of them.
Sorry to hear about your mom. I do know what you mean about seeing our elders walking around and looking healthy and capable. My mom struggles with memory loss and it’s very frustrating for her, but we keep reminding her that she’s 94 and doing pretty damn well! She still walks on the treadmill every day and is up on politics and her book group (and, of course, the Yanks). I agree about Charles’ views on architecture. He really has been ahead of his time in that regard.
The dress was gorgeous and Kate was a vision. Her evening gown was beautiful as well. But the most beautiful parts of all were her very genuine seeming smile and the way she and William look at one another. I think these two have a real shot at happiness together…despite holidays with Charles and Camilla. And I thought Christmas with my sister-in-law and her bickering family was bad!
I loved her smile too, Kristen. She sort of giggled after William kissed her the second time on the balcony, as if to show what a good sport she was giving the crowd what they were hoping for. She’s just very likable. I do hope they can be happy in spite of living in a fishbowl – and those holidays with “the folks.”