Wedding of William and Catherine: Suggestions and Musings

[semisquare]

can we do caligraphy scripts of their initials

 

[Zonk]

Since the engagement announcement, there have been a TON of stories about William, Kate, the wedding, the Middletons, etc. I'd wager that only 1/8 of these stories have a grain of truth to them.

Remember...these are the same tabloids that suggested that the Queen was unhappy with Carole Middleton's greeting upon meeting at William Sandhurst's graduation...and it appears that they have never met. That's all I am saying.

 

[ghost_night554]

Seems as though they are working with palace officials unlike first reported

Meanwhile, William and Kate were at the Buckingham Palace together on Thursday holding meetings with their aids. Palace officials say invitations have yet to go out for the April 29 wedding, and they won't comment on possible big names on the guest list.

Source - People Magazine Elton John Jokes About Performing at Prince William's Wedding : People.com

 

[Iluvbertie]

It is only to outsiders, apparently, that the ghost of Diana poses such a problem.

We don't know how much of a problem this 'ghost' might be to Kate.

She already has to wear her ring, now appears to have to have a eulogy to the dead mother at her wedding, what next?

Kate might be happy with that at the moment but if it continues into the wedding then it could become a major problem.

Three people in a relationship don't work - but even more so when one of them is dead.

 

[gfg02]

From the archives: The Royal Marriage Question
From the archives: The Royal Marriage Question | The Spectator

 

[crm2317]

Perhaps little Lara or Edmund Spencer could be a flower girl/page boy aling with Margarita Armstrong Jones?

Perhaps Kate has young children on her own side of the family

 

[Sister Morphine]

For me, it's not the mention of Diana - surely it's the norm to refer to a deceased parent on such an occasion. No, it's the suggestion that Earl Spencer makes such a speech. Shall we say he has proved less than tactful on past form, and leave it at that.

That's precisely why I said I thought it was a bad idea. Now if one of Diana's sisters did a reading or something, that would be a nice way to incorporate her and her family into the service.

I'm sorry though, I just think the idea of someone going up there and giving this speech about her, almost like it were a eulogy all over again, is just tacky and more than that, will keep feeding the press' idea that Kate is supposed to be Diana v. 2.0 or something.

 

[Zonk]

I doubt very much that any Spencer is going to give a Diana speech at the wedding. Now if its a poem or reading about lost loved ones who are there in spirit I can see that.

Let's try to remember that not every thing written in the tabloids about this wedding is the truth. Some of stuff that they are writing the last couple of days is just ridiculous....its like they are writing about anything.

 

[Dymphna]

From the archives: The Royal Marriage Question
From the archives: The Royal Marriage Question | The Spectator

Very interesting article, especially for someone like myself who had no access at all at the time, to what the British media was saying about Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Given the relatively short amount of time they dated before the engagement was announced, this article, although a bit prophetic, comes off as exerting too much pressure on Prince Charles to marry a "suitable" lady.

It makes Prince William look all the more steadfast for taking his time.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Very interesting article, especially for someone like myself who had no access at all at the time, to what the British media was saying about Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Given the relatively short amount of time they dated before the engagement was announced, this article, although a bit prophetic, comes off as exerting too much pressure on Prince Charles to marry a "suitable" lady.

It makes Prince William look all the more steadfast for taking his time.

Would William have been allowed to take his time like this if the Charles/Diana marriage had worked - somehow I doubt it.

If nothing else was learnt about the Charles/Diana disaster it was that the couples need longer than six months and 13 dates to make this sort of decision.

I don't know if it is William being steadfast or his father and father's family advising him to take as long as he needs to avoid another fiasco of a royal marriage.

 

[Roslyn]

We don't know how much of a problem this 'ghost' might be to Kate.

She already has to wear her ring, now appears to have to have a eulogy to the dead mother at her wedding, what next?

I am still uncomfortable about the engagement ring and I think I always will be. It was such a distinctive bauble and the subject of so much discussion and so very identifiable with Diana. I feel Kate will be carrying Diana around on her finger every day and the idea frankly makes me shudder. I'd certainly want my own engagement ring if I were in her position. Mind you, I don't have an engagement ring, or a wedding ring for that matter because my husband wouldn't wear one and I was a stoppy 70s feminist and I've never used his surname either, but that doesn't stop me having opinions about all of this and expressing them.

William looks at it all from a completely different perspective: as the beloved son of a beloved mother who died too young. I also think that Kate well knows of her fiancee's attachment to his mother, and knows what he wants and what to expect, and doesn't mind. At least I hope so, for her sake.

As for the "eulogy", I tend to think that commonsense will prevail and, whichever Spencer gives the speech, it will be based around how much Diana loved her sons and how happy she would be to know William had found true love, etc.

 

[Dymphna]

Would William have been allowed to take his time like this if the Charles/Diana marriage had worked - somehow I doubt it.

If nothing else was learnt about the Charles/Diana disaster it was that the couples need longer than six months and 13 dates to make this sort of decision.

I don't know if it is William being steadfast or his father and father's family advising him to take as long as he needs to avoid another fiasco of a royal marriage.

Excellent points! I can't imagine William having an all-but-arranged marriage. Diana really did have an impact on the Royal family, sadly, at her own expense in the end.

 

[Dymphna]

I am still uncomfortable about the engagement ring and I think I always will be. It was such a distinctive bauble and the subject of so much discussion and so very identifiable with Diana. I feel Kate will be carrying Diana around on her finger every day and the idea frankly makes me shudder. I'd certainly want my own engagement ring if I were in her position. Mind you, I don't have an engagement ring, or a wedding ring for that matter because my husband wouldn't wear one and I was a stoppy 70s feminist and I've never used his surname either, but that doesn't stop me having opinions about all of this and expressing them.

William looks at it all from a completely different perspective: as the beloved son of a beloved mother who died too young. I also think that Kate well knows of her fiancee's attachment to his mother, and knows what he wants and what to expect, and doesn't mind. At least I hope so, for her sake.

As for the "eulogy", I tend to think that commonsense will prevail and, whichever Spencer gives the speech, it will be based around how much Diana loved her sons and how happy she would be to know William had found true love, etc.

It seems that Diana and Sarah wore their engagement rings pretty much all the time--even after their divorces. I wonder if Catherine will wear her/Diana's ring in the same way or whether she will discretely start to save it for more formal occasions.

Complete speculation on my part, but I do wonder, because, I agree with you, it will forever remind the public and press of Diana wherever she goes.

 

[Osipi]

It seems that Diana and Sarah wore their engagement rings pretty much all the time--even after their divorces. I wonder if Catherine will wear her/Diana's ring in the same way or whether she will discretely start to save it for more formal occasions.

Complete speculation on my part, but I do wonder, because, I agree with you, it will forever remind the public and press of Diana wherever she goes.

Somehow for day to day wear and everyday activities, I picture Kate just wearing her gold wedding band. Isn't it traditional that the wedding rings are made out of a nugget of Welsh gold? Very fitting as they're going to be living in Wales for a while.

 

[Skippy]

I guess I am the only one but I do not identify the engagement ring with Diana. It has been given a new life and it is now Catherine's engagement ring.

It's not like it's the ring's fault that the marriage of the first bearer didn't work out and now it has the chance to go into time as the prelude to a succesful marriage.

 

[vittoria]

Actually, the fact that wedding date turned out to be the feast day of St. Catherine was a coincidence, according to Clarence House.

Other Christian denominations do honor saints, Anglicanism being one. Both Anglican and Episcopal churches are often named for them. Those of us raised as Episcopalians/Anglicans are simply taught not to take nearly as much interest in them as the Roman Catholics do, and they are not presented as "intercessors". Nor are the stories of their lives and martyrdoms, if any, part and parcel of our religious education. I had to learn these as a budding art historian in high school.

 

[georgiea]

Somehow for day to day wear and everyday activities, I picture Kate just wearing her gold wedding band. Isn't it traditional that the wedding rings are made out of a nugget of Welsh gold? Very fitting as they're going to be living in Wales for a while.

Osipi, I think Catherine Middleton will wear her gold wedding band too.

 

[georgiea]

Actually, the fact that wedding date turned out to be the feast day of St. Catherine was a coincidence, according to Clarence House.

Other Christian denominations do honor saints, Anglicanism being one. Both Anglican and Episcopal churches are often named for them. Those of us raised as Episcopalians/Anglicans are simply taught not to take nearly as much interest in them as the Roman Catholics do, and they are not presented as "intercessors". Nor are the stories of their lives and martyrdoms, if any, part and parcel of our religious education. I had to learn these as a budding art historian in high school.

Thanks vittoria.

 

[Frideswide]

Other Christian denominations do honor saints, Anglicanism being one. Both Anglican and Episcopal churches are often named for them. Those of us raised as Episcopalians/Anglicans are simply taught not to take nearly as much interest in them as the Roman Catholics do, and they are not presented as "intercessors". Nor are the stories of their lives and martyrdoms, if any, part and parcel of our religious education. I had to learn these as a budding art historian in high school.

I remember that my CofE grandmother had a whole armoury of saints that she prayed to in various situations. St Anthony was regularly called upon whenever she had lost or mislaid something Perhaps it's something that has faded away along with the old-style religious education. We did learn all this sort of thing when I was a nipper. Of course they left out all the goriest bits, which were the bits we were most interested in!

 

[Dymphna]

Somehow for day to day wear and everyday activities, I picture Kate just wearing her gold wedding band. Isn't it traditional that the wedding rings are made out of a nugget of Welsh gold? Very fitting as they're going to be living in Wales for a while.

I was thinking that as well. Yes, I think you are right about the welsh gold. I think that's really neat that they will be living in Wales! How appropriate.

 

[ghost_night554]

I'll put this in here since it also talks a bit about what their going to do after they're married

Prince William: Let my father become King - Telegraph
Andrew Lloyd Webber Wants to Compose for Prince William's Wedding 2010/11/27

 

[Roslyn]

Smart move on William's part. The idea of him displacing Charles needs to be nipped in the bud, and it was necessary for him to let his views be know. It is, indeed, not a popularity contest.

 

[4Pam]

Good for William sticking up for his Dad. I don't think people give Prince Charles enough credit. I think he'd make a great King and like the Queen he'll put his duty & country first above all else.

 

[Chagall]

I pretty much agree with most of you but I am surprised no one has mentioned Princess Beatrice or Princess Eugenie.

I am surprised about that too! I guess Uncle Andy would feel really dissapointed with Wills if his daugthers were not included...Actually, the list will be composed of WIndsors+Spencers+Middletons+Bowles(?)+friends on both sides...Seems to be a lot of people.... About children, there are no direct nephews and nieces on none side...

 

[Iluvbertie]

I'll put this in here since it also talks a bit about what their going to do after they're married

Prince William: Let my father become King - Telegraph
Andrew Lloyd Webber Wants to Compose for Prince William's Wedding 2010/11/27

There is nothing in this article that is any different to what has been said in the past - 'aides' at the palace saying William doesn't want to do it.

It isn't directly from William and until it is the issue will continue to rise, as it has done for the last 20 or so years.

The 'aides' aren't even named - so more unsubstantiated reports about William says, thinks etc.

 

[Dymphna]

I'll put this in here since it also talks a bit about what their going to do after they're married

Prince William: Let my father become King - Telegraph
Andrew Lloyd Webber Wants to Compose for Prince William's Wedding 2010/11/27

“Kate will be pursuing her own projects in time, but the plan is very much for her to be introduced to the role and shown the ropes, and not plunging in unprepared.”

I'm so glad they are giving Kate the time to learn the ropes first!

BTW, this is another "argument" for "letting nature take its course" as far as succession goes. There is no immediate rush for either Kate or William. Let them prepare, but also live their own young lives.

 

[Chagall]

Andrew Lloyd Weber, Elton Jhon...too many famous people! The marriage could become a kind of spectacle of big names and loose its character of a wedding party (a cozy and warm reunion with the people you care and care for you). This could intimidate Kate, becauses she`s not yet totally familiar with these things...Letizia (of Spain) was so nervous in her wedding that looked like a statue ... and part of the charm was lost...

 

[csw]

I'll put this in here since it also talks a bit about what their going to do after they're married

Prince William: Let my father become King - Telegraph
Andrew Lloyd Webber Wants to Compose for Prince William's Wedding 2010/11/27

If Charles were to be skipped - that would really weaken the monarchy as it would make it seem so easily manipulated. I think it would throw more folks into the Republican side. If the royal family and government doesn't honor the "rules" for who is monarch then it makes it seem less "ordained."

 

[ghost_night554]

We know William will not be with them this year at Christmas we even have heard he may skip many more Christmas' with the BRF but we weren't sure till now what Kate will be doing....till now. Also Kate wants Pippa to organize her official engagements...hookay this is getting weirder by the minute but I do hope the bit about Kate and Centrepoint is true!

Daily Star: Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: News :: Prince William and Kate Middleton: One's heli of an Xmas

 

[Polly]

Speaking of weddings, I came across this quaint little snippet of information the other day:

In 1923 the BBC considered broadcasting the marriage of Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (later, the Queen Mother) to the Duke of York (the future George VI). Courtiers refused on the grounds that the service might be heard 'by men in public houses' with their caps still on.

This was 87 years ago. I wonder if, in 87 years hence, people will be equally amused/bemused by what the current crop of courtiers believe is important.