The Royal Wedding

Prince William and Princess Catherine have been married for over 24 hours now and the 2 billion people around the globe who watched the wedding on TV can now return to their normal lives.  Why are we so fascinated with the British royal family?  This family, which is anachronistic in a modern western democratic country, has no real governmental authority, but is showered with riches by the British people, and is the continual focus of the British press.  Yet the British love them for they are the living symbol of their country’s history and culture.  And what a rich, old culture it is as Queen Elizabeth can trace her lineage back to the year 757 AD!  A TV commentator said the other day that the royal family is a bargain since they cost each British citizen only a pound a year.  Maybe he was right.  Having the power to attract the attention of 2 billion people is no small feat.

Recent royal marriages have not turned out well. The broken unions of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson and Prince Charles/Princess Diana are the most prominent examples.  However William and Kate look like two nice, well adjusted young people and in contrast with her late mother-in-law, Kate, who has “dated” William for six years should know what she is getting herself into.  William also seems better grounded than his father.  It is commendable that he currently serves his country as a Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter pilot.  Poor Charles, forever in the on deck circle, has waited longer to become a monarch than anyone else in history.  From the looks of his mother, he’s got a lot longer to wait.  Did you see the 85 year old queen hop up those steps at Buckingham Palace?  Her mother lived to be 101 and I wouldn’t be surprised if Elizabeth is on the throne for another two decades. 

There has been speculation in America that the queen may appoint William as the heir apparent instead of her son.  This theory is appealing because William is so much more popular than his father and the picture of King William and Queen Catherine is so much more attractive than that of King Charles and Queen Camilla!  I posed this question to our bus driver and tour guide two weeks ago while on a day trip to southeastern England out of London.  Their strong opinion was that Charles would be the next king despite the popularity of the young couple.  Traditions do not break easily in England and there is nothing more traditional than the royal family.

I admit to being one of the 2 billion who watched part of the royal wedding yesterday.  Having been in London recently and having seen the primary locations up close (pictures of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey are shown), made the event even more enjoyable.  We Americans live in a very young country and we go to places like England to experience cultures that are much older and steeped in history than our own.  The British monarchy is the embodiment of that ancient culture, and with the wedding of the future king and queen, it looks to be on solid footing.