So what is my opinion about the UK's Royal Family? Quite simply, I like them, and I don't mind paying my 69p in taxes (apparently that's what every person in the UK pays each year) to help with their upkeep. In fact it warms my heart to know that I have contributed a bowl of Corgi food to the soap opera that is the Royal Family.
There is abolutely nothing political about my view - it is based purely on the entertainment value afforded to us by daily glimpses into the life of one of the world's most famous, most wealthy and most priviledged families. I mean how many regular guys could 'borrow' a Navy Chinook helicopter to impress a girlfriend by landing it in her garden? Ok, so Prince William got a bollocking for doing it, but I still thought it was quite amusing.
So I was rather pleased when I read that they announced their engagement yesterday. It was all a ray of sunshine in the persistent gloomy fog that has constituted the news for the last 3 years.
Pic.No.1. Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement
Once the announcement was released, the flood of commentaries started, and I immediately spotted an emerging thread.
Bloody hell! Prince William was marrying a 'commoner' (like me - except not as good looking, obv). I love the word commoner. It's a word that could definitely be construed as derogatory (definitions of 'common' include; average, ordinary, low and coarse) and yet is still in regular use today to describe the great unwashed, that is, people who aren't Royal.
In fact I like it so much that I am going to use it more often in conversation as a comedy low-level insult, before the politically correct brigade wake up to it and have it abolished.
But it doesn't stop there. Not only is Prince William marrying a commoner, but one newspaper (Daily Mail) published the fact that Kate had ancestors who had worked as labourers, domestic servants, road sweepers. Ugh! They must have got their hands dirty and everything. I can see the headlines now..........
"Shock as it is revealed that several of Kate Middleton's relatives had a job!"
The same newspaper, obviously concerned about the lack of blue blooded lineage compounded by the fact that some of Kate's ancestors had sunk low enough to get jobs, decided to try and justify her position as future queen. After much research on her ancestry, they came up with this report: "What is often overlooked, however, is that Kate is also descended from an English king, Edward III, through his second son Edmund." Ermmmm..... that was all in the 1500s, so the cynical amongst us could consider this link somewhat tenuous.
As well as parading Kate's dubious royal lineage in an attempt to make her sound posh, it has also been announced that Kate will henceforth be called her real name, Catherine......... because 'Princess Kate' sounds a bit like a chavvy limited edition Barbie. The newspaper didn't add the bit about Barbie by the way, I did.
So the media circus has well and truly begun, and you know for definite that they are going to milk it when they photoshopped Kate's head onto the dress they think she will wear for her wedding.
"They haven't?" I hear you cry.
Oh yes they bally well have................. and not only that, but the comparisons between Kate and Princess Di have already started. But more on that later.
Pic.No.3 Kate Middleton's head photoshopped onto a wedding dress. How sad?
So, I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the impending Royal wedding....... a farce? happy news in the midst of gloom? Don't give a toss? I don't know why, but I just know that this one is going to be contentious!
P.S. Is the word royal spelt with a capital R? (I wasn't sure, so I hedged by bets by doing it both ways in this post).
P.S. Is the word royal spelt with a capital R? (I wasn't sure, so I hedged by bets by doing it both ways in this post).
Royal Wedding? I realize that i am a twice expatriated British subject (being from Canada but living in the colonies :)) But why is this the ONLY news story we are seeing? This morning's national news appeared as though the rest of reality had been sucked into a black hole and all we heard was William and Kate. Sorry...I know it's a rant. Mariann and I got married in front of a retired federal judge who had a life size hologram of a bald eagle and a long string of garlic cloves with a sign that said "No Vampires Allowed". Now that...is royal :)
ReplyDeleteIt will brighten up 2011 at some stage, it will take the circus that is Westminster off the front page.
ReplyDeleteGets my vote...
Plus to put it in commoner lingo she is a bit of a cracker!!
Yawn
ReplyDeleteBloody hell Ron, don't tell me that you are being bombarded with it over there too? How do people regard the Royal Family over there out of interest?
ReplyDeleteHere here Robert! That was exactly what I thought - a story that doesn't focus on the recession! Huzzar!
ReplyDeleteWow Bren, I was surprised at your apathy... yeh. I expected a rant. I know what you commoners are like!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm kind of into it. I got married around the time Diana did and I remember it all. I like the fact that she's got the ring. That's a nice touch, Willzo.
ReplyDeletePretty sure that there isn't a rock in the world that could have possibly blocked out the news of the upcoming nuptials. =)
ReplyDeleteNormally this is the sort of thing that I wouldn't weigh in on my own, but since you asked opinion - I have plenty based on what little I know (not a big royal watcher here though Americans tend to be as enthralled with the family as the rest of the world).
Charles - big eared idiotic snake of a weasle, no morals, no sense, and bloody blessed to have had Diana in his life to give him 2 sons. Idiot. Did I mention that?
Diana...I, like the rest of the world, adored her, but at the same time worried for her. She was chucked into the deep end with her wedding to Charles, and frankly was ill prepared to deal with the fascination that world had with her and every detail of her life. I cried for her sons when she was lost to them (and the rest of the world), but I think she was a shining light in the aristocracy and in life in general.
William and Harry....blessed to have had their mother's influence, and absolutely positive they wouldn't have turned out nearly as well as they did had she not been the one taking care of them in their early years.
William and Kate .... I think they are fantastic together (from what I have been able to see), and I think well suited. Kate has been better "prepared" for the life she is venturing into than her mother-in-law ever was. I wish them well and loads of happiness. I worry for her though, because I still believe that she is going to be hounded as bad as Diana if not worse....I don't envy her and wish her loads well.
That's all I have at the moment...further opinions available upon request. =) HA! xo
Comical post. Actually I haven't heard about it before now but I also never turn on my TV or listen to the radio. Like you I don't take all that so seriously although it is fun to read about.
ReplyDeleteFun post! I'd go by "Catherine" if it would get me a prince, but I think I'm too old for one. I'll have to settle for a king. I like all the hoopla and the pomp and circumstance. Way back in the dark ages, when the previous royal wedding took place, my NYC friend and I met early that morning and enjoyed champagne and English muffins as we watched Charles and Di exchange vows. I'll be following this one as well, I think.
ReplyDeleteRoyal Wedding? There's a Royal Wedding? Holy crap, I wish the media have given this some attention!
ReplyDeleteAll the news here is William and Katey Waity, plus the dang Palins. Enough!
Love that she is a commoner.
Wish them all the best, actually do not care all that much...
It's strange: I couldn't care less, and yet... I do. She seems a nice lass and we could well end up having a queen with a bit of phwoar!
ReplyDeleteWhich is nice.
Actually, I wonder if this is what our current queen has been waiting for: a chance to abdicate and hand the reins over to William and his consort, bypassing her idiotic son and his horse-faced wife.
And thinking about the incredible number of people that are likely to be crammed into the centre of London that day, I can't help but wonder if al-quaeda are also excited at the prospect.
May I camp in your backyard when I come their to attend the soiree? (I figure you'll already have all the rooms let out at an exorbitant rate.)
ReplyDeleteI realize that you're out in the countryside, but you're still closer than I am here.
I was JUST going to blog about this today! Weird. If I still do blog about it, please know that I am not copying you! =) Although, imitation IS the best form of flattery! Anywho....
ReplyDelete...seeing this tidbit of news got me wandering on Youtube. I ended up spending wayyy too much time watching Charles' and Diana's wedding. Then Andrew and Sarah's wedding. It got me wondering why anyone would marry into that family? I could almost hear Di screaming at Sarah as she rode up in her glass carriage, "DON'T DO IT!" I hope this time, they live happily ever after!
I wonder if, as a commoner, I'm allowed to have an opinion? lol
ReplyDeleteI'm not a royalist by any stretch of the imagination - I agree 100% with Jewell in reference to Princess Di; we were the same age, married around the same time - actually we had a lot in common, if you excuse the fact she was beautiful, not a commoner, mixed in regal circles, shopped in Sloane St, wore designer gowns and married the future king of England! Almost twins! :D
The cynical part of me thinks the wedding has been timed with accute accuracy to coincide with the ToryLib cuts - something sweet to feed to the commoners to take their minds away from how bad things are.
The romantic part of me thinks don't they make a lovely couple and won't she be a beautiful Queen in the probably very distant future!
It'll all be worthwhile if we get a Public Holiday :D
I love you and all, but I could give a shit less about this couple. We had a freaking DATELINE special on these yahoo's last night.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling this isn't the last we're going to hear about the new couple or their pending wedding.
Gah!