30 years ago in late July I got up at truly horrid hour to watch William's parents get married. Diana was lovely, Charles was actually rather appealing, and I got to hear Jeremiah Clarke's "Trumpet Voluntary." Of course, their relationship didn't quite work out, but at least the beginning was lovely. I watched Andrew and Fergie, Edward and Sophie, too. I have to work tomorrow so getting up at 3 a.m. isn't really an option, but I will watch the recap.
Many people wonder why a committed Democrat likes to watch royal weddings. I don't secretly believe that monarchy is a great form of government. What I do think, however, is that modern life could do with more formality. We need pomp. The problem with hierarchies of birth is that it eliminated huge numbers of people from participating in the beauty of ceremonies in any manner other than observers. Instead of my lefty friends' habit of eliminating ceremonial and formality, we need to find ways of getting more people to dress up. After all, the best way to eliminate the class structure is to make it impossible to tell the peasants from the nobles, and not because everyone looks like a slob.
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I think you are putting your finger on one of the things that bother me most about the coverage--the fact that much of it has been playing up the 'specialness' of William and Kate. It is as if the media are buying into the myth of essentialism.
And what those two (not so young) people have that makes them look special is their money (and privilege). The Middletons booked every single room in the Goring Hotel in order to give the family their privacy. What a great opportunity that would be to discuss how we could all have for free what they have to pay for if we accorded to each other the (cheap) honour of privacy.
There was a book I read about 15 years ago ("Do Children Need God?") or something of the sort and the recurring comment from interviewees who'd left actual church going was that what they missed for their kids was the events, the ceremonies and the rituals more than any moral guidance.
That last one was me, Fraser from slacktivist.
After all, the best way to eliminate the class structure is to make it impossible to tell the peasants from the nobles, and not because everyone looks like a slob.
You have put your finger on what made The Floating Empire of Texas so much fun :) Or at least that was one of many things that made it so much fun (and you will always be Her Majesty to me).
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