The Royal Wedding

And so it begins, my post mortem of the royal wedding. I really wouldn’t have watched it if it hadn’t been for the fact that things like this rarely ever happen and that I was too frightened of getting out in the sweltering heat. Weddings as illustrious and majestic as royal weddings take place about once or twice every ten years. This one was replete with horse drawn carriages, the Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards, a fly-past witnessed at Buckingham Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury and hats. Lots and lots of hats.
Hats of all shapes and all sizes, looking amusing and absurd, adorned the heads of more than half of the women attending the wedding. Victoria Beckham’s hat was small, dark blueish-grey in colour and had some kind of pointy, antennae-like things. One of Prince Andrew’s daughters had on a strange cream hat (if that’s what you can call it, in her case), looking suspiciously like a cut out of Mickey Mouse. There were others: elephantine and exotic, swallowing heads whole while slightly smaller ones were worn at a slant with subtler colours.
Correspondents from the BBC and CNN had started coverage for the event as early as 4 am GMT.
The CNN coverage of the wedding was especially humorous, with Piers Morgan, Cat Deeley, Anderson Cooper and Richard Quest. As they commented on the guests, you wouldn’t think they were correspondents at all. For instance, when Anderson Cooper mispronounced ‘The Mall’, it invited jeers and jibes from Piers Morgan and Cat Deeley. Another funny bit was when Richard Quest, who was outside the Abbey, began stressing on the fact that the buses which brought members of the bride’s family to Westminster Abbey weren’t buses at all, but were to be called ‘motor coaches’. Or when a Spanish diplomat’s wife arrived in a black dress and a very orange, feathery, bird-like contraption on her head, raucous peels of laughter followed.
The BBC, both BBC Entertainment and BBC World News, were a bit more somber.
The biggest question mark to loom over everyone’s heads was what Kate Middleton will be wearing. I’m not crazy about fashion or clothes even in the slightest way and yet I couldn’t help admiring the dress. It was simple, elegant, understated and beautifully designed by Sarah Burton. And the fact that she did her own hair and make-up , just goes to show how simple and straight forward Kate or Princess Catherine really is.
The ceremony was, in short, long with one hymn followed by another. But it was quite enjoyable, on the whole.
The news channels were also showing pictures of the two wedding cakes prepared for the wedding. Oh, the things I’d do to get just a bite sized morsel of the cakes!
As the year began with riots, revolutions, earthquakes and tsunamis, an occasion like this seems to have brought joy, disencumbered the grimness and gloominess, and injected some faith and confidence into the monarchy’s reign. Sure, it was an exhibition of wealth, downright Englishness and tradition, but there was something very modern to it too. It’s not something I’d ever do in a million years, but it’s sure nice just to watch it.
But a fair warning to those who want to get married soon. Don’t spend billions on a wedding of mammoth proportions. Just elope.