Home Pop Culture The Royal wedding and the media fairy tale spectacle.

The Royal wedding and the media fairy tale spectacle.

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The newly married couple and newly titled Duchess and Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus

Guess where the royal couple will be honeymooning?

Who was that little bridesmaid in the royal wedding’s best photo?

Nothing eviscerates the Friday morning blues than the visage of a fancy wedding for a fancy group of people- who I suppose we should all be in aplomb for. And as the world is succumbed by supposed sweeping joy, or at the very least curiosity, one can’t help but wonder what exactly is going on here as the mainstream press keeps reminding us how a middle class commoner found gold by marrying into a regiment of untouchable history- the pinnacle of British sovereignty, class and the flamboyant trappings of royalty.

From who would be designing Kate Middleton’s dress (in the end it was Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton) to what Prince William would be wearing, who got invited to attend (the odd rock star, and even dictator) who was snubbed (former PM’s Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, President Obama) to what vows exactly would be exchanged (‘to keep,’ as opposed ‘to obey,’ thank you very much), the wedding itself achieved a kind of box office draw- with its own private collection of memorandum condoms (I kid you not). On one level, it’s a simple family affair, one son from a well to do family opening his life to a well adjusted preternaturally beautiful woman of solid middle class rank- but if it was just that no one would really care.

Billed as one of the most important moments in British history (by the media) of the last 30 years (one supposes when the groom’s mother, Lady Di- a young lady from blue blood rank married the groom’s father- Prince Charles and reticent King in waiting)- the world today has tuned into the private affairs of a monarchy that has remarkably survived the wave of republicanism that has ridden the modern epoch.

What of course makes this marriage even more compelling is that for the first time a royal is getting married not to another royal or at the very least aristocrat- but a common law subject, and still remaining in line for the throne. A rarity indeed which required Queen Elizabeth to sanction it before it was to be deemed official. All which could prove to be great strategy as the royal family must fight contention that it is irrelevant and only serving its own class and aspirations (thereby de emphasizing their differences and re invigorating Middle Britain’s support of it as an institution).

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1 COMMENT

  1. For years to come she will always be the little darling that captured the exhiliration, the tenacity and of course the agitation (from a little girl’s point of view who just doesn’t understand quite the fuss is about) that so often comes about large glossy gatherings. Especially if those gatherings come to be eagerly anticipated royal weddings.

    A pity about those ‘grown ups’ shlepping on the balcony. Yucky..

    But at least Kate was nice (see photo) to me…

    https://scallywagandvagabond.com/2011/05/who-was-that-little-bridesmaid-in-the-royal-weddings-best-photo/

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