4/28/11

Pomp, Circumstance and a Wedding!

Well the big day is less than 24 hours away and I have been loading up on William, Kate & Royal programming for about the last 10 days! It would be fair to say America has gone somewhat overboard on Royal coverage, but I love it.

You will never catch me spouting off about how much the Royals cost the British public (reportedly it’s 1 pence per person per year, hardly a deal breaker!), or why we should abolish the Monarchy. The British Monarchy and its long history, is probably what defines Great Britain to the rest of the world more than anything else. The history and associated events and places, like Royal Weddings, castles, palaces etc. also pull in vast numbers of tourists and their spending money to all areas of Great Britain.

So I am proud of my British heritage, a supporter of the Royals and I will be setting my alarm clock for 3:45am tomorrow to watch it all go down. As I get Friday off work, I can always have a catnap later if needed.


I am going to record the BBC America coverage starting at 2am, also record the ABC coverage as I like all their anchors and then flick between the two live. CNN is also tempting as I love Anderson Cooper, but Cat Deeley being on their team was the deal breaker!

The Hubster is planning to sleep until closer to 5am and then he will get up to watch the actual ceremony and leaving the Abbey, before heading off to work.

I have already warned the Hubster I will probably shed a few tears. It’s hard to explain, but like many Brits, William & Harry hold a special place in my heart and I know I will be emotional and proud watching William marry. I remember watching his mum marry when I was 14 and being spellbound.

I loved Princess Diana and cried for hours the day she died, my family & I went up to Kensington Palace the next evening and laid flowers for her, as that huge sea of flowers was just starting outside the gates. On the day of the funeral, we watched on a bridge over the M1 as the hearse carrying her passed us and headed to Althorp. Like 9/11, that whole sad week is one I will remember as long as I live.


So to see one of her beloved sons marry is a special moment, and I am pleased for Diana’s memory that the world seems to realise it too and is embracing the celebrations.

Things I am looking forward to seeing include:

That first glimpse of the bride, who I am sure will be stunning, and I am expecting a sleek, fitted dress with a sizeable train.

William and Harry standing shoulder to shoulder at the altar in their dress uniforms.

Westminster Abbey all decorated and sparkling.


What the Queen will wear, as she just seems to be getting more stylish the older she gets.

Seeing all the other dresses and headwear, the British love their hats and fascinators.

Spotting famous faces among the guests.

Watching the carriages head back with all the pageantry after the ceremony

The ‘kiss’ on the balcony.

If there is one thing the British excel at, its throwing a grand spectacle and I am sure this is going to be one to remember.

Tonight I will raise the Union Jack on our flagpole and today I am wearing this!


Will you be watching and what are you looking forward to seeing? And any thoughts on the dress we can expect to see?

13 comments:

Stella Jones said...

Oh yes, indeed I will, all of it! I am very excited about it and like you, very proud to be British and to own all that heritage. I'm interested in the trees that are decorating the inside of the Abbey. Someone said this morning that they might be reflecting our Commonwealth, e.g. a maple tree is there to represent Canada. If that is true, then I think it's a 'jolly good idea'.
Roll on tomorrow.

Expat mum said...

Love that t-shirt! Where d'you get it?
I was on telly last night wittering on about the wedding (see my blog), although I wasn't as reverent as I probably should have been.
And you forgot the BIG question - What on earth is Posh Spice going to wear?

Mom in High Heels said...

Indy and I are crazy excited and will totally be watching. We are 1 hour ahead of GMT, so no getting up early for us. We went to our local British shop yesterday to load up on authentic goodies to eat with our tea while we watch (McVities Chocolate Digestives-yummy-Mr. Kipling's Cakes, and some candies) and they are having a big viewing party in the shop! They also had loads of William and Kate merchandise. Indy had to get a key chain. ;) We can't wait! Have fun watching!

Sherri said...

Sarah, what a nice post! I will only be able to see the news clips later in the day because I'm moving tomorrow. I can't wait to see what everyone is wearing and the bride's dress. I only wish Diana could be there to see her son wed his beloved!
I'm sure she is looking down at this ceremony with only wonderful thoughts and wishes!

Unknown said...

Star - I saw that Maple going in on TV.

EPM - loads of shirts like these are available at cafepress.com if you search British. My next purchase will be the iconic 'Keep Calm etc'. Off to checkout your moment!

Mom - wish I was closer to a Brit supplier as I would have done the same. But I am planning a Brit cookup for brekkie.

Sherrie - good luck with your move!

Linda Reeder said...

Since it begins at 1:0Am on the west coast, I will record it and get up about 5:30 to replay and catch up. We go to brerakfast with friends on Fridays, so I will at least have had a notion of what's gone on before we leave. I will wear a hat to breakfast and order tea.
Cheerio!

Frostbite and Sunburn said...

I too will be watching and quietly cheering them on - I'm excited to see all the coverage of London and the mass of supporters. Should be a fun event.

(Love the T-shirt!)

Amy said...

I am planning on watching as much as I can on the way out the door to travel to the Space Shuttle launch. Thank goodness for the DVR!

I am excited about this wedding, and I did adore Diana as well. When I was a girl I got up early with my mom to watch the wedding, so maybe I will now with my daughter.

I will say the American media (Today Show anyone?) has been super annoying about the wedding, shoving it down everyone's throat non-stop. My guess is that due to the fact that the news right now is continually crappy they are seizing a ratings winner.

George said...

I hope you have a great day starting in a few hours. I'm sure we'll be watching quite a bit of the festivities as well.

Iota said...

Yup, I think you're right on the dress. Sleek and stylish, with a long train.

Kay said...

I'm watching right now. It's 11:00 PM in Hawaii. Those hats are pretty incredible. It must make it hard for people behind to see. I agree about the fitted dress. Kate appears to be more sophisticated and elegant. I have a feeling she'll want to make her own mark and not have the same sort of poofy dress that Diana did. Mind you, I loved that big dress Diana wore. It was so perfect for the big occasion.

Oh.... gotta go watch some more.

Kay said...

Ummm... how come the prime minister's wife doesn't have a hat on?

Snippety Gibbet said...

My own marital and childbearing timeline were very similar. I wonder if that's why I loved her so. I remember the night she died. I was at a party. We could not believe what happened. It was absolutely shocking. Anyway, a lot of the time when I hear about William and Harry, I forget that we are not natives of the same country. I am envious of the Brits that they have such wonderful sons to call their own. What a wonderful day for Britain.