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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Yer darn right I watched that big wedding!

While I'm not a HUGE ROYALIST  (my father-in-law, "Grandpar," who left England in the 60s to get away from all these things, would be horrified...) I do like the Queen.  She just seems like a really together chick, you know?


And I hear she stomps around her country place in wellies.  (That would be British for rubber boots.)

So, there ya go.



Yay, Princes!  Aren't they adorable.  Harry looks like he's snickering and Will actually looks reasonably calm.  I cannot imagine how weird it would be to get married with half the world watching.  Like, no pressure.  Wait.  Yes, PRESSURE!





Okay, so we got the princes, who are all decked up in these incredibly ornate uniforms.




And then Kate gets out of the Bentley and she looks beautiful.  It's like she got training on how to be a royal bride. Oh yes that's right... she has gotten training.  Heck, Will's had his whole life to be trained.



Confession: I squeezed out a couple of tears.  

I LOVE WEDDINGS!  (DRINKS ALL ROUND!)

My mom got to see this before leaving for work.  "Oh and her train isn't even 40 ft long," she wept, since we had been talking about how sensible Kate seems to be.  Okay, sensible in relation to your average colossal royal wedding.


This just isn't a good year to be super flashy, what with the recessions and global lack of cash.  


Pretty!  Elegant!  

By this time, Harry is fidgeting and sweating and looking like he's more nervous than the groom.  Do we kinda love Harry?  He's done some boneheaded moves but he grins a lot.  

Will didn't get to actually watch her come down the aisle but had to stand there waiting until she got right up beside him.  Is that a thing in Britain or just for royal people?  Wow.  Self-control.  Harry turned around for a peek though, and apparently said to his brother,  "Wait till you see her."


And then, also apparently, according to those who are good at reading lips, Will said "You look beautiful."  I'm not so good at reading lips but I can read dudes, and he gave her a quick but thorough looking-over.  Oh yes.  

It was cute... they sort of whispered little things to each other like they'd just met for coffee or something.  Hello darling.  You look handsome.  Thank you honey, you're quite slamming yourself today.  Oh you rogue, my dad is standing here.  Cheeky aren't you?  Ha, you just wait.  


It was a very formal and serious ceremony.  It was an hour long.  I'm twitching and trying to keep my eyes open by then. I do know one of the men in robes stood in a little crow's nest and gave a wonderful speech/ sermon, but I sure as heck can't remember a word of it.  Luckily nobody fell asleep in church while being televised.

Know what I love about this lady?  Her crooked smile.  She always looks like she's choking down a good snicker.  I also have an instant kinship with other crooked-faced women.  Her eyebrows are different, and she's unique, and besides, symmetry is so overrated. 


Then of course the ring doesn't go on smoothly.  It never does. The groom always stands there wrestling with it while everyone else holds their breath.  

Not the Queen though.  


Always chill.

Do you think Prince Philip is a total scream in real life?  He looks kind of jokey.  He also looks pretty darn good - he's turning 90 next month!!  (His eldest son, sitting right there beside him, doesn't really look that much younger... maybe Charles has had a more stressful life...!)

Oh Will, so thoughtful and serious and oh my gosh, I AM OLD.  I remember when this guy was born.  I remember when he was a little chubby cheeked toddler with yellow hair.  And now look at him.  He's tall and his hair is thinning!  He's a MAN, man!


So yeah.  I'm old.  


Another thing I like: she wore her hair down, so she looked like herself.  


I think she's good at this thing.

Let's look at this again:  


I think she looks more comfortable than he does.  


 Notice how there seems to be a proper way to hold hands, a proper way to walk?  

But no slight little wave, the twist from the wrist.  Maybe only the Queen waves that way.  What if there's a way to wave that only the Queen gets to use?



Maybe it takes a few years of being the Queen to get it right.

Lots of waving.  


 Mother, Grandmother and Step-mother all wearing proper British lady hats and nice non-offensive pastels.  


Left to right:

 I am standing beside the Queen of England.  Well done.

I AM the Queen of England.

My hat is sideways?  Mrs Middleworth's hat is too.  Or is it Middlemore?  We look like we called each other this morning.  


Well aren't they a charming group.  I'd love to know what they're chatting about in real life.  Nice wedding.  Mm, yes.  My backside is rather numb after sitting for an hour.  Not to worry dear.  Very soon your feet will go numb from standing.  Later your face will be numb from smiling.  Buck up, ladies.  



Man she must be a tough ol lady.

You know how I suspect Prince Philip to be the life of the party?  Check him out here, putting the charm on Kate's sister.  


Oh Pippa.  Watch out for that ol feller.  



So the new Duchess walks out, looks around and we can see her going, "Oh wow."  Understatement.  There was a carpet of people in front of them.  

 Then they had to do the little peck on the lips.


And these two are so racy they kissed TWICE!  Them kids today, eh?

Well I had to go out to the barn so I didn't see the next part.  I hear William took his new wife for a drive in his dad's antique Aston Martin.  

Well, sure that's cool - you know I love cars.  I think Jethro and I did one better though.  We got driven through town in the back of a 1955 Ford F-100 pickup truck!  That rocked.  

I wonder if my wedding dress still fits.  It did on our tenth anniversary, but that was almost ten years ago.  I'm not good with numbers, but this is our twentieth anniversary coming up in the summer.  

I feel another ride in the back of a truck coming on.



8 comments:

Heidi Willis said...

I didn't get up to watch - the horror. It was just too early for me. But I did watch the replays, and I saw "the kiss" (both of them) live.

I'm afraid I'm a little cynical. The bigger the wedding, it seems, the less likely the couple stays married. But I really hope this one works. Not just because they're royal, but because... well, because I hope every marriage is forever... and happy.

Your wedding sound perfect to me!

Heidi the Hick said...

Oh I am totally cynical about huge weddings!

I mean, we had well over a hundred guests and could have had way more, but it was beautifully low budget and very US.

I have hopes for these two. Not that it makes any difference in my life, but I agree with you that I hope every marriage can be forever.

They seem to like each other!

But man, I cannot imagine... what if she wants to hug her new husband but it's not proper?!

Jethro thought they should have done a big sloppy open mouth smooch.

Paul Tee said...

They should start printing $10 bills of Will now while he still looks so good and not wait until he turns into Charles. Or better yet, let Kate be on it.

I loved the music, the choir and change-ringing of the bells, the trumpet fanfares, the carriages and horses and that, for once, everybody looked happy. The couple looked gorgeous and played their part flawlessly. Hip, hip hoorah!

Glad you enjoyed the show. Kept thinking how much you must have enjoyed the matched team of horsesand the mounted escorts. Me, I was trying to identify mouse-1 and -2 turned into footmen, on the Cinderella carriage.

Auntie said...

Oh, Heidi, thanks for your commentary! Your photos were a hoot and the imagined conversations really tickled my funnybone! Apart from the "royal" thing, they are still a family and probably not any more dysfunctional than many of us. I have a good feeling about W&K but then I tend to be overly optimistic. I want people to be happy!

About that other wedding which took place on July 1, 1991 ... it WAS perfect and I remember it well! I look forward to seeing a photo of you in your gown getting posted later this summer. If anyone can do it, you can!

Heidi the Hick said...

Oh my Auntie, wasn't it a great wedding? Mine I mean. There aren't too many things I'd change if I had to do it over.

I agree with you: "Apart from the "royal" thing, they are still a family and probably not any more dysfunctional than many of us."

Well said!!

Paul Tee - You mean when Will's the king 30 years from now our money will have young handsome Will on it? Before he turns into Charles oh my gosh you crack me up! I'm sure our money would look good with Kate on them too!

I didn't get around to writing about the music in the cathedral. That choir just knocked me out.

And THERE WERE TREES INSIDE WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

Actual TREES!

That will get planted later! Wow! Cool!

I guess anything else would get dwarfed!

It really did look like everybody was happy. and yeah, not such a thing with this family lately. That we know of.

Loved the carriage ride. I mean, I wasn't the girl who wanted to be a princess bride but I'd take the carriage ride! The Bentley probably wasn't too shabby either. Or the old Aston Martin. Will drives away in an antique car - I like the guy more all the time!

Here's hoping it last for a lifetime, as I wish for any new couple!

jules said...

When they sang "God save the Queen", did you notice everyone sang BUT THE QUEEN? I thought that was funny. I wondered if she would sing that song.

The kids looked so happy. I wish them the best. It certainly can't be easy being Royal. And I wondered about protocol too. My Naval Academy graduate Husband says that there IS NO public display of affection. I guess it's like that with the Royals too. I guess they do all the PDA's at home!

Speaking of home, I saw pics of the grand mansion they get as a place to live. All decorated up in fine fashion. I just can't imagine them, as newlyweds, chasing each other naked through the house. Well, I tried to imagine them, but thought the furnishings and such would look on disapprovingly. lol

Heidi the Hick said...

Disapproving furniture. Like having her majesty rift there in the living room!

Olly said...

I didn't get up early to see the wedding. Posted an interting picture of it on my blog, though, LOL.
Yup, Harry just looks like trouble waiting to happen. Always has. And Phillip, too!

I often wonder the age-old question when I see the queen. What the hell does she have in that big purse?