UK: Prince William & Kate Middleton Engaged

I got up at 4am to watch Chuck & Di's wedding - hu? 4am? I think there's some American fascination with the whole concept of a royal family. I'm sure next summer's nuptuals will pull a nice TV number in the states.

So if you could marry into a family who would it be?

So if you could marry into a family who would it be?

I'm assuming when you say 'a family' you mean one of the royal families? For me, it'd have been William. He's only a year younger than me and he's a good looking guy. My mom always used to say that I was supposed to marry an English prince. She of course meant William but little did she know it was actually Jon! ha ha.

That's very nice news.  I hope they will be happy.  It will be interesting to watch a royal wedding from this side of the pond.  I still remember following Charles and Diana quite closely back home when they were married.

That's what DW said, I was hoping we could book a trip abroad whilst it's on!

Did we have an official bank holiday for the Chas. and Di do? I remember watching it on telly but don't remember that it was a holiday.

I'm not sure because I was on holiday in Yarmouth for the week with friends. I do remember that the pubs were allowed to open all day (back then they didn't), so we had a great all-day session!

I'm strangely very excited about seeing the wedding...and being in the UK while it's going on (not sure why).  Well...we're going back to the US for vacay next summer so my luck it will be then.   

I'm happy for them too though.   

I saw some kind of special on yesterday (don't remember what channel) that highlighted how Kate went to some summer camp type thing just a few weeks after William, she had a crush on him since she was very young...and how she decided to go to St Andrews just so she could 'catch his attention'.  I don't know if that's the way it really happened or not but it made out like she was desperate for him and her life's ambition since she was a little girl was to marry him.  I didn't like them playing up that angle on things.   

I wish them well in their lives together, but I don't see how this is my business.

Yes, he may one day be king, but these days the powers of the monarch are almost never exercised by the monarch, so this is all just a bit of polish to the figurehead.

I do kind of wish I wasn't one of the people paying for his wedding, but let's just consider that my wedding present to him.

That's what DW said, I was hoping we could book a trip abroad whilst it's on!

Me too.  I told my parents I might come visit them for a month two summers in a row - next year for the wedding and the year after for the Olympics. 

I hate to admit that I am sort of excited.

My mom would have loved this.  She wasn't a royal watcher, but she followed Charles and Diana's wedding.

I hate to admit that I am sort of excited.

My mom would have loved this.  She wasn't a royal watcher, but she followed Charles and Diana's wedding.

My mother would probably have crocheted them a doily as a wedding present 

My mother would probably have crocheted them a doily as a wedding present 

That is the most adorable thing, ever!

That is the most adorable thing, ever!

She actually did send something like that to Princess Anne when she got married -- possibly to Chas and Di -- can't remember. And had sent birthday cards to the Queen 
She actually got thank you notes from Ladies in Waiting.

I wish them well in their lives together, but I don't see how this is my business.

Yes, he may one day be king, but these days the powers of the monarch are almost never exercised by the monarch, so this is all just a bit of polish to the figurehead.

I do kind of wish I wasn't one of the people paying for his wedding, but let's just consider that my wedding present to him.

I wish I wasn't paying for Presidential Inaugurals plus interest for the past 10 years.

I literally was a babe in arms - just turned 2 months 

We happened to be walking past Buckingham Palace on Tuesday and some news crew tried to interview us:

Reporter: "Can we ask you a question?"
Me: *Shrug/nod*
Reporter: "On camera?"
Me: *Shrug/nod*
Reporter: "About this morning's announcement?"
Me: *"I have no idea what you're talking about, you'll have to elaborate" shrug/hand gesture"
Reporter: "Is your English not good?"
Me: "There's nothing wrong with my English." *
Reporter: "Can I ask you about the engagement?"
Me: "I haven't heard anything about an engagement."
Reporter: "It was just announced this morning."

That's when we gave up and walked away.


* we could argue this one 

noriem - I love it haha

We are trying to speculate where this 40 million is going towards. DH says security and stuff is not part of that as they are already paid?

any other speculations

I wish I wasn't paying for Presidential Inaugurals plus interest for the past 10 years.

I don't think you can compare an inauguration with a wedding.  The inauguration is the installation of the head of a government.  While you can object to how lavish the inauguration might be, one actually has to happen otherwise you have no president, and it's not exactly improper for the government to pay for it.

The royal family have their own money.  They can cover a wedding ceremony.

A closer comparison would be whether the state should pay for the coronation.