Prince Harry engagement… and wedding

[RuthE]

They could do what Prince Edward did, and get married on a Saturday (like most normal people do!) and then a Bank Holiday would be immaterial. I only remember that this was the case because I was in Windsor that weekend visiting my father, and we left town early in the morning to avoid the palaver, and didn't come back until quite late.

[LinMM]

I do agree with whoever said earlier that once you get away from London ( and other big cities) you do encounter more racism.

 

when I moved to teach in Sussex (from 30 years in London) I was quite shocked that this was still so prevalent. Maybe I was more aware of it because in the last ten years of teaching I worked for the team supporting students who had "English as an additional Language" 

Obviously a much smaller number of children in any one class compared to London but children were name called and picked on a lot......though in fact schools down here were working much harder to combat this in the five years before I retired.

My friend who has mixed race children were spat on when on holiday in Wales .....two lovely twin girls....a great shock to them.

 

I do think things are genuinely improving now but only very recently. Whether a member of the Royal family marrying a rather beautiful young lady of mixed race will make a big difference am not sure but nope it will.

 

I'm a succour for weddings ( probably because never walked down the aisle myself) so am very happy for Harry and Meghan and hope she won't skimp on the dress just because she has been married before. 

 

[LinMM]

Errgh and we don't need any more bank holidays in May methinks!!

[Pas de Quatre]

If a Saturday doesn't work for any reason, perhaps they could choose one of the existing May bank holidays?  When Prince Charles and Diana were married, there wasn't a bank holiday declared.  I was temping in a big office and it seemed completely up to the individual managers as to whether staff in their department were allowed to go to the boardroom to watch the ceremony.  My boss was happy for us all to take the time, but some weren't!  Scrooge clones!

[capybara]

I wish the couple happiness, of course - and a measure of good luck in weathering the various tensions they will inevitably encounter.

 

I was surprised that most of the participants on Channel 4's Gogglebox were tending, at minimum, to take the rise out of the situation and the individuals concerned.

[bangorballetboy]

20 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

When Prince Charles and Diana were married, there wasn't a bank holiday declared. 

 

Yes there was, see here. There was also a bank holiday when Princess Anne was married (the first time).

[LinMM]

I also think there is something satisfying about seeing both Diana's sons seemingly very happily matched after their parents unhappy marriage.

i suppose I've a bit of a soft spot for William and Harry as will never forget the sight of those two boys walking behind the coffin of Diana with all that emotion going on in the streets around them. How they did it I don't know. So lovely to see them finally both happy now.

[MAB]

The only time I saw the princes in real life was at a performance of Nutcracker at the Festival Hall, sitting with their mum, they were quite small at the time.

 

Don't think they could have been that impressed though, never seen the younger generation of royals at anything vaguely cultural.

[LinMM]

Yes there's quite a few of them...altogether...you'd think at least one of them would be seriously into the Arts

[Anon2]

5 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Yes there was, see here. There was also a bank holiday when Princess Anne was married (the first time).

 

I thought I remembered a bank holiday too. I was a volunteer on a Mencap holiday for teenagers and a company arranged for us to watch in their board room and provided party food. It was a very special event for a number of the holidaying teens. 

[Fonty]

Looking at pictures of the couple, I was thinking that if the media hadn't said she was mixed race, I am not sure I would have even noticed.  

 

Am I:

1.  So used to seeing every nationality under the sun walking the London streets that only a truly extraordinary complexion colour would catch my eye

2.  Very dim

 

 

[alison]

Fonty, if you're very dim, then so am I!  (But then, it took me years of watching athletics before I realised that Jessica Ennis was mixed-race )

[RuthE]

16 hours ago, Fonty said:

Looking at pictures of the couple, I was thinking that if the media hadn't said she was mixed race, I am not sure I would have even noticed.  

 

Am I:

1.  So used to seeing every nationality under the sun walking the London streets that only a truly extraordinary complexion colour would catch my eye

2.  Very dim

 

 

 

Me neither!  Reason 1, I suspect.

[LinMM]

I must admit I thought she just looked what I call South American Spanish looking.

perhaps if she had not had her hair straightened it would have been more obvious. 

[Fonty]

That was my thought as well.  In fact, she isn't that different in colouring to my mother, who certainly wasn't mixed race.  She was Welsh, and had that very dark olive skin that tanned at the first hint of sunshine.    

[Harwel]

Well - love, love, love the episcopalian priest!  What a performance and I’m sure a welcome relief to the normal stuffy service. The young royals seemed to love it and see the humour in it.  Fantastic!  Rock on Megan, keep your individuality. 

[Balletfanp]

1 hour ago, Harwel said:

Well - love, love, love the episcopalian priest!  What a performance and I’m sure a welcome relief to the normal stuffy service. The young royals seemed to love it and see the humour in it.  Fantastic!  Rock on Megan, keep your individuality. 

 

I wasn't intending to watch but turned over out of curiosity in time to catch him! Definitely the star of the occasion!

 

And I have to say, her tiara is stunning.....

[Anna C]

4 hours ago, Balletfanp said:

 

I wasn't intending to watch but turned over out of curiosity in time to catch him! Definitely the star of the occasion!

 

And I have to say, her tiara is stunning.....

 

Beautiful, isn't it. One of Queen Mary's, lent by the Queen which I thought was a nice touch. 

 

I'm a sucker for a wedding and with the exception of wondering why a couple of celebs had to look so blummin' miserable, I thought today's ceremony was wonderful. I suspect Bishop Michael Curry may have exceeded his time limit slightly, but nobody could doubt his passion!    I thought the bride and her Mum both looked stunning.  The newlyweds looked so very happy and make such a lovely couple.

[All4dancers]

Definitely my favourite royal wedding!  Normally my interest wanes once I've seen dress but today I was riveted from beginning to end.  Fabulous!

[LinMM]

Have just watched it all in real time this evening ( hence the late hour) as was up in London at the ballet today .....but I thought the whole thing was lovely particularly as they seem so obviously in love ....so moving when he took her veil back and they really just stood and looked at each other. I loved her trusting the page boys to hold her veil and they could hardly contain their excitement ...all the bridesmaids and page boys so sweet. The joyousness of the occasion was infectious. I did feel a little sorry for Meghans mum as the only member of the family there ...it would have been nice for her to have someone to say the odd word too though she didn't look unhappy at all! Great to see all those people having such a happy time too.

[Melody]

Definitely worth staying up all night for. I hope it works out for them - they haven't known each other nearly as long as William and Catherine before they got married, but they seem to have a lot in common, which is a good basis for a strong marriage.

 

I'm glad the Duke of Edinburgh could make it, so soon after his surgery and just before his 97th birthday.

Edited May 20, 2018 by Melody

[alison]

On 19/05/2018 at 12:34, Harwel said:

Well - love, love, love the episcopalian priest!  What a performance and I’m sure a welcome relief to the normal stuffy service.

 

He seems to have gone down very well :)   But oh, was it Dermot's comment afterwards about how the like had probably never been seen in an English church before?!  If he seriously thinks that, I'm guessing his experience of English churches must be pretty limited!  Mind you, I think it is probably CoE tradition to keep the address short at weddings ...

 

[MAB]

You're right Alison, there is actually a seven minute maximum rule, he broke it by six minutes.

[alison]

Maximum rule?  Generally, or just for royal weddings?

[MAB]

According to one od those 'royal correspondents' religious addresses  must be a minimum of two minutes and no more than seven.  Personally I enjoy a good sermon, but church pews are hard on the bum so perhaps a maximum time isn't a bad idea.

[Sim]

I must say I lost interest in the preacher after a few minutes.  Less is more, with this kind of thing.  I could understand why the members of the Royal Family were getting the giggles, and the Queen was fidgeting.  His message was lovely, and he had a great way of putting it across, but I think he'd said it all after the seven minutes (he said he had even given himself that time limit, but just kept going on!)...I for one didn't need to hear it over and over again.  

 

That said, it was a beautiful wedding all round and I am so pleased for them and for all the people who waited for so long to catch a fleeting glimpse of them that the sun shone warmly.

 

Finally, I think it's a disgrace that quite a few of the people invited to view the wedding from the grounds of Windsor castle are trying to profit from this by selling their gift bags on e-bay.  They don't even have the grace to wait a little while.  Big shame on them.  

[alison]

8 hours ago, Sim said:

I must say I lost interest in the preacher after a few minutes.  Less is more, with this kind of thing.  I could understand why the members of the Royal Family were getting the giggles, and the Queen was fidgeting.  His message was lovely, and he had a great way of putting it across, but I think he'd said it all after the seven minutes (he said he had even given himself that time limit, but just kept going on!)..

 

 

Yes, it could certainly have done with some editing, but I guess that's what happens when the Spirit moves you  (she says painfully, remembering an excruciatingly long sermon I had to sit through once many years ago - not at a wedding)

[Sim]

Maybe the people selling the bags will be donating the money to the charities many of them are involved with.....ha ha. I read that one person has sold hers  for £21k.   I wonder which charity will receive this gift?  Probably the one that begins at home.

[Jan McNulty]

It’s shameful.

[Vonrothbart]

Just noticed, one is at present bidding at £65,500, if they donate half to their charity and keep the rest it's a win win. It would be very hard for a lot of people not to cash them in at  prices like that. 

[alison]

23 hours ago, Sim said:

Maybe the people selling the bags will be donating the money to the charities many of them are involved with.....ha ha. I read that one person has sold hers  for £21k.   I wonder which charity will receive this gift? 

 

*And* whether she'll declare it to the taxman?

[Vonrothbart]

Not if she has any sense.

[Maria87]

On 28/11/2017 at 06:59, Melody said:

So it's finally happened.

 

Are people over there interested? Of course it's news over here, with Meghan Markle being American and all, but I'm not seeing much interest among Facebook friends other than in specific royalty groups.

my sis and I were so interested in that wedding, first, we adore the Suits and we adored the Mike and Megan couple, and the fact that she left the show was heartbreaking. On the other hand, who would do otherwise?) Stay on the show or marry the prince, hmm, let me think!))