The Will and Kate epidemic

A man and woman are getting married, but Will and Kate are royals, the future King and Queen of England, so on top of the stress of getting married, there is the press, extended relatives coming out of the woodwork, memorabilia and anti-Royalist plans.

The Press - After she lunched with Camilla Parker Bowles, newspapers commented that perhaps Kate's eyeliner was too heavy and should she have eaten foie gras? One magazine I picked up suggested that her legs might be too thin. The circus is in town and it's not leaving until the I dos.

Meet the Middletons on Monday night on Channel 4 introduced viewers to Kate Middletons extended family - great Aunts, second cousins and other distant relatives. The aim seemed to be to show Kate's working class roots. Michael in South West Wales is a supermarket manager, Paul is a science teacher and another Paul is an aerobics class teacher. They talked about Kate's grandmother, who some described as "pushy" and great grandfathers - one was a hard working miner and the other a successful wool merchant.

Interesting Fact - Kate attended Molborough College which is a school for "old money and minor royalty" which costs £29,000pa. This was paid by the trust set up by her great grandfather Lupton. So ironically she isn't as much of a commoner as we are led to believe.

What people are saying - one Londoner complained about how much is being made of her being a commoner and that this is just a man and a woman in love. She and her family shouldn't be subjected to such scrutiny.

Right to Privacy? The reality is that any person who is a public figure has no right to privacy any more and freedom of the press can work against them and be a huge burden. 

Memorabilia - I wandered amongst the tourists and was surprised at all the memorabilia there was for the royal wedding. I snapped a few pics which I've posted in this blog. Tourists are picking up souveniers to commemorate the wedding - one woman had a bag and a plate. A beer stein or a bag will cost you £5.99 and a large plate or t-shirt is £9.99.One couple admiring the postcards of the happy couple said 'he was a beautiful boy when he was 17.'

Tourists - If you are travelling to London, you can pick up one of these souveniers or try to catch a glimpse of the couple on the wedding day but go early! 

She's not Kate - She would like to be called Catherine but they keep calling her Kate. One BBC reporter soon after the engagement announcement tried to stick to the more grown up name, but it just hasn't caught on. Notice when Will mentions his wife-to-be, he refers to her as Catherine.

Street Parties - The street party fees have been waived and neighborhoods are preparing to gather to celebrate the happy occasion. The application for anti-Royal party planned in Covent Garden has been denied but there is potential for some disruption on the day. It is a public holiday in the UK and no doubt there will much to talk about following the big day. 

Surprises - Will there be any surprises on the day? Will either the groom or bride change their mind at the eleventh hour? Will any one stand up when the question is asked 'does any one object?' Will there be any other major world events to upstage this one?  
The official royal wedding site - www.officialroyalwedding2011.org

Whatever happens, I hope that it is a lovely day for Prince William and Catherine Middleton, that their royal marriage is a happy one and I live to see them become King and Queen.