The Royal Wedding looms ahead

[HideousGreenShirt]

Y'all, I'm about to go off to buy my royal wedding snacks! Here in the UK, grocery store Iceland has an £8 replica lemon and elderflower cake which yes; definitely getting. What else do I need? I'm thinking cucumber sandwiches, a pot of tea. 

For Wills and Kate we went all out, bunting and fake crowns. Man, that went on all day, but everybody got a paid vacation day in celebration! 

[kpmom]

47 minutes ago, HideousGreenShirt said:

Y'all, I'm about to go off to buy my royal wedding snacks! Here in the UK, grocery store Iceland has an £8 replica lemon and elderflower cake which yes; definitely getting. What else do I need? I'm thinking cucumber sandwiches, a pot of tea. 

For Wills and Kate we went all out, bunting and fake crowns. Man, that went on all day, but everybody got a paid vacation day in celebration! 

There's a recipe in our local newspaper today for that cake in honor of the big day.

I think I read that people in the UK were a little disappointed that the wedding was on a Saturday, meaning no day off for the Monday-Friday workers?

 

[LittleOwl]

I'm disappointed that we don't get a bank holiday, mainly because I love any excuse not to go into the office! 

[DaisyD]

On 5/3/2018 at 6:01 PM, ViolaSebastian said:

I'd prefer dirgy over the practically unsingable U.S. national anthem. That tune has taken down some of the greats. 

The US national anthem is a poem sung to the tune of a British drinking song. Hence the unsingable nature of it. It was meant to be sung by drunk people. 

I really hope that Meghan gets to walk down the aisle with whomever will make her most comfortable. 

[singsingsing]

I want you all to know that I will be in Windsor for the royal wedding this weekend.

I know - exciting!!!

I mean, Windsor, Ontario, not Windsor, England. But whatever. Details. 

[nokidsmom]

Weighing in on the half siblings:  whatever the issues are / were, there is just no excuse whatsoever for them to be going public with their grievances / whining.  You just don't do this, no matter how injured you feel, no matter how much truth might be to some of what  you are saying.  Just none. 

Plus the flip flopping between "Meghan is a terrible person, Harry better run" and then "We love Meghan, we are family, we really, really hope to get an invitation" makes them look even more loony.   Even if you are going to look like asses, make up your mind.

On 5/15/2018 at 10:25 AM, nausicaa said:

Her relatives are also all adults. How did she "neglect" them?  Her father's family also could have gone off on their own in search of fortune and fame if it were so important to them. Do you really think these people are flying into London, despite having no invitation to the wedding, out of deep and genuine love for Megan?

Wanted to touch on the above.   Half siblings were nearly adults when Meghan was born.  How can both of them assert that a half sibling around 15-17 years younger than them actually "neglect" them when they are so much older and were well into adulthood by the time Meghan became famous.   That's just preposterous.  

Regarding the dad, feel bad for him though.  Seems he's under enormous stress and made a bad call with the photo shoot plus his older kids' antics are not helping.   I tend to see his flip flopping about attending as a result of this stress (both mental and physical) rather then making the wedding about him. 

Regarding who will accompany Meghan down the aisle since it's likely now that Dad will not attend, I am thinking either her mother or, if a royal, then Prince Charles.  Prince William will be busy as best man but if he wasn't, I could see him too.   

[Palimpsest]

12 hours ago, ViolaSebastian said:

ETA: What time are people who live in the USA waking up? I'm trying to tread the line between "ass crack of dawn" and "missing it all."

I'm usually up by 5:00 am.  If I remember it is on I'll probably start watching then - in between doggy walkies and doggy breakfasts.  If I miss parts I'm sure they will replay the footage all day.

I'll be watching just to see the horses, the tiara, the dress, and the hats.  And because every American I know IRL will be asking what I thought of it all.  They get very upset with this expat if she doesn't watch royal nuptials. 

10 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

If William is best man, surely he’d be waiting at the altar with Harry, like Harry did for him at his (William’s wedding)? 

Logically, it would make most sense for her mum to walk her down the aisle, as they’re travelling in the car together. 

Thread drift: my brother has his first year uni exams on at the moment, and has one on the day. He’s not particularly into that kind of thing so I don’t imagine he’d watch anyway. My mother jokes that I’m a monarchist... I’m not, I’m just bizarrely fascinated by them. I think we did all watch William and Kate’s wedding, I don’t think my dad did though. I’m interested in what Meghan’s dress will be like, obvs, plus I wonder what the Queen will wear. Probably green or blue or pink. 

For some archaic reason the royals have "supporters" not best men.  William has his job assignment already.

My personal preference would be for Megs to walk down the aisle by herself or with her mother.   Why does a woman have to be "given away" anyway?  ::grumbles::

However, if I were to put money on it  ... I'll put my $10 on Prince Charles.  It wouldn't be the first time he's given a bride away, and after all these shenanigans from Meghan's dysfunctional relatives it would act as a royal stamp of approval.

[nokidsmom]

17 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

My personal preference would be for Megs to walk down the aisle by herself or with her mother.   Why does a woman have to be "given away" anyway?  ::grumbles::

Oh, I agree.  I am not keen about the "giving away" thing however I understand being accompanied down the aisle still can mean a lot to a bride even if she doesn't see it as "giving away".  And it can be a great support for her.   I am curious to see if Meghan walks down herself or with her mom.  But my bet is that "tradition" will win out here and someone from the RF will do it.  And @Palimpsest you have a point about being a seal of approval from the RF especially after all the nonsense Meg's family has put her through.

[singsingsing]

I believe William is actually being called Harry's 'best man', rather than 'supporter'.

As for Thomas Markle, I felt sorry for him until I read some of the things he said to the tabloids. Blaming his son (who seems to be an epic asshole, but still) for his heart attack raised a red flag. Then I read what he said about wanting to attend the wedding. He said he wanted to be there because it was a historic occasion and of course he wanted to be part of history.

I don't know. Maybe the guy just really put his foot in his mouth, but that had all kinds of alarm bells ringing for me. He comes across as somewhat narcissistic and manipulative and strangely removed from any consideration of his daughter or her feelings. You wonder if maybe the half-siblings learned their tricks from their dad after all. It's all about him being 'a part of history' - really? Perhaps Meghan is better off without him there. She seems to have a stable and loving relationship with her mom.

All that said, I'm sure none of this has been easy on him, and I hope he has a full and speedy recovery.

[Four is Enough]

Heck with Prince Charles. Let Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin walk Meghan down the aisle....

[nokidsmom]

@singsingsing The dad saying "being a part of history" jumped out at me too.   And he said it twice.   I am going to chalk it up to stress, but I did wonder for a moment if the apple has not fallen far from the tree as far as the half sibs and their Dad when he said that.  

Hope he has a speedy recovery but seriously, I think it's better if he is not at the wedding.  Yes, I know Meghan wants him there and arrangements were made for him re: security, etc.  but with all that has transpired in the last week, it might be more stressful for him and his daughter if he showed up.

[nausicaa]

33 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

My personal preference would be for Megs to walk down the aisle by herself or with her mother.   Why does a woman have to be "given away" anyway?  ::grumbles::

However, if I were to put money on it  ... I'll put my $10 on Prince Charles.  It wouldn't be the first time he's given a bride away, and after all these shenanigans from Meghan's dysfunctional relatives it would act as a royal stamp of approval.

I agree with all of this, and have never really liked the "man giving away the woman" tradition. But while my number one choice is still Kate and Meghan walking down together to "Sisters are Doing it for Themselves," am I the only sap who finds it strangely sweet to think of Prince Charles walking her down the aisle? I don't know when I became such a sentimental tool. 

[nokidsmom]

1 minute ago, nausicaa said:

I the only sap who finds it strangely sweet to think of Prince Charles walking her down the aisle? I don't know when I became such a sentimental tool. 

Raises hand here.  Yes, I like it too.   I can picture it actually.   

Charles is not only her future FIL but he can carry it off perfectly.  Will know exactly what to do and it can be a reassuring show of support after the "We are Famileeee!" whining shitshow, courtesy of the half sibs.

[viii]

47 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

However, if I were to put money on it  ... I'll put my $10 on Prince Charles.  It wouldn't be the first time he's given a bride away, and after all these shenanigans from Meghan's dysfunctional relatives it would act as a royal stamp of approval.

I agree that it would be nice if Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle. I hate the whole 'giving away' angle of it, and choose to look at it more like 'support', as in he's walking her down the aisle as a sign of approval and support, already welcoming her to the family. 

15 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

He said he wanted to be there because it was a historic occasion and of course he wanted to be part of history.

When I read his comments, I thought he meant it was a historic occasion for Meghan and he wanted to be a part of Meghan's history, since a wedding day is a momentous occasion for any woman, but perhaps I'm giving him more credit that he deserves. 

[singsingsing]

I'm wondering if the optics of Prince Charles doing it might be a little negative, though. Kind of like, "Meghan's family is horrible and her own father couldn't step up to the plate, so here's Prince Charles to swoop in and save her, because WE aren't awful like they are."

I don't view it that way at all, and I think Prince Charles walking her down the aisle would be nice. So would her mother. Or her walking down alone. My favourite would be if she and Prince Harry walked down together, though. That's what I would like to do if I ever get married - I mean walk down the aisle together with my future spouse, not with Prince Harry. 

23 minutes ago, viii said:

When I read his comments, I thought he meant it was a historic occasion for Meghan and he wanted to be a part of Meghan's history, since a wedding day is a momentous occasion for any woman, but perhaps I'm giving him more credit that he deserves. 

I hope that's what he meant! I have to say, I doubt it. But I also don't know the man, so I'm not going to slam him. I do think that even without all the drama, having major heart surgery must preclude you from flying halfway across the world three days later to participate in a highly stressful and exhausting public event. It's a shame, but I think it's best for everyone involved if at this point he just accepts that he can't be there and sends his best wishes from afar. I'm sure there will be other opportunities for him to see Meghan and meet his new in-laws in a much quieter and more private setting in the future.

[mango_fandango]

Yes, William “broke tradition” by having a best man as opposed to supporter. And there was an article on BBC News about Harry asking William to be best man. 

[freethemall]

So - has anyone watched the Lifetime special Harry & Meaghan: A Royal Romance? I watched last night but fell asleep in the last 30 minutes. It was gloriously awful, I highly recommend it!

[viii]

49 minutes ago, freethemall said:

So - has anyone watched the Lifetime special Harry & Meaghan: A Royal Romance? I watched last night but fell asleep in the last 30 minutes. It was gloriously awful, I highly recommend it!

No, but I taped it and I'm super excited to watch it. 

[AliceInFundyland]

I hope this is one of the relatives that she gets on with.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2018/05/09/nephew-salutes-royal-wedding-with-markle-sparkle-cannabis-strain/#10990f5c24e8

[VelociRapture]

18 hours ago, Dandruff said:

I vote for Prince George to walk her down the aisle.

No joke, but every time I think about Prince George I think about that joke Instagram account someone runs about him. So everyone else is probably picturing a super sweet moment of them together, while I’m sitting here laughing because this is what I’m imagining:

[Bethella]

1 hour ago, AliceInFundyland said:

I hope this is one of the relatives that she gets on with.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2018/05/09/nephew-salutes-royal-wedding-with-markle-sparkle-cannabis-strain/#10990f5c24e8

I don't think that a relative she gets along with. He, his brother and his mother (Meghan's former sister-in-law) are the ones who showed up in London without an invitation to the wedding. They were reportedly going to be commentating on the wedding but that has been denied by the network.

[AliceInFundyland]

27 minutes ago, Bethella said:

I don't think that a relative she gets along with. He, his brother and his mother (Meghan's former sister-in-law) are the ones who showed up in London without an invitation to the wedding. They were reportedly going to be commentating on the wedding but that has been denied by the network.

Well darn. I rescind my approval.

[sableduck]

Really, her family just sounds like a bunch of assholes.

Its rare to find a bunch that make the Royal family look comparatively normal and sane.

[Palimpsest]

4 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

Yes, William “broke tradition” by having a best man as opposed to supporter. And there was an article on BBC News about Harry asking William to be best man. 

Well, bless them.  The royals are finally getting with the program.  Speaking of which, there is apparently going to be some American music at the wedding.  For the entrance, it could be very interesting. 

Mendelssohn's Wedding March - please god no!

Brit stuff:

• Zadok the Priest - done.
• Purcell - that trumpet thing.  Hackneyed.
• Pachelbel's Canon - done.
• Handel's Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba.  Great piece of music - but oy!
• Elgar's Salut d'amour - nice.

If American music, most bets are in favor of Appalachian Spring but I think Meghan could canter nicely down the aisle to Aaron Copeland's Hoedown instead.

38 minutes ago, Bethella said:

I don't think that a relative she gets along with. He, his brother and his mother (Meghan's former sister-in-law) are the ones who showed up in London without an invitation to the wedding.

Everyone apparently has to try to cash in.  Very sad.

[Briefly]

I do feel sorry for her, all the drama that she is having to deal with and most of it seems to be created by her family. I read that Prince Phillip did the honors for Princess Margaret, since her father died several years before she was married. So I can see Prince Charles being the one to escort her down the aisle. I am not impressed at all with most of Meghan's family, they strike me as grifters and takers, they seem to be very interested in what's in it for them and not caring at all about her.

7 hours ago, nausicaa said:

I agree with all of this, and have never really liked the "man giving away the woman" tradition. But while my number one choice is still Kate and Meghan walking down together to "Sisters are Doing it for Themselves," am I the only sap who finds it strangely sweet to think of Prince Charles walking her down the aisle? I don't know when I became such a sentimental tool. 

I view it more as escorting the bride and less as giving her away. It's a nice tradition, a last walk with your father or mother as a way to spend just a few more minutes as their child and not as their property.

8 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

Weighing in on the half siblings:  whatever the issues are / were, there is just no excuse whatsoever for them to be going public with their grievances / whining.  You just don't do this, no matter how injured you feel, no matter how much truth might be to some of what  you are saying.  Just none. 

Plus the flip flopping between "Meghan is a terrible person, Harry better run" and then "We love Meghan, we are family, we really, really hope to get an invitation" makes them look even more loony.   Even if you are going to look like asses, make up your mind.

Wanted to touch on the above.   Half siblings were nearly adults when Meghan was born.  How can both of them assert that a half sibling around 15-17 years younger than them actually "neglect" them when they are so much older and were well into adulthood by the time Meghan became famous.   That's just preposterous.  

Regarding the dad, feel bad for him though.  Seems he's under enormous stress and made a bad call with the photo shoot plus his older kids' antics are not helping.   I tend to see his flip flopping about attending as a result of this stress (both mental and physical) rather then making the wedding about him. 

Regarding who will accompany Meghan down the aisle since it's likely now that Dad will not attend, I am thinking either her mother or, if a royal, then Prince Charles.  Prince William will be busy as best man but if he wasn't, I could see him too.   

They don't seem to be acting like adults and I think that there is a lot of jealousy on the part of most of her family members.