It was the moment that everyone had been waiting for since last November. Rivaling Princess Diana’s wedding 30 years ago, the recent marriage between Catherine “Kate” Middleton and Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, brought about a lot of excitement and press around the world.
Although coverage on the royal family of England was shown throughout the day on April 28, the actual event began at eight in the morning on Friday (England time). Citizens gathered in the streets surrounding Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey awaiting the bride and groom to finally make an appearance. In addition to the London citizens watching from afar, about two billion people globally saw the wedding, either on TV or the Internet.
Some students took it upon themselves to celebrate the union of Kate and William.
“To celebrate the marriage, I actually had a small party at my house that Friday night. We cooked British food like bangers and mash, fish and chips, mushy peas, baked beans and Shepherd’s pie. Friends came over to watch the wedding and hang out,” junior Hannah Williams said.
The procession of the event went smoothly and the royal family members showed up periodically in chauffeured cars leading them to the church. Prince William and Prince Harry were the first to arrive; followed by Prince Charles of Wales alongside his wife; her royal highness, the Queen Elizabeth with Prince Phillip; and finally the bride with her father, Michael Francis Middleton.
Unfortunately, the wedding coincided with Grad Nite and many seniors were unable to watch the event live alongside other students.
“It was the same day as Grad Nite, so I had to come to school. But if I could’ve, I would’ve stayed home to watch it,” senior Jasmin Shahrestani said. “I ended up watching some of it in Mr. G’s room before I left for Orlando.”
What surprised many viewers was the similarity in appearance between Kate Middleton in her Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen gown and Grace Kelly’s previous gown when she married Rainer III, the Prince of Monaco. Both princesses opted to wear sleeved-laced tops above wide, a-line skirts. Kate’s train was approximately 10 feet long and was constantly repositioned by her younger sister, Pippa, her maid of honor, as she [Kate] walked down the aisle. The late Princess Diana’s train was 25 feet long and paved the way for the younger bride.
“Kate looked stunning,” junior Jason Lewis said. “I thought it was unexpected when she showed up in the dress that she did because, as stated by multiple reporters, they thought she would be more traditional.”
Whether or not Kate’s dress shocked or awed, none could deny that the marriage was a sight to see.
Beneath all the flashing lights and sparkling jewels, the wedding was prepared in a much more traditional way. Kate’s family paid for everything that was not already covered as part of the royal routine – the traveling in vintage cars, the larger-than-life venue and the catering and waitstaff. The new royals wished to recreate a sense of humility amongst the monarchs.
“It gave us insight on the British culture we don’t usually see. Just the fact that it was ‘history in the making’ makes it full of awe,” Lewis said.
After the ceremony, the couple rode in a horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace where they greeted the people of England from the famous balcony overlooking the streets. Many viewers cheered when Kate and William displayed their love with “the kiss,” a tradition set by Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
The Queen hosted a brunch with about 600 guests in attendance. Prince Charles later hosted a more intimate gathering with around 300 guests present. At the less formal dinner, Prince Harry, William’s best man, toasted the newlyweds and did not miss an opportunity to revel in Kate’s ability to make a romantic man out of William, along with his [William’s] ever-growing bald spot.
When asked why it took him so long to finally propose to Kate, Prince William answered, “I wanted to give her a chance to see in and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much,” in the Special Commemorative Issue of Time magazine.
Prince William will return to his position as a pilot for the Royal Air Force while Kate stays in at their new cottage in Wales waiting to present herself as the Duchess of Cambridge. The British government is simultaneously working on reconstructing the law that claims any male heir will automatically take precedence over a female heir to the throne, even if he is younger. This change in tradition is a sign of the new era slowly emerging.
“The marriage of Kate and William truly is the birth of the new modern monarchy,” Williams said. “It was a nice break from reality.”
