Brookfield7: Not exactly a fairytale royal wedding

APRIL 28, 2011

One can hardly turn on the news without hearing some buzz about the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate. I even witnessed a young mother today, shopping with her toddler, for an expensive hat and shawl to wear to her friend's royal wedding party on Friday.

The royal wedding is being referred to as a fairytale wedding, as in young woman meets handsome prince, marries, and lives happily ever after. But since this young couple has been living together for some time now, I just find it a sad reflection on today's mores.

I remember when Charles and Diana married; it was also a big deal. Some people watched during the wee hours to see the wedding unfold. I knew moms who had royal wedding tea parties for their daughters--that sounded like great fun to me. However, this time around, if a parent is encouraging their teens to be abstinent until marriage, how can they then celebrate this wedding between William and Kate, as if it is perfectly fine? That would really be a mixed message.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad William is making an honest woman of Kate, as they used to say, but I won't be watching the wedding this time. Curiosity will prompt me to look on the internet to catch a glimpse of her dress (it has to be better than Diana's, right?) but that will be the extent of my royal wedding watch.

With all the bad news today, be it war, rioting, flooding, fires, tornadoes, the economy, high gas prices and our debt crisis, I can see why this wedding would be such a welcome diversion for some. I just wish it wasn't a tarnished one.