poliphilo

Actually, it wasn't the archbishop who blessed the congregation, it was the dean of Westminster. The archbishop had a noticeably and surprisingly small role in the ceremony. And, he had the most hideous cope. It looked as though there was a cobra on the back of it.

There were a couple of new musical works. The dean and chapter paid money to commission that atheist Rutter guy to write something, but I sure hope it didn't cost much, cause it sounded like all of his other music. The motet, on the other hand, a new setting of Ubi Caritas by Paul Mealor, was exquisite.

The wedding dress was lovely, though rather surprisingly understated. The Queen looked very nice in bright yellow. The fashion losers today were definitely the Duchess of Cornwall and the Princess Royal. OMG.

Oh, I want a sky blue waistcoat like the Earl Spencer.

You should have gone to the ceremony. Tsk, tsk.

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The trouble with dignity is it's impossible to keep it up 24/7; sooner or later you're bound to come across a banana skin.

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Though I understand much of "Abroad" has bone bonkers for the wedding too.

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I don't do crowds. I'd have been panicking in the Mall with all those people.

I had my back to the TV when the Dean gave the blessing.I guess one high ranking Anglican clergyman sounds much like another.

I liked the wedding dress too. Classic and simple. The Duchess of Cambridge has taste.

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There have been protests against the wedding?

I liked Hari's article about Donald Trump.

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ennoia-khora.livejournal.com

Well, if you really want to get your Transatlantic urchin on, our finest examples of young American mockery, Jay and Silent Bob, have provided a live commentary for the big event where dignity is of zero concern. In fact, I'm reluctant to even profane your LJ page with the link...but it's out there (if you find it, do yourself a favor and start at 02:14:00-ish...the mastermind is a couple of hours late, and the waiting is painful.) I could only handle a little bit of it...the recent pounding by tornadoes suffered by my area combined with Donald Trump on our side of the pond and the royal nuptial hoopla coming from yours has me in an apocalyptic mood, and the wit of my Gen X peers is the last thing I need on top of it if I'm going to remain healthy.

There was a wild burst of clapping and cheering down the hall a while ago over The Kiss - people here are really eating this up. Royals are expensive pets these days, and I think that some of U.S. are jealous that we don't have any real ones. Just Disneyland, Ren Faires and some wonderfully quixotic French who are building us a genuine 13th century medieval fortress in my home state (which is far more commonly known for its trailer parks).

Personally, I prefer the rabbits. I was still young enough to have a Cinderella costume when Diana was walking the aisle, so I always had a fondness for her and The Boys. But too many of my friends still get trotted out to have to dance for HRM after all these centuries, and I still have some growls of resentment going on after the ceremonial obeisance re-enactments with the Jamestown 400th anniversary a few years back. I'm not feeling the warm fuzzies this time, and will be glad when it all goes back in the box.

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I was looking at William today (I have never looked at him closely before) and he has a big-boned, lumpy, Hanoverian face- very much like George III's- the face of an amiable chump. Why anyone should be impressed by or hanker after these not very bright German people is beyond me.

But at least they're nicer than Donald Trump.

I've been poking fun at the royals all my life. I'm getting tired of hearing myself do it. People seem to like them, so who am I to cavil? It's not as if they had any real power.

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Wondering why you think that Charles chose the Parry ? After all, he chose "the other place" for his own first do.
i assumed that WW got hooked on Parry at Eton

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Don't agree at all that RW's Welsh voice has any resemblance to the dean's . Do agree about the dress

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i didn't watch it all, but my understanding is that the clothes horrors (that made me close my eyes) were the York princesses
i don't remember seeing the Princess Royal. but i thought that the D of C was not all that differently dressed than HM (and a more dignified colour)

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ibid.livejournal.com

Yes but if you don't speak the language it's easy to avoid

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I've always told people they can have William so long as I get to have Harry.

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Oh, I've a question for all you Brits. Why did the ladies not curtesy to the Duke and Duchess as they left the abbey? I thought one was supposed to do that for all royal highnesses...are they just doing that for the Queen now, or has that awful Labour Government abolished bowing and curtsying?

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I thin k that you only curtsey to a Duke or Duchess during a very formal presentation to her/him, and/or when s/he is representing the Queen - but that might be out of date. It's over forty years since i was told that!
I'm fairly sure that you never curtsey to anyone else when the Queen is present. By the way, i thought that the new Duchess made her curtsey beautifully - neither overdone nor sketchy

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PS - there's a lovely story about Queen Victoria - she was making an informal visit to an Anglican convent, and had asked for no ceremonies. She scolded the nuns for curtseying to her
"Er - they are curtseying to me", explained the Mother
(It makes the story even funnier that the curtsey they used to make was quite different from a court curtsey.)

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michaleen.livejournal.com

Too true.

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Genuflecting? You know how those R.C.s are.

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Ah, yes, that makes sense. I've not been in England since I was up at Oxford, and that was way back in 1982. My memory has disintegrated since then.

I was just worried that those dreadful Labour people might have been tinkering with proper respect to the royal family and other ancient British traditions.

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Um- I said Anglican! No, just a brief dip of one knee, usually without pausing from walking past - and never used in chapel.

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Ah, so you did. I didn't realize that Anglican nuns still existed. I don't think I've ever seen one in my whole life.

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There aren't very many now - in 1963 or thereabouts there were hundreds - but most of those communities have amalgamated with other communities. Wantage probably has the most members now. East Oxford has a small community (in members), but still runs a huge complex of buildings - nursing home, guest house, two hospices
I'm surprised that you didn't see any while you were up - for obvious reasons, they tend to gravitate to and round Oxford - east Oxford still has two communities within half a mile of each other
I don't know who the greyclad Sisters were who sat next to the newly weds - most of them wear blue habits or ordinary clothes these days

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It's what I read. It may not be true....

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sorenr.livejournal.com

Harry's mine!

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