Royal Wedding Dress

[MrsK]

I heard a report the other day that the English royal heir has always become pregnant within a year of marriage.

[GrayMatterWife]

Welcome to the famous life. UGH! Anyone else think her "I'm going to stay out of the public life for 2 years and be a housewife = I'm going to try to get pregnant?" Or maybe being here has colored my vision.

Isn't that her...job? To produce an heir? And I don't mean to sound "un-liberated" or old fashioned or anything...but, really, isn't that kind of the gig?

I wish that were my job.

Although that job has REALLY had an emotional toll on the Japanese princess...she's been in seclusion for years with depression.

[Cinderella]

I think that's the whole point of them getting married now. She's not getting any younger. I read that for the past 400 years whoever is the heir to the throne has had a baby or gotten pregnant within the first year of marriage. Though they may do things a little different and have a baby within the first two years of marriage. They've already cohabitated before marriage which was never done before. She married at 29 which is the oldest royal bride in their family history. Diana married at 19. Prince William doesn't wear a ring which isn't typically done either. She's the first royal bride to have a college degree. Diana dropped out of school to become a Nanny. Catherine's also a commoner bride. The last heir to the throne had to abdicate his position in order to marry a twice divorced american commoner whom he loved. They also married for love and William hasn't had to abdicate his position so they're not the typical royal couple.

I also think there is more going on. Prince Charles recently made a visit to the US which he hasn't done since 2007. It has me guessing that now that William's married and able to produce an heir that the Queen is potentially ready to "retire" and we're going to see the coronation of Prince Charles to King and Camilla to Queen possibly soon. Maybe coinciding with the London Olympics in 2012? On the other hand they're in their 80's and 90's and what's a few more years or decades of staying the Queen until you die?

[scrub-jay]

I read that for the past 400 years whoever is the heir to the throne has had a baby or gotten pregnant within the first year of marriage.

Talk about pressure to conceive. UGH!

[alison]

I think the whole thing is a freak show. I feel sorry that these are normal people who have to live with their lives up for grabs, yet I don't understand why people can live such a luxurious lifestyle without having done anything to deserve it.
I am SO thankful that I'm not a royal, and don't see why anyone would want to wear the same perfume and clothes as these people. So strange to me!

The last heir to the throne had to abdicate his position in order to marry a twice divorced american commoner whom he loved. They also married for love and William hasn't had to abdicate his position so they're not the typical royal couple.

The last heir to the throne before Queen Elizabeth II (her uncle) is the one who abdicated, and it was because he wanted to marry a twice divorced American who was still married and applying for divorce to marry the King. I think the whole thing was slimy, and I don't see it as "romantic" that he abdicated for true love.

My guess re: Elizabeth stepping down is that she's going for longest reign. She's about to become #2 in about 1.5 months, and then (I think) it's just a couple more years until she's #1. My guess is that even though she's accepted the whole Camilla situation, she really would rather not see her in the role of Queen (again with the married/philandering). I just lose all respect when it comes to that.

I honestly don't know why I care. I just remember adoring Diana when I was a little girl, and I've kind of always been interested.

[MrsK]

Camilla is not eligible to be Queen. She'd be the King's Consort or something like that. It was decided when Parliment approved the marriage.

[MrsK]

Heidi! That's another SLOL (and I think that's the 2nd involving you in a week).

MrsK - thanks. I didn't think she could be Queen, but couldn't remember what the official designation was.

[GrayMatterWife]

She'd be the King's Consort or something like that.

That sounds like a really nice way of saying "The Cheap Tramp Carried on an Affair, Broke Up a Marriage and Ended Up Winning Because the Princess Died."

But maybe my Anglo-English dictionary is out of date.

[DCJenn]

While I used to think that Camilla was a total home-wrecker along w/ Charles, the real, real issue was that she was not a virgin. No shit. Charles (back in the day) was supposed to marry a virgin and there weren't a whole lot of eligible women when he got married. I think he and Diana were set up- she likely did love him but it's clear he was pretty miserable from the day of the engagement until the day they divorced. The best thing that happened to them were those two kids.

Charles and Camilla likely should have been able to get married when they were young but let's face it- the royal family is far better off and better looking for having a little Spencer blood flowing through it.

I think Charles and Camilla should be allowed to live their lives in relative peace. He'll be King, but it won't be that long. The man himself is already 62. The Queen is what? 85 and her husband is 90. That's why they were also practicing for a Royal funeral while they were practicing for the Royal Wedding.

As for William and Kate- I hope they enjoy their continued time in relative obscurity and they have kids whenever they so choose. Factoid- if they were unable to have children, if they adopted, those children would not be allowed to ascend the throne. It would go to Harry and then on down the line, if that were the case. I do think that's why they waited so long to get married and why they lived together before they were married. They are trying to be as normal as possible given the oddity of their lifestyle. Apparently he went back to work on Tuesday. That, I think is cool. and very smart because by the time they DO take their honeymoon, the paparazzi will have cooled off somewhat.

Jenn

[Cinderella]

The last heir to the throne before Queen Elizabeth II (her uncle) is the one who abdicated, and it was because he wanted to marry a twice divorced American who was still married and applying for divorce to marry the King. I think the whole thing was slimy, and I don't see it as "romantic" that he abdicated for true love.

My guess re: Elizabeth stepping down is that she's going for longest reign. She's about to become #2 in about 1.5 months, and then (I think) it's just a couple more years until she's #1. My guess is that even though she's accepted the whole Camilla situation, she really would rather not see her in the role of Queen (again with the married/philandering). I just lose all respect when it comes to that.

I honestly don't know why I care. I just remember adoring Diana when I was a little girl, and I've kind of always been interested.

I knew someone would correct me with the way I wrote it. Thanks for the clarification. I had no idea about the longest reign achievement. I think many of us loved Diana and her boys dearly. The night the news broke she was in an accident my then boyfriend said from the looks of it she's going to die. It would be nearly impossible to survive that kind of crash. I had no idea how deeply I felt about her until I burst into tears. I cried for a long time following that. Through the funeral and watching her boys losing their mother so young. I still really feel for them because they were so little when they lost their mum. When I read about William taking Catherine to his Mum's grave to spend the day there before his wedding I was teary again and really touched. I don't know why I care so much either but I do.

Camilla is not eligible to be Queen. She'd be the King's Consort or something like that. It was decided when Parliment approved the marriage.

If this is true then I don't understand why Charles would hint to the media that Camilla is going to be Queen.

That sounds like a really nice way of saying "The Cheap Tramp Carried on an Affair, Broke Up a Marriage and Ended Up Winning Because the Princess Died."

But maybe my Anglo-English dictionary is out of date.

I don't understand why everybody seems to blame Camilla though. I do have some compassion for her because they were in love before Diana and it takes two to do what they did. Charles is guilty as well.

While I used to think that Camilla was a total home-wrecker along w/ Charles, the real, real issue was that she was not a virgin. No shit. Charles (back in the day) was supposed to marry a virgin and there weren't a whole lot of eligible women when he got married. I think he and Diana were set up- she likely did love him but it's clear he was pretty miserable from the day of the engagement until the day they divorced. The best thing that happened to them were those two kids.

Charles and Camilla likely should have been able to get married when they were young but let's face it- the royal family is far better off and better looking for having a little Spencer blood flowing through it.

I think Charles and Camilla should be allowed to live their lives in relative peace. He'll be King, but it won't be that long. The man himself is already 62. The Queen is what? 85 and her husband is 90. That's why they were also practicing for a Royal funeral while they were practicing for the Royal Wedding.

As for William and Kate- I hope they enjoy their continued time in relative obscurity and they have kids whenever they so choose. Factoid- if they were unable to have children, if they adopted, those children would not be allowed to ascend the throne. It would go to Harry and then on down the line, if that were the case. I do think that's why they waited so long to get married and why they lived together before they were married. They are trying to be as normal as possible given the oddity of their lifestyle. Apparently he went back to work on Tuesday. That, I think is cool. and very smart because by the time they DO take their honeymoon, the paparazzi will have cooled off somewhat.

Jenn

I didn't know that about the marrying a virgin or that at the recent wedding they were also practicing for a royal funeral. I agree about the attractiveness of the Spencer blood.

[GrayMatterWife]

I don't understand why everybody seems to blame Camilla though. I do have some compassion for her because they were in love before Diana and it takes two to do what they did. Charles is guilty as well.

I don't blame Camilla, if by "blame" you mean "hold fully accountable for the cause of the divorce." I just point out the fact that she's trampy. Whether they'd divorced or not, she's still trampy. The fact that Charles and Diana had a loveless marriage doesn't make Camilla any less trampy. She knowingly carried on an affair with a married man with children. I am not suggesting that her trampiness excuses Charles' willing participation. They both strike me as selfish. If you are in love with someone else and don't want to abide by royal tradition re: who you marry--that's fine. So, abdicate or break tradition. But don't lamely and weak-willedly go-on-to-get-along and then drag everyone else through the effects of your assumed right to adultery. And, if the man you love marries someone else for reasons less than love, it doesn't give you a license to fill his life with love.

They are both tacky. Their "love story" is really just a tale of wealthy, spoiled people trying to have their cake and it it, too--and eventually getting their way because the third wheel was killed. Yuck. The best thing to come from their story appears to be the lesson learned by William: marry who you want, not who Grandma says is appropriate.

[Cinderella]

I don't blame Camilla, if by "blame" you mean "hold fully accountable for the cause of the divorce." I just point out the fact that she's trampy. Whether they'd divorced or not, she's still trampy. The fact that Charles and Diana had a loveless marriage doesn't make Camilla any less trampy. She knowingly carried on an affair with a married man with children. I am not suggesting that her trampiness excuses Charles' willing participation. They both strike me as selfish. If you are in love with someone else and don't want to abide by royal tradition re: who you marry--that's fine. So, abdicate or break tradition. But don't lamely and weak-willedly go-on-to-get-along and then drag everyone else through the effects of your assumed right to adultery. And, if the man you love marries someone else for reasons less than love, it doesn't give you a license to fill his life with love.

They are both tacky. Their "love story" is really just a tale of wealthy, spoiled people trying to have their cake and it it, too--and eventually getting their way because the third wheel was killed. Yuck. The best thing to come from their story appears to be the lesson learned by William: marry who you want, not who Grandma says is appropriate.

I remember when Diana once said in an interview it was difficult to be in a marriage of three referring to Camilla. She used that as a reason for her own extra marital affairs. I have compassion for Charles and Camilla because you love who you love and we don't get to pick who we love and they were part of an older more traditional system that dictated their lives. I also have compassion for Diana because of her being the innocent from the start, but she was also an adult who made adult choices to have affairs as well and thus contributed to the end of the marriage. The marriage may have gone on if she had not wanted a divorce because in much older times than now having an affair wasn't a reason for divorce. Many high profile people of power have carried on long term affairs while their significant other has looked the other way and stayed with them for their own benefit. While I don't think it's fair I don't think any one of them was more "trampy" than the other and I think they all played equal parts in the decision making process, hostage to circumstance.

[MrsK]

I've always been bothered by Diana's admission of adultery. I thought that was awful and selfish because she put Harry's paternity into question and jeapordized his claim to the thorne. Bad enough that she had an affair but in light of the consequences for Harry, she should never have admitted it. She should have thought first about the impact such a confession would have on her child. In a different time, that would have been an act of treason.