ROYAL WEDDING REFLECTIONS

I was up at 4 a.m. to watch the Royal Wedding this morning of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchess of Sussux.  I have no idea what those titles mean.  I looked up the whole who gets what title and why thing and found it very confusing and somewhat arbitrary, so whatever...

I'm not entirely sure if there is one big reason I became so captivated with this wedding this week.  I've paid little attention to the Royals in the past.   I'm not really an Anglophile, although my Ancestry.com and 23 & Me results tell me I'm mostly Great British.  I pay moderate curious attention and then let it all go.  But this week I decided to go all in.  I purchased a Fascinator.  I set my alarm.

I think it has to do with the image of William and Harry following their mother's casket through the streets of London after her sudden and untimely death.  My heart broke into a million pieces for them and what they'd lost.  I trusted Diana to raise them with a sense of fun and spirit and compassion -- at least that's how they looked in all the photos.  I wasn't so sure the Royal Family was equal to the parenting task, imagining the boys' carefree days suddenly turned to solemnity and duty.   William seemed to be the steady one, ready to learn the ropes of Kingship that would one day be his.  But Harry....Oh, dear.  What about Harry?  We saw him go through some rebellious years and he deserved to be scolded, but he seemed to be having so much fun! So much his own person.  So NOT succumbing to the Royal frown.

It also has to do with my whole "mommy" thing -- these guys are just a bit older than my own sons.  I watched with a parental eye as they grew up.  Plus, Harry and my "Son Two" look so much alike that for awhile, when they were both younger, it was a very common exclamation to hear..."He looks just like Prince Harry!"  They've lost some of the identicalness, but there is still a strong resemblance.  So that just solidified my sense of connection to Harry.  He was family!

Also, upon the recommendation of friends, I binged both "The Crown" and "Victoria" recently and became enamored with the "insider", albeit likely fictional in some senses, view of the Royals.   I like pomp and circumstance and palace intrigue.  And we are going to Great Britain later this year.  I watched for a history lesson that will serve me as we tour the Royal sites.

I didn't know Meghan at all.  I've never seen her TV show, "Suits".  But I liked what I heard about her and liked that they met and bonded over their individual humanitarian work.  She seemed intelligent and independent and "modern" in a way that seemed like it might shake things up a bit.  As the Queen has aged, she has stopped smiling.  And Charles has always seemed uncomfortable in his own skin.  I'm ready for the next generation to take the stage and bring the Monarchy into the 21st century, relaxed and happy.

I've taken some guff from others for this come-lately interest in the wedding.  Hub has been downright derisive, which hurts my feelings a bit.  I'm not normally a frivolous person, but I found some sense of fun and hope in this event that I apparently needed.  My worldview, largely focused on American politics, has been a dark, dark place for far too long with no light in sight.  I just wanted to escape into the fantasy of handsome Princes, gorgeous clothes, amazing hats, Princess gowns, and horse-drawn carriages.   That the ceremony included a rousing sermon by American Episcopalian Bishop Curry about the power of love, followed by the Kingdom Gospel Choir singing "Stand By Me" was substantial icing on the cake.

Speaking of the cake...wow!  And I love lemon!

I'm unsure when I will be able to wear the Fascinator again.  For now I've passed it on to my granddaughter's teddy bear.  (Even though she says he is a boy, he seems happy with the look.)

I think the relief of this day, from the torment of our American political scene, will stay with me for a while and if that's all it meant to me, well, that's enough.  But I have a feeling I'll be keeping my eye on William and Harry and their families to see how this all unfolds over time.  The Monarchy may be obsolete, mired in controversy, and ostentatiously expensive, but so is the Catholic church and the current U.S. political system and still we can't walk away without at least trying to make the best of the institutions that sustain the community, whether profane or sublime.

At least, that's the view from here...

Photo Credits:  Royal Couple -- AP
                         Cake -- Kensington Palace