On Friday, April 29th, 2011 Bells will Ring when the Prince of Wales takes a Bride at Westminster Abbey, the same location where the memorial service for his Mum, Lady Diana was held in September 1997.
The blushing bride is Catherine Elizabeth “Kate” Middleton, a beautiful woman, who caught the eye of the Prince. But most importantly when you see the two together, it appears to be true love.
There are a couple of reasons this brings a smile to my lips, young love can naturally intoxicate everyone but the most important reason for me as an American is, Miss Kate is what the Upper Crust refer to as a “Commoner” with her maternal lineage from mining stock.
An heir to the British Throne to wed a commoner was unheard of only a few decades ago and even caused King Edward VIII to abdicate when he married the American divorcee, Bessie Wallis “Mrs. Simpson” ! This became a heated conversation between my ex, an Englishman and me, an American blonde a few years back.
Our family was on holiday in London, the tabloids were shamelessly covering the escapades of adolescent Prince Will and the “spare wheel“ Prince Harry. One of the news programs interviewed young ladies about who would be a future Princess.
The girls pink faces and sweet chatter was suddenly interrupted by Charles’ baritone voice. “Well, Charlie Girl has a better social standing to snag a Prince than Cortney” making a point that his daughter is from Upper Class English stock, especially considering “Sir Granddad” is a knight and Cortney is “an American Commoner”
I immediately was not amused, call it American pride I reacted to Charlie’s remark, “what makes you able to predict the future? I predict Prince William will marry a commoner because of true love!” From my lips to God’s ears.
But I suspect it was partly due to the world painfully witnessing the unraveling of Charles and Diana’s miserable marriage. Prince Charles was forced to wed, not his love and best friend, Camilla Parker Bowls but virginal Lady Diana Spencer. Like a purebred Philly, picked not for love but for perfect teeth, long legs, she was good breeding stock and above all had a great pedigree.
But Diana, being a “Modern Millie“, was devastated when the hoax was over and found her glass castle shattered into a thousand pieces and did something unheard of, decided not to suffer in silence (like most blue-blooded wives have endured throughout history) Diana divorced Prince Charles! Like an emancipated woman, free to finally find happiness.
Unfortunately, like Marilyn Monroe, an American Cinderella, at the age of 36, The People’s Princess not unlike original fairytales, including The Little Mermaid, quest for true love tragically ended in an untimely death, a car crash in Paris.
And perhaps the pouring out of tears and love for Diana, including a devastated Sir Elton John reprising “Candle in the Wind” in honor of the Queen of Hearts set the tone at the “The Abby” on that very sad day. A tribute produced by her sons confirmed a change in the tide of the Royal family, Diana had won.
Diana gave being Royal a human element, we witnessed her vulnerabilities and her strengths, she made being a Windsor real, American like (maybe it was her touch of America shinning through) she chose to let it all hang out; from her eating disorders, she shared with us, she dared to remove her white gloves to touch the hand of a human being battling Aids! And I will never forget footage of the dashing Diana in khakis vivaciously campaigning against landmines. Disney could not have done a better job in recreating what it means to be a Royal!
She is sorely missed, but her legacy, especially through her adoring son, Prince William lives on and it is another tribute that he is having his wedding where he wants it, in the place where his Mum’s memorial celebrated her life, with the woman he loves.
I suspect there is something about Kate, a sparkle in her eyes, that certain magic that will remind us of his Mum. I imagine Diana will be looking down and smiling on her son and his beautiful commoner and thinking it was well worth it!
From my lips to God’s ears, may England’s new Royal Couple succeed in happiness, and one day parents in England may tell their little girls the story how King William made a commoner his Princess Bride, because he loved her!
The American Blonde 