As I write, the Royal Wedding is going on and from my point of view my only curiousity is "Who is going to be wearing menopause blue?" This is the colour of the blue dress that is worn by the mother of either the bride or the groom. Usually only one of the two wears it, and of course we all know that Diana is currently dressed in wooden overcoat brown with earthy tones. Accordingly, Kate Middleton's mum arrived dressed in what the fashionistas called sky blue, but what the cynics like me call menopause blue.
Historically I have never been a fan of the Royal family. My republican leanings have been inspired by my long held desire to one day overthrow the government, something that would be much easier to achieve legally without the protections that the monarchy provides. As such, my television is on in the background with the live telecast screening exclusively for my wife who is doing a great job of providing her own commentary soundtrack.
As for William and Kate, they both appear to be thoroughly decent people and I wish them very well for their future together. Unlike most married couples, they will have exceptional pressures upon them from an adoring public, a protocol driven palace, and an intrusive media. The fact that these pressures occur on top of the usual ones that occur in marriage puts them on the back foot. The fairytale weddings of Charles and Diana in 1981 and Andrew and Sarah in 1986 both became nightmares amid these issues and I can only hope that William and Kate have learned the lessons from both of those disasters enough to be able to rise above the pressures and triumph in their own marriage.
If that wasn't enough, an occasion such as a royal wedding becomes a very large advertisement for traditional marriage. With so many people openly attacking the institution of marriage as outdated and unnecessary, and even advocating alternative definitions of marriage, every failure of a marriage, particularly a high profile marriage, lowers the bar and becomes fodder for those pushing that agenda. Consequently, William and Kate carry the expectations of the holders of traditional values who are relying on them to counter those so-called progressive views.
It is my prayer that both William and Kate focus on establishing their marriage before taking on too much duty. They need to remember that a three-cord rope is not easily broken and that there is more to the pomp and ceremony overseen by the Archbishop of Canterbury. One day, William is likely to be the head of the Church of England, so having a personal relationship with the God of that church will benefit his marriage if he allows the source of all wisdom to play His part in growing and strengthening their union.
