There is so much buzz around the royal wedding, we felt we just had to say something about it. We are as excited as everyone else to see Kate Middleton’s dress and, of course, her hair, which some experts have decided she will wear up, perhaps in a low chignon. Others have concurred, betting on a half-up, half-down style. But we decided to dig a little deeper to see what else is going on in conjunction with this big event.
First, there is a nice story here about how the lives of Will and Kate differed and then, ultimately, came together.
As for the wedding itself, we were happy to see the official royal wedding site, at http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/, give top billing to the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund. Will and Kate have set up a fund for people who would like to mark the occasion of the royal wedding with a charitable donation. The website then talks about some of the organizations that could benefit from the fund, including: the Zoological Society of London; Greenhouse, an agency that helps disadvantaged youth find their potential through sport and dance programmes; and Dance United, which provides dance training for “those who are marginalised in society.” Kudos to the royals for this great idea!
A past recipient of the royal family’s largesse created what might be the most interesting portrait of the royal couple, inspired by Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Artist Rich Simmons is a Prince’s Trust recipient who started an art therapy organization that works with youth.
In addition to Kate Middleton’s dress, there has been a lot of speculation about the menu for the wedding celebrations. People magazine spoke with the chef who prepared meals for William and his brother Harry as children. He thinks the menu will be simple, even for the formal wedding breakfast. For the evening dinner, a less formal event, things will also be kept simple and might even include one of William’s favourites—the decidedly non-gourmet “cottage pie” (similar to what we in Canada would call shepherd’s pie).
Lastly, a bit of the strange side of big events like this with the Daily Mail’s summary of some of the “ghastly” royal wedding souvenirs. Tea bags, ashtrays, and a book called The Royal Wedding for Dummies are among the items listed here.
