Hasn't this last month been wonderful? The weather has been very kind to most of us in the United Kingdom, with unbroken sunshine and soaring temperatures. April saw the blossom come and go, the daffodils rear their trumpets skywards before dying to live again another year and the tulips come out in splendour. Now the summer flowers are beginning to shine forth, with lily of the valley and roses and all manner of colourful blooms springing to life. You can tell that I am not a gardener though; I appreciate the beauty of flowers but have no idea what most of them are called!
One thing dear to my heart though was the Royal Wedding. After much media speculation and coverage, Prince William finally married Catherine and what a wonderful day it was too! I put my television on at about half past eight in the morning, something that I never do usually as I am too busy with other things, and was surprised to see guests already arriving at the Abbey. I can only assume that they wanted to get a good seat! From then on it was mounting excitement as we glimpsed famous faces (unfortunately I didn't recognise half of them, which doesn't really say much for them does it?) and empty cars driving here and there on their way to pick up the bridesmaids or a convoy of mini buses to take the minor royals. The tension mounted as the time drew near for Prince William and Prince Harry, his best man, to travel to the Abbey.
Those two young men alone were worth waiting for; beautifully turned out in their ceremonial uniforms and as happy as could possibly be. Bearing in mind that Prince Harry now outranks Prince William, it is not all together surprising that William chose to wear his Colonel in Chief of the Irish Guards (or whatever he was CiC of; I am always a little vague on the technicalities and titles!). It really wouldn't do if the groom had to salute the best man!
Back at the Abbey we saw some amazing fashion creations; beautifully turned out ladies and some who had not got it quite right. But the hats were really something else. How on earth anyone sitting behind a big hat could see is beyond my comprehension. Men rarely get it wrong as they only have two choices of apparel, but they all did the male population proud on the day. I have to say that I thought the Queen looked lovely in her yellow outfit, but I am afraid the same cannot be said of the lady I saw who was wearing an almost identical yellow, but had teemed hers with black, thus making her look like a wasp. Black and yellow do go well together as they are such contrasts, but to a wedding - and a royal wedding at that? I pass judgment on that one!
The time soon came for us to have the first glimpse of Catherine, going to the Abbey a commoner but leaving it as the Duchess of Cambridge. She had a gorgeous dress with lace and train; and although it was lovely, I much preferred Diana's fairytale wedding dress; I think because it is something that many girls aspire to after watching Disney's Cinderella!
Of course the day would not have been complete without the open carriage ride back to Buckingham Palace and the balcony kiss. I can hear all women with a collective sigh at this and the men a grumpy huff! There is nothing like a good kiss on the balcony to raise the hopes of millions of young ladies wishing they too can someday find a prince.
As much as the day was wonderful, colourful, exciting and all the other adjectives that one can think of, it did have its detractors. Some complained about the cost of the security operation and policing. Others said that it was a waste of public money in times of recession, whilst others moaned that the Royals are not in touch with the rank and file general public. I think they are all wrong.
This country, and the world for that matter when one saw all the overseas broadcaster's and cameras there, needs a shot of feel good factor. And the Royal Wedding provided just that. It gave us something to rejoice over, something to reminisce over and just generally gave us all a much needed boost to keep us going. I liken it to spring. When spring arrives it helps us throw off and forget the shackles of winter, even though we know that it will come again. The Royal Wedding was exactly like that. It has helped us forget the dire news and the employment situation, the murders and the nonsense. We know they are still there and will not go away, but the wedding was not just a one day wonder. People have been talking about if for days and will continue to talk about in in the weeks and months to come. It is something that brightened our dreary lives and has let us forget how things are. We Brits really know how to put on a show and I, for one, loved every minute of it and did not begrudge a penny of the public funds spent on it. I don't hear people complaining about the Notting Hill Carnival which is an annual event and has all police leave cancelled for it. What, may I ask, is the difference? Why do we have quango's and overseas aid? Why do we spend so much on this but not that? The Royal Wedding was different from other events because it is our future King and Queen and I doubt that many of us will see another in our lifetime. Why can't people be happy for the couple, and the fact that they have married, rather than merely moan about the cost? I find it sad that some people are a glass half empty rather than a glass half full; or is it just sour grapes? Whatever the reason, they are in a minority and I wish they would just keep quiet and allow the rest of us to enjoy it for what it was - a right royal occasion!
Whilst I am still on my high horse, the other major news story recently is the death of Osama Bin Laden. Whatever we think about the man and his beliefs, the stuff that I have seen written on facebook is nothing short of horrid. I cannot comment about other media as I only read a newspaper once a week on a Saturday and I never watch the news on the television. My life is too short to have to listen to all the depressing news; why can't they have only good news reported? But going back to the subject, I only have this to say:
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
I actually have a lot more to say on the subject, but I refuse to be drawn into a battle of words. Martin Luther King Jr. said it all so much better than I. But I will add this; that God will be our judge. He will judge our thoughts as well as our actions, and if we have any belief in Him at all, we should be mindful of what we say as well as what we do.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this months blog; and as always, I love people commenting on it.
Hope to see you all back here next month....
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