Here’s a short sample of a golf course conversation I had this past week..
“Well, Lund, I suppose you being an old newsman, you’ll be up early to watch the royal wedding, eh?”
“Not hardly. To tell you the truth, I can’t understand why everybody’s so amped-up and excited over this foreign future King’s decision to finally make an honest woman out of the attractive young commoner he’s been shacked-up with (off and on) since their university days.”
But I actually DO understand the hype. In fact, I was Keloland’s designated reporter for the wedding of Prince William’s mommy and daddy 30 years ago when there was a world wide frenzy even more over-the-top than this.
My source on all things British was an English journalist, whose name escapes me now, but who happened to be spending several months in Sioux Falls doing some type of research. He was a fan of my band which played music next door to the Keloland building and we got to visiting during breaks. I was fascinated by his knowledge of the Monarchy and British government plus listening to him speak with that rich English accent was fun too. As the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana approached, I did several interviews with him for KELO which received lots of viewer comments because it was as though I had an inside track to the big event with information coming direct from a loyal subject. One of the delicate matters we talked about and put on the air had to do with whether or not Diana was a proper virgin which my new friend said he, “Rather expected she was, indeed.” Diana’s uncle later confirmed that to reporters, so it MUST have been true. Obviously, such public revelations concerning the monarchy have long since past the point of being scandalous but it seemed important at the time..
I actually DID watch a good part of the William and Kate ceremony; not because I planned to but since I’m usually up a few times during the “wee wee” hours of the morning anyway and I use the television as a night light, the live coverage from London was on most cable channels so I saw bits and pieces with the volume down low.
An estimated two billion people watched the Royal Wedding and excitedly waited for the balcony kiss. But this AP photo shows one of the little bridesmaids just not caught up in the magic of the moment.
Princess Kate certainly was beautiful in her wedding dress that millions of royal watchers had been dying to see. And the groom looked positively dashing in his bright red drum-major outfit. I didn’t realize he had become so follically challenged. His hair has gotten as thin as the vegetarian menu at Tea Steak House. By this time next year, there won’t be enough left for the princess to run her delicate little fingers through unless he decides now to be fitted for a rug. Toupee or not toupee..that is the question. (sorry) Oh, and what’s with that funny little wave he was giving the crowd from the balcony; rapidly rocking his hand from side to side like the impish 8 year old Kevin McCallister did at the end of the Home Alone movie waving to the wet bandits being hauled off to jail.
Come on, William don’t be like grandma with her pitiful little palm lifting gesture..give us a great big, arm-fully-extended kingly wave from now on.
Seriously though, this regal couple seems to adore each other; a match made in Heaven or at the very least the pearly gates of Buckingham Palace. And, as long as the masses still feel the need for Royalty in their world, these two should fit the His and Her Highness bill quite nicely for years to come. Cheerio for now mates.
