The royal wedding

April 29, 2011 6:02am CST
Hi all, ok i live in the united kingdom, all i have heard about over the last few months is the royal wedding. The fact that today prince william is to get married to kate middleton. To be honest i am no fan of our monarchy at all, they seem to just take from this country and do nothing, i see no point in having a monarchy, but that is my opinion. Lately though i am sick of all the coverage, so he is a prince, he is royalty, do we need to have this wedding mentioned in all the newspapers day in day out and have it on television so often? Like today, it is on a few channels and for a long time, it has taken over the tv. To make matters worse they are having today classed as a holiday so people do not have to go to work. What makes the prince and his wife so special to make today a holiday? Does this therefor mean that future royalty that gets married on different days can also make them days a holiday? If so then nobody would need to turn up for work in a few hundred years time as everyday would be a holiday. This is taken way too far and i really do find it pathetic, just because they are royalty they get what they want, to me they are just other people that are getting married, today should not be classed as a holiday. What do you guys think? What is it like in your country, does the media go way over the top there? Love to hear your thoughts on this.
1 person likes this
7 responses
29 Apr 11
in a way i agree with you that they shouldnt have shown all of it as the majority of the morning was the guests arriving, boring, then what was happening in the streets afterwards which was not interesting. it would have been nice just to see the royal family and the bride arrive, the ceremony, leaving the abbey and the kiss on the balcony would have been enough. like you i dont understand why today was made as a holiday. when prince andrew and prince edward got married they never had it as a holiday so why did they today. also you hate the fact that it took over the tv, alot of people would say the same about football taking over the tv when that is nothing special, but a waist of time.
30 Apr 11
Hi titchy1231, I see where you are going with this. Yes i do in a way agree fully with you, i mean not everyone likes football and when things like the world cup is on it is on a couple of channels and also it is on for a few weeks and so people that don't like football would be annoyed, plus there will also be lots of newspaper reoprts on it. However, the difference is also that this is a competition, it is many different games, whereas with this wedding it was all about one thing and just way way way too much of it, the build up was going on for months, the wedding day dragged on and on and im sure it will still be mentioned on both tv and in the papers often, just for this one occasion, so that is different to things like the world cup. We could say the same about the olympics, that will dominate tv next year, but there are many different sports to watch and so we have a variety of different things, again like football, but unlike the royall wedding. I agree that we don't need to know things like about the parties nad what time people got up or where they travelled from for the wedding, much of the tv broadcasting really was boring.
29 Apr 11
i agree, but with what you say about the football, its the same when its the world cup as it takes over the tv and the news for weeks when it isnt necessary as not everyone is interested in the football and the world cup. with the wedding today, why would we want to know about the parties people were having in the park, it was just a waist of 2hours of nothing on tv.
@mspitot (3824)
• Philippines
2 May 11
They really look good together. I hope they will be a good example for their admirers.
@mspitot (3824)
• Philippines
4 May 11
I agree that Kate will be more famous. I think she will be loved by people.
2 May 11
Hi mspitot, I do fully agree with you that in the fact of them looking good together. They are a young couple who do seem to be so much in love, i feel that they are comitted fully to one another and hope that this marriage does last. I think that they are great people and maybe one day william will make a good king, i think he is more in touch with what goes on and im sure he may make some good changes. Kate reminds me a lot of lady diana, i feel that she will become just as popular as what lady diana was, she looked so beautiful in her wedding dress, i loved that dress and kate's sister also looked great. Hopefully they have many good years ahead of them, they certainly do have a lot of admirers and they are a good example. Thankyou so very much for your response to this topic.
@dismalgrin (2604)
• United States
30 Apr 11
I tend to agree with you. I live in the United States and there is over coverage of the wedding over here too. All day long! I purposely woke up late today to try to get to my boyfriend's house after the wedding was over on TV... but they kept showing it all day and my boyfriend's mother who had already seen it live this morning was ranting if one of us blocked the TV for the recaps throughout the day. I mean, seriously... how important is it to replay the fact that the ring almost wouldn't fit on the finger? I do wish them all the best in their marriage, but I'm not sure that it's the best start to a marriage to have it all over the TV... all day long.
30 Apr 11
Hi dismalgrin, I have heard from others that are in the united states that state it is also there, i guess it really is a global occasion. It really does get boring watching the same thing all day long, i was bored and i am british, it was just so boring when they talked about where people had come from to watch the wedding and what time they got up, etc. They should have just focused on the wedding only then that was it, but instead it was like a full days worth of tv and on different channels. I too do wish them the best, but seriously it did not have to take up the tv, there is other things happening around the world other than this. Also i guess that when they get back from their honeymoon then this will be mentioned for a while on tv and in the newspapers, just wish they didn't show and comment on things like this for so long. Thankyou so very much for your response to this topic.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
29 Apr 11
Hello, Craigy. I'm British, but I live in Spain, and what's really surprised me is that Spanish television is full of the Royal Wedding as well. I was talking to a Spanish friend yesterday, and she says it's on all the channels - and they have a lot! We were back in Britain last month, and I got a bit fed up of it, and said I was glad we'd be back here for the actual wedding. That said, I watched it all today, and really enjoyed it. Let's hope that's the end of it now, but I don't suppose it will be.
• Philippines
29 Apr 11
Hi craigy... I suppose it has something to do with your country's history and tradition. And it does have a mystique to it. They are also news so media swarm for a spot and this spot gets bigger and bigger. I doubt if they, the royal couple, should be blamed for this. I watched for a while and I loved looking at all those hats. Beautiful. We don't wear hats where I live. And after a while, I tuned back to movies. So it is one's choice really whether to watch or not.
29 Apr 11
Hi figurativeme, The media do tend to blow things up much more than they need to really. I guess in a way i am happy now that i have seen a bit of the wedding and seen that they seem happy together and do look like a great couple. Hopefully with the likes of the younger blood in william and harry we may have some future changes that will be of benefit to this country, i do feel that the monarchy doesn't really do much and seems to take rather than to give. I did catch glimpses and loved the dress of both kate and her sister, i just think that there is so much hype surrounding this, but then again he is royalty so i guess it was obvious that we would see and hear so much about it. I do hope that it will die down soon though as it can get a tad boring listening and seeing the same things all the time, it has happened, its in the past now, hopefully the media will let them get on with their lives together. Thankyou so very much for your response to this topic.
• Philippines
30 Apr 11
Any media in any country has the natural tendency to over extragerate any issue as long as the media deem the issue as of public interest. I could tell you that a media agency or institution has the habit of being selective in issues that it wants to air for the public. Since the media often respect the opinion of the majority or the mainstream society, the issues of the minority are often ignored or deemed 'not too interesting'. Here in my country, some issues can appear repeatedly in news programs for weeks. After some time and air time, it is dropped for new news or happenings. Some issues can only have an air time of less than the half of a minute. That is how media works - by calculated air time and space in its medium. Regarding the coverage of the royal wedding, I understand your thoughts and feelings (as a minority on your country) about being bombarded by this event that is the exact opposite of you believe. However, you cannot fight the interest of the majority of the population and the media's fascination and perhaps obsession with the event. I'm sure that the couple, as any normal couple, would most likely opt for a simple wedding in a far countryside with no extra eyes scrutinizing them, their movements or their dress for that matter. . However, their status and role in society prevents that. Regarding the holiday, that is your government's discretion. Since the event was anticipated by many, I guess that is their way to honor the event and allow the people to celebrate with the couple. If I understand your government and society correctly, even Prince William or your Queen cannot declare a holiday, just because they want to. I noticed in your wording and your choice of words that you are venting out about this event and the royals themselves. I understand that, because there is freedom of speech in your country. You are probably sick of any royal coverage since you are not partial to it but you cannot do anything about it, unless you own a media agency yourself and operate it. I cannot tell who to hate and why you hate it. That's free will. But I hope that you can proud of what your country has, regardless of its imperfections or what you thought as its imperfections. If you are against these kind of people, I suggest you research them first before ranting about them and judging them as useless. If they are really useless as you claim, then why are they are people who follow them? Why are there still there in your country if you have the power to give the boot? Surely, you can mount up a Revolution like in France? I'm sorry if I get overboard but I cannot tolerate unkindness to other people, regardless of reason. I hope somehow I became of help to you.
30 Apr 11
Hi jeanneyvonne, Well, the wedding is of public interest and i agree that the media no matter where you are do go on and on about things. I guess it all does come down to how intereting the news is and how much it will appeal to people, the longer it appeals to people the more oten they will show it as it helps their ratings. Like a small uninteresting story can be quickly dealt with and aired for a short period of time, unlike something that is big and so therefore very popular where they know they will always get people watching the news could last ages. In the case of this royal wedding i see the news lasting ages, just wish they would now leave them to enjoy their marriage. When it was on tv all day long and the reporters were talking to people in the street asking them things like what time did they get up this morning and where did they travel from etc, that was boring. Would have been better to have a build up before the wedding, then watch the wedding, then see them arrive at buckingham palace and then talk for a bit then leave it, but instead it boringly dragged on and on and on. I agree that their staus here doesn't allow them much privacy and this is a huge event which they share with the rest of our country as it is there place really with being royalty. Also they do have many fans as it showed that are happy to watch them get married and to be close to them. I am proud of my country in some ways, things like the law is a joke as we are so soft here and relaxed on our laws, i do like william and kate, but it is the long and constant media that gets a tad boring after a while, also the couple do need their own time to themselves. I find that the queen can make changes but fails to do so, she seems to take rather than give, what happened really to lady diana seems to be in question with many people pointing the finger at the royal family. In a way i see kate as a similar peroson to diana, just hope she will be as popular as diana was. Our country does need to change a few things, and the queen can stand up and open her mouth, she is a powerful woman, so if she wants what is best for britain it is about time she stood up and spoke, maybe if or when william becomes king changes may get made. I am happy for the couple, truly am but we did not need so much boring media that was not focused on the main people themselves. Thankyou so very much for your response to this topic.
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
29 Apr 11
I'm in Canada. I'm loving it. I awoke at 5am after 3 hours of sleep to watch the wedding. It was wonderful. Different because William is far from stuffy. He is congenial and was actually blushing. The Monarchy is becoming more relaxed. I thought everything was perfect. I don't find it pathetic at all. To each his own, I guess.
29 Apr 11
Hi patgalca, I guess it is good to see that other people are watching this around the world, not just the people in the united kingdom. I guess it really is a main event. I think that william is quite different from his dad, i caught glimpses of this while visiting my mother, loved the dress that kate and her sister were wearing. I think our monarchy does take rather than giving, maybe with the youngsters of the likes of william and harry can make a difference, i do hope so.