For the past month or so, I can’t count how many times I have either said or thought, “What’s the big deal?” when it came to the Royal Wedding that just graced the world’s stage this morning. To be honest, I felt like a Royal Grinch of sorts, which is strange since I am one of those Canadians that like the fact that we are part of the commonwealth and I enjoy all things British and I admire the Queen immensely. I even bought a copy of “The King’s Speech” last week!
Still, I don’t understand how obsessed everyone got and I doubly don’t get why it seems like the US was more interested than Canada in the Royals. What’s up with that? I basically put it down to the desire for a real fairy tale. What’s better than a real Cinderella story? So my take is that the relevance of the Royal nuptials has been fuelled by females worldwide as two billion people tuned in to see the happy couple tie the knot.
Now I am OK with the desire for real-life fairy tales. I understand that life has been a bit grim lately and we are all in need of a moral boost. Let’s face it, 2011 has been about bad news. We are all in need of a fairy tale of the real life variety, so even though the appeal of the Royal Wedding continues to be lost on me, I congratulate the happy couple and all those who have been swept up in pomp and circumstance.
I wonder though, what will be the effect of this wedding? Will it have an impact beyond the souvenir shops? I know it will pump some tourist bucks into Britain’s economy and Kate’s dress is probably being made, as we speak, for brides all around the world to buy. But is there going to be any more lasting benefit than that?
Perhaps the fact that this wedding gave the world a brief moment of celebration is enough. After all, the world was united around news that didn’t involve disasters and dictators for a few hours this morning and that is a good thing. For a few hours on April 29, 2011 the world collectively wrote themselves into a fairy tale happy ending.
Something tells me, though, that our collective memory isn’t going to sustain us for any length of time. And for that reason alone, I am looking forward to another Royal Wedding. For me this is the Royal Wedding to end all Royal Weddings. I can’t wait for when the Lamb of God comes for His Spotless Bride, the Church.
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2)
Talk about your Royal Wedding with a lasting impact!
