Did you watch the Wedding?

Those who know me well would not be surprised that I got up at 4:45AM to watch the Royal Wedding yesterday. They might be surprised, however, that I convinced my husband to join me. I sold it as an “early morning date” with tea and scones, and a little Royal Wedding on the side. James protested at first, grumbled for five minutes, but I eventually convinced him.

I loved the wedding for a variety of reasons.

1. The liturgy. It was a traditional Anglican wedding liturgy, which is beautiful. Even the wedding sermon was nice. And seeing as we are being confirmed into the Anglican Church on Monday evening when our bishop is in town, we rather like that kind of stuff.

The music. Divine. Complete with a boys choir. Amen.

Kate’s Dress. Her dress was lovely, classy, and elegant—a very Grace Kelly-esque wedding gown.

1. The Bridesmaids and Page Boys. Adorable, right? James likes to tease that we had an “army” of children in our wedding, but we only had 5, not 6.

Constitutional Monarchy. There is something really powerful about the way that the British Monarchy draws its people together. Yes, the monarchy has had its problems over the years. But when done well, within a system of checks and balances and with the goal of serving the people, I think the monarchy is a really powerful symbol for a nation. It was moving to watch the British people line the streets yesterday, and to hear them singing the hymn “Jerusalem” together as it was broadcast on loudspeakers throughout the park.

The Queen. God save the Queen! I really do love Queen Elizabeth II – I think she has had one of the most fascinating lives. As a girl, she lived through WWII in London while her father was the king. The Royal Family stayed in London throughout the bombings of WWII, while many others were fleeing to the countryside, to show support and solidarity for the people of London. Many mornings after bombings, Elizabeth was out roaming the streets with her sister, mother, and father greeting people and commiserating with them in their losses. And she became queen when her father died at the age of 26—she has been on the throne for 59 years now. Wow.

Well, Cheers to William and Kate!

"What God has joined together let no man put asunder."