Sunday 20 May 2018

Fire and ice


Along with the other 2 billion who watched the wedding yesterday, I am going to add my bit to the all the terabytes of verbiage bouncing off satellites this morning.

When I said that my favourite bit was Bishop Michael Curry's sermon, what I meant was that my favourite bit was watching the entire congregation (apart from the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh) gradually but surely break into smiles and then laughter at his sheer cheek in hi-jacking the ceremony with his Southern-style 'love and fire' tirade.

I particularly liked the bit when - half way through - he stopped short and promised to shut up because "...you all need to get married!" then carry on with the fire bit for another ten minutes. I thought for a moment he was talking about hellfire. He certainly broke the ice. 

At one point toward the end, a camera was trained on the Queen and Prince Phillip. She had her head down in the order of service, but he was gawping open-mouthed at the preacher in disbelief. I think that if he had been a bit younger he would have shouted something abusive out loud, if not got to his feet and wrestled him off the podium, but age has mellowed him.

I think it must have been Prince Charles's idea to sneak in a Greek Orthodox priest to say a few brief words. I have heard rumours that Charles veers toward Greek Orthodoxy and has expressed the ambition to be called 'Defender of the Faiths'  if and when he becomes King.

When you walk down the aisle of St George's Chapel, you pass over the graves of Henry the Eighth and Charles the First. Henry represents the split between England and the Roman Catholic Church and Charles is a stark reminder of what happens when you let republicans control the Anglican Church. Anyone who abolishes Christmas (let alone commit regicide) will not last long in this country.

Everyone is saying how wonderful the little bridesmaids were - one is only two years old. As the huge Rolls Royces swept up the 2.6 mile-long ride to decant them at the West gate to the chapel, they all waved charmingly at the thousands of well-wishers lining the route.

Then I thought, actually, if you put any small child in a huge limo and drive them down the street, their natural instinct would be to wave and smile at everyone on the outside. They wouldn't need to be told to do that any more than once.

I am amazed at how Megan's mother held it together. In a few short days, she has come from being an ordinary social worker in America  to a member of the Royal Family with all that entails. She was so composed for someone who watched her daughter's marriage - seated alone - in a place that could have been Hogwarts, complete with overhead flags and standards.

I don't think she need worry too much though, because most parents with children who marry a royal are soon forgotten - unless they disgrace themselves. I am not so sure how her father will cope though. The British press cannot stop themselves from digging up anything which will cast a shadow on the royals if it sells newspapers. Remember Diana. They actually killed her in pursuit of a scoop.

Long live The Queen...

13 comments:

  1. I thought I was watching an an episode of Religions of the World featuring What Martin Luther King Did Next.

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  2. I'm only just now getting over it all; well, at least the hangover bit!

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  3. Like many religious (and others) who have a large audience, he went on too long. Other than that, it was a marvelous occasion. The queen looked a little out of it, but her outfit was beautiful.

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  4. I watched and I enjoyed it. One of the happiest photos of the them was after they changed for the evening reception and were heading to the Jag. They certainly upped the style stakes there.
    I don't know why, but I always think Victoria Beckham looks like she has just risen from her coffin.

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  5. We watched it all ...... a big, family wedding, beautifully done ...... we are so good at pomp and ceremony .... nobody does it like us. I watch because it doesn’t happen very often and it’s history in the making. I thought Prince Charles was brilliant ..... he really looked after Meghan and her mum .... he gets lots of points from me !!! XXXX

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  6. I did not see the blue ice in her veil in any other photo I looked at. The other still that took away my breath--Meghan alone in the aisle, trailed by the children.

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  7. Oh, I thought it was all perfect. I did notice the smiles and glances during the 'old time religion' sermon. Believe me, that was a tame version. I loved it all so much. Wish I could have seen even more of it.

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  8. I read that the wedding rings of Harry and Megan are not identical: the bride's faith was made with Welsh gold and is a personal gift of Queen Elizabeth, while Harry's ring is a band of decorated platinum.
    Greetings Maria x

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  9. I thought that he was great too. They all were.

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  10. 'That' sermon is printed in full in today's Times Tom and reading it without the 'antics' of the Bishop it is a very pleasing experience - full of love.

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    1. It’s actually pretty amazing he was elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. There are not many black Episcopalians and is Southern black preacher style would be as foreign to most WASPs as it was to Her Majesty.

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