For months people from across the world have been preparing themselves for the wedding of the year, and possibly the decade. Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement in Nov. 16, 2010, and since then numerous questions have been asked: What will her dress look like? Who will be invited? Will they kiss? Hundreds of William and Kate documentaries and articles have covered their true love since then, and much more William and Kate souvenirs have been sold. But did the royal wedding truly live up to all the hype that spectators gave it?
Billions of viewers from all over the world tuned in Friday, April 29, to see the two wed. About one hour of the royal wedding consisted of guests walking in, covered head to toe in different attire. British girls with floppy hats, dashing men in sleek suits, young children dressed in princess dresses, flooded the Westminster Abbey. Famous faces like Victoria and David Beckham, and Elton John were seen walking in, and although each and every guest was surely important, it seemed like they could have sped up the process at least a little bit. Commentators evaluated Kate’s mother, Carole Middelton’s, attire, and Kate’s sister Pippa, and others; however, everyone was at the edge of their seats waiting to see Kate herself.
Kate Middleton looked stunning, to say the least. With ever present glowing bridal beauty, Kate walked down the aisle in a long sleeved, lace gown with a 12-foot long train. While Kate’s sister, Pippa, carried her train, Kate made the long walk down the aisle with her father, Michael, at her side. Nervousness, excitement, and passion flashed across her face. The ceremony included lots of singing, reading of the scripture, praying, and most importantly: the vows. William and Kate decided to write their own vows. Instead of using the term “obey” in her vows, Kate promised William lifelong loyalty and faithfulness to him.
The newlyweds left the building after the ceremony and rode about the streets in a horse drawn carriage, making their way to Buckingham Palace, thousands of onlookers waved Great Britain’s flag, cheering them on every step of the way. Aside from the dreary weather, the procession looked like it had been taken directly out of a little girl’s fairy tale book. At Buckingham Palace, they greeted those celebrating the occasion with them, with polite smiles and constant waves. At the balcony of the palace, they not only kissed once, but twice, as if once was not enough. The first kiss could have been easily missed in the blink of the eye, and the second was hardly any longer. Although they were unbelievably short and discrete, they were cute because William and Kate were so humble and shy. Their two kisses were extremely significant because royalty were not expected to kiss at their weddings, much less in public. The crowds roared with applause and yelled “kiss again”; they could not get enough of the perfect couple.
After months of waiting for the day, viewers from around the world finally got what they wanted. They anticipated the big and beautiful wedding; however others did not understand why the wedding was such a big deal. Many historians wanted to witness this moment for the day that Prince William may be crowned king. But there was more to it than historical importance, as many viewers, especially female, anticipated this event. Amanda Byron, a commentator for TLC, put it perfectly, “The girl next door gets her fairy tale ending,” something every girl desires in this world. Kate Middleton, a commoner, a girl who was not particularly extraordinary in any way, landed herself a handsome and talented prince. William and Kate proved that there is such thing as a “happily ever after,” after all.
