I was in Milan when the news of the engagement between Prince William and Catherine Middleton broke. All day and all night it was Will and Kate on the hotel TV (in Italian naturally). Back in Boston we have been bombarded with every little detail of the upcoming nuptial for weeks (or was it months?). Even a local bicycle enthusiast had become headline news simply because she shares the same namesake with the bride to be:
And I thought the Yanks had fought a war against their former landlord!!
For me all I can say is time and tide – It doesn’t seem that long ago we were witnessing Diana madness when a twenty year old kindergarten teacher walked down the aisle to the arm of a (marginally) dashing prince, and now it is her son’s turn. How quietly the years can creep up on you!
In additions to the well wishing, the press has kept reassuring us that the road ahead for the engaged couple will be much less rocky than their predecessors – they are much closer in age; they have been together for almost a decade; the prince is not pressured into marriage this time; Kate grew up in a happier childhood and is more educated… etc. One particular argument the press like to emphasize is that Kate is far more worldly, confident and sophisticated than Diana was at the time of the wedding, so the verdict is Kate would be more ‘prepared’ for intense scrutiny to come, or is it so?
I have never actually paid much attention to Kate Middleton before but in the midst of the Royal Wedding frenzy I decide to dig up the interviews of both couples before their wedding on YouTube:
William and Kate do look like they are very excited and happy but which engaged couple wouldn’t? You could say the same about Charles and Diana at the time as well and we all know how the latter turned out to be. Diana did sound like ditsy and babbling at times but she was also more straight forward and uninhibited. Kate, on the other hand, appeared a lot more subdue than I expect. Apart from the bit where she said she was grateful that they have split up for awhile because it allowed her to grow and see relationship in a more realistic perspective, she didn’t appear to be particularly perceptive about their union. Especially when she was asked about the difficulty of stepping into the shadow of Diana, which understandably will dog her for years to come, you would expect she must have thought of that and be prepared for questions like this but her response is disappointing and confusing.
However, what a revelation Prince William is, he is supposed to be the one that is uncomfortable and shy from the spotlight but he was quite at ease here. More importantly he was very protective and ready to jump in to dodge the bullet for his future wife when she appeared lost in the question. How reassuring it is to have your prince give you a pat on your lap and said “she will do really well”. No wonder he is one of the biggest heartthrobs of England in his time.
Every marriage will have its problem and no one will know what the future will hold. When you decide go into a marriage you'll need to be brave and I can’t even begin to fathom how anyone can be *prepared* for it to be done in such a public way if you aren't born into it. Well, good luck Kate!
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