Nina in New York: Official Commemorative Royal Wedding Bells Are Chiming!
A young professional's take on the trials and tribulations of everyday life in New York City.
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The royal wedding is here! And I, for one, am excited. Really excited! I've looked at the family trees, viewed the photos of where the wedding will be held, read up on interesting Buckingham Palace flotsam and jetsam, and followed the coverage of "royal jellies" and commemorative monocles with both amusement and fascination. I've even seen the "royal wedding donuts" with my own two eyes! Sigh. I almost feel like I'm there.
Perhaps I watched too many Disney movies growing up, but this whole event seems like the realization of a fairy tale fantasy. A beautiful (wealthy socialite) country girl meets and falls in love with a (once) handsome (enough) young prince. There will be a grand ceremony, a star-studded ball, and a glamorous Princess whose stunning gown will no doubt be sewn and designed by the magical mice and sparrows who sing and live in palace walls.
I understand that to the British people, the monarchy is a very real entity and a relevant part of their lives, however powerless it has been rendered. But to me, it feels like something out of a storybook. I'm somewhat awestruck and a little baffled by the idea that these people are the direct descendants of the Kings and Queens of centuries past. The sheer depth (and violence and depravity) of history behind the royals makes their whole existence feel almost fictional. Whenever I've had the opportunity to visit millennium-old castles or ancient ruins, being confronted with the physical connection between history and reality boggles my mind. I can't imagine what it would be like to be part of a family whose ties to the past are so intrinsically part of the present. The closest we come to that in America are people like the Carnegies or the Astors or the Daughters of the American Revolution, or, according to the Captivate Network in my office elevator, Oprah and Stedman. Er, not the same.
That's one side of the allure. The other is the obvious tabloid appeal of wealth, family dysfunction and creepy blue-blood secrets and scandals. No real fairy tale is without some dark doings, and I would guess that the House of Windsor has some serious skeletons in its many, many closets. Maybe even some real ones! Oooh, ew, I totally bet there are. Gross. Rich people are weird!
Anyway, I can't wait to live stream the big day from my computer this morning. No, I did not wake up at 5 a.m. (so inconsiderate, England). But I'm going to eat royal commemorative scones on my souvenir china and drink Wills and Kate branded champagne out of my Wills and Kate mug and wear my official Princess Catherine replica tiara and ring and necklace and sensible-yet-expensive shoes, and I'll record it all in my royal wedding personal journal with my Wills and Kate dolls by my side. Ah, it's all so romantic!
Excited for the royal wedding? Couldn't care less? Sound off below...
Dear Readers: While I am rarely at a loss for words, I'm always grateful for column ideas. Please feel free to e-mail me your suggestions.
Nina Pajak is a writer and publishing professional living with her husband on the Upper West Side.
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