Kate & William

[sparksals]

I have to admit, I feel really old!! I remember Diana and Charles' wedding and the birth of both those boys.  William is nearly 30 years old!   *sigh*

[KenveeB]

Now to break the news to my friend, who is about to have her dreams of marrying said Prince dashed to the ground...

So many people's dreams were dashed!   Kate seems like a very nice girl, and I really hope that it works out for them.

[DoubleTrouble]

Apparently there's quite a lot of buzz about the ring going on. 

Honestly, in Kate's place right now, I would be unbelievably honored to have been given that engagement ring.  One thing there was never any doubt about was Diana's devotion to her sons, and their adoration for her.  For William to give Kate that ring says, to me, that he holds her in just as high esteem as he did his mother, and I think that's wonderful.

I guess what I'm saying is, I think it should be viewed in terms of its meaning and importance to William, rather than what it may or may not signify to the general public.

Also, regardless of what happened in their marriage, I think it's safe to say that when Diana received the ring, it made her very happy, and this is a way for Kate and William to share that happiness and, hopefully, continue it. 

Agreed and it's such a beautiful ring. I have one question and one observation

Why if her given name is Catherine is she called Kate with a "K"? Is that a British thing?

My observation from an article on Yahoo, I found this to be a rather annoying statement

"The prematurely balding prince said ..."

Really? They had to bring that up? Just kinda sounds mean to me. FTR, DH started going bald at age 19 so I know how sensitive men can be about it.

I have to admit, I feel really old!! I remember Diana and Charles' wedding and the birth of both those boys.  William is nearly 30 years old!   *sigh*

My grandparents were actually in England around the time of the wedding and brought back some of the coins for me & my brother. DH has it stored with all his coins

[ClaireC79]

Kate is always spelt with a K here, no matter how the long version of the name is spelt

[Just Lori]

I had the same reaction to the ring.  I think those boys revered their mother.  She was, perhaps, the quintessential woman in their eyes.  I interpret it as saying, "Here's a piece of my mother that I want you to have," rather than "Here's a piece of my parents' marriage."

Kate seems very comfortable in her skin, something Diana never had.  I hope my impression is correct.  As much as I'd love my children to live a fairy tale life, I don't think I'd want my daughters marrying into the royal family.  However, I appreciate that William acknowledges the challenges his bride and her family will face.  I heard him say in an interview that one of the reasons he waited was to make sure they were comfortable with the demands of royalty, or the demands of being related to royalty.

Sigh. Count me as one of those young girls who was glued to the TV for Charles and Diana's wedding.  Diana died a few days after my first daughter was born, and I spent many sleepless hours holding a baby while watching the funeral activities and television specials.  I think her ultimate goal was to see her children happy, and I hope that comes true.

[goldilocks]

I have a question about the wedding.  It was my understanding when Charles married Camilla that they could not get married in Westminster Abbey because commoners could not get married there.  But isn't Kate a commoner?  All the buzz seems to indicate the Westminster will be the venue.

[PurpleFrog]

The commoner thing was a bit smoke screenie. There was a lot of questioning as to how appropriate it was due to it being a second marriage. That coupled with the way many seem to revier (sp) Diana, they just avoided the issue.

I may be wrong but I thought Sophie and Edward married there and she is a 'commoner'.

Eta: No sorry Edward and Sophie didn't marry there. Brain blip.


However according to the abbys website then any member of the royal family can marry there, so Wills qualifies for both. Apparently the queen also,has the power to grant dispensations for commonors to marry there.

WWW.westminster-abbey.org/faq

[Elfqueen13]

I don't think it's at all unusual for a young man whose mother has died to offer her engagement ring to his fiance, regardless of the state of his parents marriage.  The fact that this ring is one of the most iconic pieces of jewelry of the 20th century is really a sideline.

[Shoo]

And did you see that ring on Kate's finger?  It was like it was made for her. 

[rose red]

At first I was a bit surprised about the ring, but after a few seconds I now think it's sweet.  Even after Charles and Diana's divorce, I seem to remember her wearing it occasionally.  She must have loved it very much.  I think it's wonderful that William (and Kate) want Diana's memory to be part of their happiness.

eta: I'm another one who feels old.  I remember waking up in the middle of the night (it seemed) to watch Charles and Diana's wedding.  Nobody else was up and the rest of my family was later shocked to find me in the dark living room watching TV.  And then of course I remember when William was born, and later his little wave on his first day of school...sigh.

[KenveeB]

I saw an interview with Wills and Kate, and he said that using Diana's ring was a way for her to be a part of the whole thing even though she couldn't be there.  I think that's very sweet and touching. 

[Bethczar]

Kate is always spelt with a K here, no matter how the long version of the name is spelt

It's pretty common in the US, too.

[Ms_Cellany]

Kate is always spelt with a K here, no matter how the long version of the name is spelt

It's pretty common in the US, too.

Cate Blanchette?

[Bethczar]

Kate is always spelt with a K here, no matter how the long version of the name is spelt

It's pretty common in the US, too.

Cate Blanchette?

I didn't say it was the only way, just that it isn't uncommon.

[Ms_Cellany]

Kate is always spelt with a K here, no matter how the long version of the name is spelt

It's pretty common in the US, too.

Cate Blanchette?

I didn't say it was the only way, just that it isn't uncommon.

Sorry; should have labelled mine as a poorly-disguised post for updates.