A Rather Different Royal Wedding

Rhys Bowen, your royal correspondent reporting in on the latest royal wedding. Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Phillips married English rugby player Mike Tindall in a church in Edinburgh, Scotland. And it couldn't have been more different. Where Kate and Will's wedding was dignified pageantry, this was definitely one step down--with the guest list including TV celebrities, sportspeople and pop stars. Of course Zara is only thirteenth in line to the throne and she doesn't even have a title. Plain Miss Phillips. And rugby players are not known for their suave elegance on the whole (I speak wherof I know. Our nephew is a professional rugby player who has played for England. I am waiting to hear whether he attended the wedding, actually)

So it was rather low key, apart from the number of royals, who tend to raise the tone of any wedding.

Zara is a low key kind of girl--outdoorsy, top level horsewoman who hopes to make the Olympic team next year. So it was no surprise that they were snapped leaving their hotel the next morning in scruffy old jeans and sweat shirts. But she looked lovely and traditional for the actual ceremony and I'm sure her mum heaved a sigh of relief.

The Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate, made sure she was dressed in a way that did not steal the show. It was actually a recycled dress she had worn several years ago. And her dress for the reception was the one she wore recently in LA. A thrifty girl is our new duchess, setting a standard for the times.

But will someone please tell me why all hats have to perch precariously to one side of the head these days?

At least Princess Beatrix looked reasonably elegant and... well, normal, after the ridiculous attire for Will and Kate's wedding.

One undertstands that Will and Kate had a really good time and that the reception included Will's impersonation of Bon Jovi.

Will and Kate--thoughts after the wedding

When Will and Kate postponed their honeymoon it was announced that he was summoned back to work as an RAF search and rescue pilot on the island of Anglesey in Wales. It had never struck me before, but if he'd been working fifteen years ago, he might well have featured in my first Evan Evans book, Evans Above. In this book a suspicious body is found on top of Mount Snowdon and I talked with the RAF search and rescue team about how it would be brought down from the mountain.

The British press are being kind for once and giving the young couple space, although there have been reports of Kate wheeling her trolley around the local supermarket followed by two bodyguards. So all is well and they have settled into domestic bliss with no servants and an ordinary small house to take care of.

But then came the assassination of Bin Laden and my first thought was--the Brits were tipped off that it was about to happen and warned to keep Will and Kate safely at home in the midst of the British military. What do you think?

I'm off to Spain and Morocco next week, feeling a trifle nervous.

On Brits and Hats

We're packing ready to go to Spain and Morocco next week and my frightfully British husband wants to take his tweed cap with him. He's ignoring my remarks that it will make him look like a lost tourist.

Last week I met a group of English friends for lunch  and we toasted the royal couple in champagne, AND some of us wore hats, even though it was lunch time in a restaurant in the middle of San Francisco! And two of our group had attended a slumber party to watch the wedding and sat wearing hats all night. Those of you who are not British may think this a little strange.

Hats have been a lot on my mind since the royal wedding, especially those two horrifiying and silly creations worn by Princesses Beautrice and Eugenie. So I'm wondering, what is it with the British and hats? We wear them to weddings and royal garden parties and Ascot and the sillier the better. You can even buy those fashionable fascinators --you know, little bits of lace and feather that perch to one side of the head--in Marks and Spencer. Men still wear their bowlers to work in the city. And even Prince Charles wears one of those tweed caps when he tramps over his estates. So why are we so attached to our hats. Personally I'm not a hat person, after having had to wear a hat to school for twelve years--felt in winter, panama in summer. Also I have a small head and most hats come down over my eyes, making me look a bit silly, to say the least.

Is it because we cling to tradition that we bring out our hats on any solemn occasion?  Do our hats let others of lesser status know exactly who we are? What do you think?

Okay I confess that I do own one really gorgeous hat. It's raw Thai silk, pale turquoise with fluffy white feathers on the side. I wore it for one of my book tours and it looked smashing. But it became such a bore to hand carry it onto every plane that I have since retired it. However, since my next book is set on the Riviera and does mention a jaunty nautical outfit, I may find a sexy little French sailor hat... who knows.

Royal Wedding!

I'm so proud of myself! I woke up at 6 a.m. on the East Coast (which is 3 a.m my time), just in time to tune in to the best part of the ceremony. And I thought it was perfect, didn't you? The dress was simple and elegant (in fact very like the dresses that my daughter's chose) and what struck me most was the rapport between Kate and Will. Those little snuck glances and grins--so endearing.

The other thing that struck me was how well the police managed the crowd. That many people surging forward could have been disastrous. But the police just calmly moved them forward until they were at the palace gates. And it all went smoothly with no security glitches. Pfew.

And what did you think of some of the hats? Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie? They looked like hats out of a period comedy. And I'm sorry, but yellow is not the queen's best color. Harry looked very glam. All in all very satisfying, except that there was no tea in my hotel bedroom. Sorry Hyatt, but some of us like to drink tea in the morning.

Now back to real life and a day ahead at Malice Domestic with friends, fellow mystery writers and fans for the next three days. I hope to see some of you there.

Historic week ahead

This is one of those weeks we'll probably all remember where we were and what we were doing, in the same way that we remember Kennedy's Assassination if we're old enough, and certainly Princess Diana's wedding.

And I am not refering to Rhys Bowen's visit to Ann Arbor, Bethesda, Annapolis and Pittsburgh either, although I like to think they are momentous occasions. I am, of course, refering to the royal wedding.

 A lot of us will get up at an ungodly hour to watch Will and Kate's wedding live. On the West Coast it will mean rising at 1 a.m., or not going to bed the night before. Not sure how many devoted fans will do that. On the East Coast, where I will be that day, it will mean rising at 4 a.m.  Still ungodly. I may make it by six, and I'm sure the news channels will re-broadcast over and over.

Now that I learned that Tony Blair didn't receive an invitation, I don't feel so badly about not getting one. In fact when I watch such momentous occasions as this, my one thought is always.... what happens if anyone wants to go to the bathroom?  They always make you take your seats hours before the event, especially in these days of maximum security, and I'm sure it will be cold and drafty in the Abbey. It always is in English churches. So in a way I'm glad I'm not there, or one of those lining the royal route, because if I knew I had three or four hours of not being able to find a loo, I'd immediately want to go.

Sorry. I'm a practical kind of gal in some ways. But what about you? Do you wish you could be there?
And I look forward to seeing some of you at Aunt Agatha's in Ann Arbor on Wed, Malice Domestic on Friday and Saturday, Barnes and Noble Annapolis on Sunday and the Festival of Mystery in Oakmont on Monday.

Royal Update, danger ahead for the wedding?

One of my Molly Murphy books features the anarchist movement of the early Twentieth Century. Various leaders around the world were assassinated, including President McKinley and of course Archduke Ferdinand, which act resulted in World War I. Now it appears that anarchism is rearing its ugly head again.
A peaceful protet march by the trade unions of Britain, worried about austerity measures and the future of their unions, was infiltrated by masked and hooded anarchists who threw monotov cocktails at police, smashed windows and made the whole thing turn ugly.
Now these same anarchists have threatened to disrupt the royal wedding--but you know what? If anything can bring a dispirited and divided country together, it is a senseless act like this. Before W.W.II Britain was on its knees after the Great Depression. Communists and Fascists were battling in the streets. It was a precarious time. Then the war came and the country not only reunited against a common enemy, it became proud and determined and strong enough to beat that enemy.
We are all sick of bad news and gloom and doom. The world wants a wedding between two wholesome and forward-looking young people. Just let the anarchists try to do their worst!

Royal Protocol

On my other blog today (http://www.jungleredwriters.com/) I've posted about manners, or rather lack of them in today's society. Since the royal wedding is fast approaching I thought I'd better give a few pointers on brushing up on royal protocol--which is manners in the extreme.

Even today one is expected to leave the queen's presence backward (a rule which has always spelled disaster for Lady Georgie with her tendency to knock into things)

One addresses a royal person by "sir" or "ma'am (pronounced like ham and not like harm). Even their close friends do this in public. This was one of the red flags when Mrs. Simpson first came on the scene with the Prince of Wales in the 30s. She called him David all the time, never sir. There were gasps all around but she didn't care. She also made fun of the future King's famous stutter.

One does not speak to a royal until they speak to you. One does not squeeze the hand they extend to shake (have pity, for God's sake. They shake hundreds of hands a day). When presented one should drop a small curtsey or bow. Not an extravagent sweep to the floor.

When I was young I had tea with the queen. We were instructed that one only eats what the queen eats. She had one piece of brown bread while we looked longingly at all the little cakes and scones and cream. I used that scene in the first royal spyness book. In fact encounters with upper class Brits have provided many of the funny and embarrassing scenes in my books.

So remember if you go to the wedding, once Kate is married she's no longer Kate. She is your royal highness, or ma'am. And I expect cameras will be frowned upon in Westminster Abbey.  Oh, and one always wears a hat to a wedding in England. It can be a tiny little frivolous feather thing or a great big impressive one, however you will not be popular in the Abbey if your hat is huge enough to block the view of those behind you.

And if you go, please tell Will and Kate that Rhys sends her love.

What's Next for Georgie?

I'm nearly done with the next Molly book, so naturally my attention is turning to Georgie and what is up for her.
She has been abroad for the past two books, so I think it's time to bring her back to England, don't you? And with the King's Speech doing so frightfully well (as she would say) I'm wondering whether I can do something with Georgie that ties in to that branch of the royals.
Any suggestions on what you'd like to see happening to Georgie next?

And speaking of royal weddings--I am seriously bummed. The royal wedding will happen when I am on the East coast for a convention. I won't even get to watch the whole thing. Not fair. John will record it back at home and I'll watch it later but it's not the same.

Choosing Kate's Dress--royal wedding update

In England the latest wedding buzz is about the dress.  Word is that Kate has chosen her designer but won't let out the secret until the wedding. Kate's mother and sister were seen visiting Bruce Oldfield, a favorite designer of Princess Diana. But somehow I can't see Kate wanting to look like a "bloody great marshmallow" as Diana's dress was described to me once.

For one thing she's older and more sophisticated. She has a good sense of self and who she is, and she opts for elegance. So expect simpler lines and less frou-frou. Also I believe the royal couple is conscious that this is a period of austerity and that costs should be kept to a minimum while making sure that the wedding is the kind of spectacle everyone is hoping for. Not an easy balance, is it?

Most of us have to juggle wedding costs, but usually it's band versus DJ or whether we can afford three or four hors d'oeuvres. I don't suppose you've had to decide whether you want three carriages or four, the household cavalry to accompany you down the Mall, and the trumpeters as well as a symphony orchestra at Westminster Abbey. And then there is the grand ball afterward. Another dress needed plus all that food and drink, but necessary if the heads of state from around the world are coming to attend.

The closest I ever got to this was my goddaughter's wedding in Cornwall. It was a three day event, starting with church service, then reception with sit down dinner for 250, Cornish country music. Later another 150 people joined us for pasties and beer, and a jazz quartet, ending with a disco in the wee hours.

The next day was a cricket match, family versus the village, then a pig roast in one of the barns. Day three a cruise up the river Fal to a pub lunch and in the evening a grand ball. Lots of fun and very little sleep.

So what do you think Kate's dress will look like? Do you think she'll opt for simplicity and elegance over extravagence?

Royal Scoop Monday

As promised here is my next tidbit of royal info leading up to the wedding on April 29th. I'm annoyed about their choice of date as I'll be at the Malice Domestic convention on that day, so I'd better let them know that there is no point in sending me an invitation :)

Anyway last week the newspapers in England were coming up with evil little snippets to hint that future princess Kate came from the lowliest of lowly families. Her great grandmother worked in a jam factory while her grandfather had to look after his 6 siblings.

Well, it turns out that was only one part of the story. On her father's side the family were rich industrialists who built the first shopping center in the city of Leeds and helped to found Leeds University..and left a hefty trust so that Kate went to one of the most expensive private schools, Marlborough College.  However, they were always commoners and to the British aristocracy that is a gap that can never be breached.

Small example: I was at a sherry party in the Cotswolds once (snooty area of England) and the hostess beckoned us all closer and said, "My dears, you'll never guess who bought that house across the valley."

And everyone said, "Do tell!"

and she said, "My dears, he's a grocer."

And everyone made expressions of surprise, disgust, horror etc.

And the point is that even if he owned Safeway, he'd still be a grocer to them.

So poor Kate. Let's hope the rules are finally breaking down for her sake.

Royal Wedding, Royal Scandals

Since I'm heavily involved with royal personages in my life--albeit not living ones--I shall be following with great interest the build up to the wedding of William and Kate (or Katherine as we are now supposed to call her).

So visit this blog every Monday for latest snippets of royal gossip, royal scandals from the past and juicy details for royal watchers.

I'm starting off with a couple of really juicy details to share: the first were the comments made this weekend by the Bishop of Willesden, in North London. (blogger note--I didn't even know they had a bishop in Willesden. he must be a very minor one!) Anyway this clueless guy posted on Facebook that he thought the upcoming royal wedding was a ridiculous waste of public money and that the couple would be divorced within seven years. He went on to compare it to the lavish celebrations for Charles and Diana, whom he refered to as Big Ears and the porcelain doll, reminding people what happened to them. He could not have been more offensive and said he'll be in France on the day, celebrating with other republicans.

Note this is a Bishop of the Church of England, the head of which is...THE QUEEN. He's attacking his employer, essentially and IMHO should be out of a cushy job, standing in an employment line. That will make him rethink his views on republicanism!
Anyway, he's apologized today, or been made to apologize. How stupid not to think that the world would pick up his Facebook comments.

There have been outcries about the cost in UK, but the complainers don't stop to think that the wedding is projected to bring in 260 million in additional tourist pounds for the event. It will make a profit, however expensive it is to the tax payer, and both the queen and Charles have already said they plan to foot a good part of the bill.

So do you think it's a waste of money?

And one other juicy tidbit for today... Kate's great grandmother worked in a jam factory. I told you it would be juicy, didn't I?