Charles and Camilla
I probably shouldn't post on the royal wedding at all. I certainly have reason to be grateful that I won't stoop to the level of Ann Althouse, who has pointed out that Charles' taste apparently runs to horse-faced women--as well as to horses themselves. I won't refer to the Royal Family as "those bloody Germans," as John Derbyshire says his father did. I won't ask why, if Britain had to be stuck with Germans for a royal family, it had to be the dullest and most plodding bunch of Germans anyone has ever encountered. Margaret supposedly had brains and a sense of humour--but it was her duty to hide it, so she was apparently drunk pretty well all the time.
One TV special indicated that the Queen herself might have a sense of humour. Two Anglican Bishops or Archbishops told the same story, from different periods of time. The Bishop or whoever is working in the royal palace. He knows the Queen is nearby, and to his amazement she comes to see him as the day draws to a close. Would you like a drink? she asks.
Nonplussed, in both cases the churchman agreed. She led him to the liquor cabinet/serving stand, or whatever. What will you have? she asked. Just name it, I'll get it for you myself. Totally flabbergasted, one of them ordered sherry, the other a G and T.
Churchman holds drink in hand. Queen has none. A lot of "thank you very much your majesty" or "ma'am" or whatever. And then she says something like: please go ahead. But aren't you going to have something, your majesty? "I can't; I've given up alcohol for Lent."
I don't know, I think it's funny.
Two comments: The Royal Family and their advisers have apparently concluded that in the old days having a mistress was much more acceptable than screwing around with the traditions of marriage, but now it is the other way around. (It's tempting to say things are more Victorian, or American, or something). The only way for Charles and Camilla to be invited a lot of places as a couple is to be married somehow. But because of all the legal issues, it has to be low key. They announced it would be in Windsor Castle, and the Queen would be there. (They can't have a church wedding, because her husband is still alive; but the church will "bless their union," or something, after a civil ceremony). Now it turns out the Castle isn't licensed for weddings (the welfare state rears its head?) and the much more modest town hall or Guildhall, which is licensed, is forced to admit the public to a civil ceremony. Now no Queen.
In Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, the creepy Canadian capitalist wants to marry an aristocratic young woman, to achieve one kind of distinction that has so far eluded him. He wants a big formal wedding--the way only those European toffs know how to do it. "Nothing hole and corner." Unfortunately, because he has not divorced his wife, "hole and corner," in some incredibly obscure place, with virtually no guests, as if shrouded in deep shame, is exactly how it must be and is. Same here.
Secondly. a joke from the Royal Canadian Air Farce, which is intermittently funny.Charles is supposedly being interviewed. "When did you realize there were problems with your marriage." "On our wedding night." "Oh, how sad--the very first night. And what was the first real sign of trouble?" Well, my wife said 'Get out! Get out of this bed!' "Oh dear, your wife asked you to get out of the conjugal bed?" "No, she didn't say it to me--she said it to mother's Corgis!"
A few minutes later, after other topics have been covered. "So things are as they should be between yourself and Mrs. Parker-Bowles?" "Oh yes, things are wonderful. God she loves those Corgis!"
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