The wedding: my hypocrisy

On "THE DAY", I shall be flying back to DC for my fifth Mellon lecture (do come, one and all... please don't lose the habit after the spring break!). So I don't have to fuss too much about whether I will watch it, still less whether I will whoop it up at a street party (well, a street party in Huntingdon Road would bring a frisson of risk, speed cameras notwithstanding).

The truth is though that the wedding brings out the hypocrites in us all.

If you asked me straight whether I thought the monarchy had had its day, I would have to say yes. It matters not whether the Queen is a hardworking woman (I am sure she is)... or, conversely, whether Prince Charles has his tooth brush "pasted" by his man-servant (I really hope that that is NOT true). Whatever, the fact is that the monarchy costs a very great deal, legitimates a class structure and aristocracy that we would be much better off without (just think how the Dukes and Earls would tumble if Her Majesty was relocated to a small semi), and is an insult to all the hardworking and struggling people in this country, who would be happy with 1/1000th of the space that the royals occupy.

But all that is easy to say, harder to live.

It is also the case that if I got an invitation to the palace I would go like a shot (no doubt cancelling other things). In fact, when the husband was invited to a Garden Party, I found myself dead keen and in quite a fret about the frock and the hat. And if I had been invited to THE wedding, well... yes, I would have said yes without a murmur.

So until we Republicans can be strong enough not to be glitzed by royalty, I fear we will always remain in its thrall... and to be 'anti-monarchy" will be for most of us an armchair occupation (as we wait, dream on (!), for that gold rimmed invitation to drop through the letter box).

As it happens I am not leavig for the USA till early evening on Friday. And I just fancy I might  turn the tv on, albeit briefly.

Oh and thats my finger with the daughter's Primark ring, a bargain at £2.00 and a great hit in the USA. A nice match for my "DONT DO IT DI" badge from back in 1981.