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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think it's weird to celebrate the marriage of strangers?

56 replies

moogster1a · 29/03/2011 07:12

I don't get this having street parties etc. for the royal wedding. I have nothing against the couple but think it's really odd that you would celebrate for people you don't know and never will.

OP posts:
neighbourhoodwitch · 29/03/2011 07:25

Now that you have brought it up, yes, I totally agree! - like you, nothing acrimonious or anything but we do not know them!

littleomar · 29/03/2011 07:35

yes it's totally weird. they're having a party in my street for the royal wedding.

we're getting married on saturday. they know us. not so much as a sausage roll.

onceamai · 29/03/2011 07:38

Well if you feel so strongly that you don't know them and don't want to celebrate suggest you see if you can go to work then and ask school if the dc can go in. We're looking forward to a lovely long weekend and actually, I'm quite keen on watching it too.

Gracie123 · 29/03/2011 07:49

I got sent an invite to a street party to celebrate the marriage of William and Harry Hmm

I'm going to crash a different one on the next housing estate though because it looks more fun Grin

Personally I couldn't give a fig for the royal wedding, but any excuse for a party is fine by me.

Original poster
moogster1a · 29/03/2011 07:51

I'm not begrudging the day off. The same as i don't begrudge Easter despite having no religious leanings at all. I just find it odd.
i might watch bits of it if I happen to be in in a sort of "oohh, don't we do pomp well"; it's the actually celebrating with parties bit I don't get.
littleomar have a vol au vent on me

OP posts:
Merle · 29/03/2011 07:58

YOU ARE SO RIGHT.

This country has gone mad.

I wish them well,etc.but just the same as I would anyone.

I am truly amazed that anyone feels the need to organise parties, buy patriotic stuff etc.

Sirzy · 29/03/2011 08:03

I think it great that it's a feel good event there is enough doom and gloom lets have a day of celebrating for a change :)

trumpton · 29/03/2011 08:07

When is it? < Doesn't give a monkey's emoticon >

goodbyemrschips · 29/03/2011 08:08

Goodness what a load of grumps
wheather you like it or not he is our future king.

When my son is old and grey I would like him to show his grandkids photos of the day the King and Queen got married.

I will keep the newspapers as well.

As you can tell I love history.

RunAwayWife · 29/03/2011 08:10

Thinking back to the wedding of Charles and Diana and the Queens silver jubeliee [sp] and remembering the street parties I believe it is (well was) about a celebrating as a community when people still knew their neighbours and were not so far in to their own lives that they shut out everything else.
Now most people do not speak to the people living in the same street and most community's are very diverse with a lot of miss trust and groups keeping with their "own" and not mixing.

It is very sad

kreecherlivesupstairs · 29/03/2011 08:11

DD got very excited when she read that Mrs Cameron was organising a party in Downing street and asked whether we were having one.
You would have thought that a nearly ten year old would have twigged that Belgians don't give a toss about British royalty.

happybubblebrain · 29/03/2011 08:20

I don't believe in the royal family or what they stand for. And I don't believe in marriage. And I'm loosing a precious day's holiday (I get the bare minimum holiday allowance as it is) because of the whole farce. I'm surprise more people aren't angry about it - we're going to have their wealth and privilege thrown in our faces at a time when things are getting harder and harder for most people, including the sick, disabled and very poor. It's sickening.

Original poster
moogster1a · 29/03/2011 08:21

happy bubble why are you losing a day's holiday. I thought we were being given an extra bank holiday

OP posts:
tortilla · 29/03/2011 08:22

I find a street party with people I might not know well a bit odd, but we're taking the opportunity of an unexpected day off to have a group of old friends who we don't see often as we're all over the country around for a bit of a party, and will all be forcing our children to make rosettes and decorations out of red, white and blue crepe paper and wave Union Jacks at the telly. We had to do it for Charles and Di so they can do it for Will & Kate! But it is a bit weird to celebrate their marriage really, unless you are an ardent royalist.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 29/03/2011 08:22

We had people that came to our wedding that didn't know us from adam (and likewise we didn't know them). I'll admit it was a bit of a strange idea, but totally common - so I don't think the idea of celebrating a strangers wedding with your own party is too far from that Grin

Gracie123 · 29/03/2011 08:22

Happy - it's a bank holiday. It doesn't come out of your statutory holiday allowance.

Sirzy · 29/03/2011 08:25

How can you not believe in something that defiantly exists?? I appreciate some people don't like what they stand for but that's different

Ulysses · 29/03/2011 08:27

Not everyone is getting it as a bank holiday yet schools are off that's where Happy is maybe coming from.

Merrylegs · 29/03/2011 08:29

Perhaps Happy has an allocated B/H allowance. Once you've used that up (and there are a lot of BHs coming up around Easter and May) you have to use Holiday to cover it. If you work PT you don't get an awful lot of hours to play with.

Birdsgottafly · 29/03/2011 08:37

I suppose we've all been encouraged to feel a part of it because we're paying for it and any future children. The younger generations do not feel the loyalty towards them that previous generations did. So may be quite prepared to consider abolishing them (Although i am not against the royals i do think that they do bring in the money from tourism).

RamblingRosa · 29/03/2011 08:38

I thought everyone was getting it as a bank holiday. Says it's a bank holiday on direct gov website

Anyway, as happy as I am to have an extra day off work, I agree with OP that it's weird to give a toss about the wedding of people you've never met.

I don't agree with having a monarchy though. I guess if you were a staunch royalist then it's fair enough to get all excited and buy commemorative tea towels and mugs Hmm. Still a bit odd IMO.

Merrylegs · 29/03/2011 08:46

"You do not have a statutory right to paid leave on bank and public holidays. If your employer gives paid leave on a bank or public holiday, this can count towards your minimum holiday entitlement. There are eight permanent bank and public holidays in England and Wales " (directgov)

And this year there are 9!

Hammy02 · 29/03/2011 09:20

I am amazed the monarchy still exists. My parents always whisked my brother & I away from royal wedding celebrations when we were kids so I've been brainwashed! Didn't understand then. Do now.

ohmeohmy · 29/03/2011 09:24

We're whipped up into a frenzy of thinking this is great and patriotic so we spend money and they can pretend the wedding was good for the economy

Asinine · 29/03/2011 09:34

It's a national historic event. All those people who cried when Diana died didn't know her, and all the people watching the moon landing didn't know Neil Armstrong. I am not a monarchist but I would like the dcs to understand that they are witnessing a moment in history.