to wonder just how 'arranged' the royal wedding is

[whatdoiknowanyway]

MIL just told me of breaking news William and Kate to marry (tiny yawn).
Always good news when 2 people decide they have found life partner but this has been going on for so long... I just wonder if there was no way out without percieved damage to the monarchy.
Cynical?

Lots of people wait ages before getting married, they were only young when they met.

Give them a break I'm sure they are very much in love and thats coming from someone decidedly anti royalty.

Anyway perhaps they wanted to save up for the wedding !

YABU What do you mean 'no way out'? After the disasters of Diana and Sarah Ferguson I'm pretty sure everyone's learned big lessons and is giving William every opportunity to change his mind!

I don't think it is that uncommon these days to meet someone at university and wait until you are in your late 20s or early 30s to get married? Plenty of my friends did exactly the same, in fact I was considered quite unusual as I married DH after only being together 3.5 years.

Love the 'save up for the wedding'

I don't think there'd be any "perceived damage to the monarchy" if they had split up amicably and were both clearly saying "These things happen, we've grown apart, both wish each other the best for the future" etc. Any sign that they behave like normal people and have ordinary relationships without being obsessed with imagined public reaction would be a positive advert for them for a change.

Look at the picture on this article:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330151/Prince-William-Kate-Middleton-engaged-marry-2011.html

does she totally look like she's (literally) floating or is it just me

Didn't they split up before them got back together a couple of years ago?

I really do think they are getting married because they both want to, not because it is all arranged for them.

Wish them the best of luck anyway.

Personally I think they have gone to every length to make sure the marriage isn't "arranged" in the truest sense of the word ( clearly if she had been totally unacceptble to the establishment they'd have nipped it in the bud) but after the his parents disastrous marriage partly fuelled by his father being prevented from marrying the woman he really wanted to be with, I should think every thing has been done to give Wills as many "get outs" as possible.

I think it's great. They obviously love each other.
The royals have changed a lot over the last 20 years, I think lessons have been learnt.
I would imagine Kate has been fully briefed regarding protocol, duties etc. She's not going into it naively like Diana. Now that WAS an arranged marriage.

I don´t think the monarchy would have been damaged if they´d split.

But I also wonder if there is a bit of well after all this time you might as well marry her as not iyswim.

I also wonder how many other girls he has seen in the background whilst she has provided a "cover".

Can´t help thinking if they knew it was right they should have done it by now though.

i wouldnt have her life for quids!, i wish them luck though, there going to nedd as much of it as they can get1

The wedding is happening next year to distract the proles when the cuts truelly take effect. We can eat cake whilst we watch our betters get married and live a life of luxury.

Yes I'm pregnant and yes I've got the hump today, can you tell?

Have an idea of stuff, and they have been wanting to do it for a very long time, however the wheels take a long time to turn. There has been at least 18 months of planning before this week (that I know of). Sadly we now live in a world where you have to know the answers to all the questions before someone asks a question, gone are the days that romance could take hold and they could announce to the world and then get ready for a wedding. The date of everything has had to be timed very carefully.

I have no doubt that William would not want to copy the mistakes that his parents made and is genuinely in love with her and she with him, that doesn't mean to say that processes don't have to be involved.