A Royal Wedding

Two billion people watched as Kate Middleton stepped out of her car in front of Buckingham Palace in her  ivory satin and lace designer wedding dress and then cheered as she kissed her now husband on the balcony after the ceremony. All eyes were on her, what she was wearing, and how every girl was completely jealous of her. Everyone wants to be a princess, marry prince charming, and gain the fame and honor of being a monarch. I know that the wedding is old news at this point, but the most interesting part of the whole thing is everyone's reaction for the last week or so.  

As you watched TV, listened to the radio, opened a newspaper, or searched the internet, everything was filled with royal wedding shenanigans. It was an important day in the history of England, yes, but we don't need to have our main focus be what women looked the best and characterize their importance on it. I have seen tons of articles highlighting Kate Middleton as a style icon and how she is extraordinarily beautiful, and then comparing her to Princess Diana, her late mother-in-law! I actually read an article praising her that she can actually apply her own makeup! I'm sorry but if someone is going to possibly be running my country, I don't care if she can put on her own lipstick -- but that is she qualified to run a country! There are some articles informing the masses of her new title, Duchess of Cambridge, but nothing really tells what her title means, what political responsibilities come with it, and what value it has other than material value.  The country should be at least sort of interested in her new role as a political figure than what color lipstick she was wearing. Any political gain of hers has been ignored as we scrutinize yet another female role model. 

Throughout the publicity of the royal wedding, all that has been in the spot light is the beauty and excitement of the monarchy.  Being a royal has always been deemed as the most important and honorable position a woman can obtain or be born into in a patriarchal society. Yet, all this position highlights is the love and admiration you can get. Popularity and beauty are portrayed as the best that a woman can get in this society. And from a very young age, we have been exposed to the ideas that a princess is what every little girl wants to be. A lot of the media I was exposed to as a child was surrounded around the idea of being a princess and becoming a princess. Everyone wanted to be a princess because these were the most loved girls in the world because they were rich and beautiful. I feel like most little girls have at least once been a princess for halloween. From a young age, it has been our fantasy to be a princess. Now, we are reliving our childhood fantasies watching Kate Middleton get married. It is what a lot of young girls pictured would happen to them what they got older; I know I did. I was dressed up as a princess probably 6 out of the 7 days of the week as a child. To the little girl in all of us, she has achieved our biggest dream: becoming a real royal. 

I feel like I'm bashing the royal wedding, but I did enjoy watching. The dress was beautiful, the hats were awesome, and English patriotism was at all time high for the last couple decades. I just wish that not everything about an important moment in a countries history should be revolving solely around the beauty and fashion taste of 1 woman. 

What was your favorite part of the royal wedding shenanigans? And your least?