They estimate that at least two billion people from around the world will be watching the event and there will be street parties all over the world, including one in the Spanish town of Rojales, about three miles from where I live.

You don't have to be a Royalist to feel proud of your country on such a day, and the couple appear to be two nice people starting on a journey perhaps neither of them want, but they can't live like ordinary people because we won't let them.

I live under a monarchy in Spain and lived under a monarchy from whence I came, both benign monarchies which to more good than harm. And if people feel strongly against the monarchy, it is not compulsory to watch the wedding on TV, but they will be the poorer for not witnessing an event the rest of the world are interested in.

My TV will be switched on and I will be stirred when the bands start playing. I've already seen the start of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kav0F...&feature=share

How terrible ,how the hell is he supposed to have an heir, then?

How many here actually had 2 married parents before they were born?

How many of those actually got to have a formal lunch with the grooms grandparents before their wedding?

It seems to me that it is not the institution that is rotten.

Dont try to dress it up, if you want to call us a load of bastards, then just do it......

I wonder on what evidence your Mother based her assessment ?

Kate and her family are more than wealthy enough in their own right to be concerned about gold digging.

As for wanting to be a Princess, I can only admire her bravery for marrying into that family of nutters and taking on the sort of life that goes with it.

You got one bit right, they certainly are a tourist attraction, but compared with the likes of Obama with Air Force One, the huge fleet of cars that travels with him, I doubt they are that expensive in real terms. Certainly nobody travels to the States to see Obama, but there are many travelling to UK just to see the Royal Family. Liz and Phil, at 85 and 89, are still performing many hundreds of duties each every year, they still work very hard. I doubt you or I will still be working nearly every day 20 years after normal retirement age. Whilst Phil is a complete nutter, he's still doing his bit!

And you know what? You would not lose any tourists if they weren't there. This argument that the royal family is "good for tourism" is bollocks.

At least the PEOPLE get to chose Blair, Obama, Reagan, Berlusconi etc. If they make the wrong choice they can change 4 years later. Unfortunately not the case with the dysfunctional royals.

Who says that the Uk would have to have a president?
The Uk is set apart from many countries in the world and also not as good as many others but I think that the monarchy has very little to do with it more the men and women who have fought to protect it.

Graham

The royals are merely the dubious descendants of the biggest bastards around, who as said earlier, just swanned in and demanded that everybody kissed their backside, and then had to pay for the priviledge.

IMO the royals should have paid for the whole shebang, especially the security.

As much as I might like to be able agree with you, I can only say the same thing about your statement.

The Worldwide interest is truly amazing.

I've been watching mainly Spanish TV recently, hoping to get away from it all, yet the coverage here seems almost greater than back in the UK, with virtually every possible piece of film relating to the UK Royals being dredged up and given an airing.

They showed some of the American coverage on the Ten O'clock Live show, and when they cut back to the presenter (Charlie Brooker) he had his head in a bucket. He wasn't the only one.

Bil everyone still kisses their asses and they don't even demand it any more.

As I understand it the costs are being paid for by the Royals and the Middletons, the only extra of any significance not already covered is police overtime.

I think you'd be more to the point asking "how many here actually had 2 married parents, at the point of their conception..."
Totally irrelevant of course. There have been plenty of adulterous liasons in the royal family over the years. In fact some people make comments about a current prince, but I think I'll desist as I live too close to Buck House.