Royal Wedding

Yes, I got up at 5am for the Royal Wedding. I watched at home for a couple of hours, went to work where I watched the kiss and then had a party with my wonderful class. A few years ago I would have been the first to decry the Royals as a load of upper class, inbred twits but after my year away, I see how valuable they are. Culture, identity, national pride. Things we take completely for granted normally. We Brits like to play things down and are big on the self deprecation. Sometimes we need to see what we have and sing it from the rooftops. A democratic society going back thousands of years. History, majesty and state. We are so lucky to live in Britain and have the opportunities we have. The Royal family are part of our history. I vaguely remember Diana and Charles wedding in '81 with the street parties and commemorative coins, Fergie, Diana's death - they are the background to my life and are intrinsically British. Americans have never been as interested in me and my country as they have in the build up to the wedding. They don't have the bitterness we do to the wealth of the royals. As interesting as Kennedy, Monroe etc were, they are long gone but our royals continue. I remember being at my Grandma's in '81. Being with my Mum in September '97 and, God willing Sian and her children will witness the wedding of Will and Kate's children. They are part of our lives and history.Thousands of miles, and 5 hours, away I cried as the crowds sang Jerusalem and I thought of my Mum watching in Yorkshire, drinking Pimms at the local. I have never felt so proud to be British and to be a part of something historical and a little bit magical. In a world where history nowadays is normally tragic or appalling I think that is very special.