"It's my mother's enagagment ring, so of course it's very special to me, and Kate's now very special to me, so it was only right to put the two together. ...[It's] my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement." --Prince William
"They've been practicing long enough." --Prince Charles
Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged, so the skincare post I planned will have to wait while outnerd myself on the happy news. It doesn't matter that we've all seen too many royal marriages make no one but tabloid publishers happy or that we can't help but remember that engagement interview from 29 years ago* ("Whatever being in love means")- there's going to be a wedding. And a dress. And flowers. And a very beautiful and happy couple.
Congratulations, William and Kate.
Photos: BBC, CNN
*Charles and Diana's engagement interview:
It's so exciting, though not totally unexpected!! I nearly went up to town when I heard the news, (we're only about fifteen miles away), but had to pick the kids up from school, so thought it best not :)
ReplyDeleteBeing the supersitious person that I am, if I were Kate I would not want that ring, gorgeous as it is. I'd want my own ring, symbolizing a fresh start. He seems to be a sensible young man, so I hope he's learned from his parents' mistakes. I'm one of the crazy people who woke up at an ungodly hour of the morning to watch the royal wedding almost 30 years ago (about a month after my own wedding). It was so sad to think back to all that beauty, pomp, and circumstance in light of what happened later. Kate is a beautiful girl, and I wish them every happiness.
ReplyDeleteOh, they're so lovely together! Although, watching the C & D interview was a little depressing (I think I've been watching too many episodes of "Lie to Me").
ReplyDeleteI think that ring is tots creepy. I understand that he loved his mother. But the marriage. The divorce. The death. That ring's a little Linda Blair for me.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I feel about the ring: out of respect for Diana, the ring should retain her memory and her memory alone, and out of respect for Kate, she deserves her own ring.
ReplyDeleteAside, a very beautiful ring for (another) beautiful woman. Diana was flawless (in all of her humanness).
I wish them all the best.
Kate seems like a nice girl, but the only thing that disappoints me is that she hasn't really done anything since they graduated. She's just been...Will's girlfriend. Harry's ex was in training to be lawyer I think? (Although I'm glad she's not been a media fixture.)
ReplyDeleteI'm 50/50 on the ring as well. It's gorgeous, but the baggage it brings can be a little heavy to think about. The comment he made about the ring being his way of including Diana in the event was just lovely though. You can really tell he has a good heart.
I already know that me and my mom will plan a big nerdout for the wedding! Getting up early to watch the coverage with a 'cuppa! Either way, best wishes to the lovely couple!!!
@deeHowe: When Charles touched his nose, I immediately thought, "How would Dr. Lightman have interpreted that?!"
ReplyDelete:)
ganda: the new thing in my house is to interrupt whomever is speaking to shout, "that, right there!" and indicate some emotion that is patently not present. I love me some Tim Roth! :)
ReplyDeleteI know the entire post and all similar posts are supposed to be on their engagement with minor commentary on the ring, but the royal fan geekage had to step aside for "by gods, that's a gorgeous dress she's wearing!"
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you aren't Canadian? I love that you love the Royals!
ReplyDeleteI do not get the ring issues. Passing down a ring is a tradition with so many people, regardless of how someone dies, it is still his mother's ring. It is a stunning ring & I would love to wear something so beautiful and meaningful to my fiance. Attaching superstition to it is just weird.
I'm with Ebontien - that dress is fantastic. Anyone know who it is?
ReplyDeleteI actually have a different point of view about the ring ...
ReplyDeletefrom a public perspective it pulls up all of these connotations of wedding-->divorce-->death, but I imagine that from a private perspective, of a boy who lost his mother when he was very young, I really get that using her ring is a way of having her somehow be a part of his new happiness, and remembering her. I imagine getting engaged would also bring up a lot of feelings of missing mom, and wondering what she would have thought etc. So to me it makes sense. I think it's a way of remembering his mom at an important stage in his life.
Daly Beauty is absolutely right about the ring. What is all the fuss about? For hundreds of years people have celebrated their love with a ring that belonged to some beloved member of the family--no matter how that person died. It is the love and life that is being paid forward; not the misfortune or death.
ReplyDeleteNow, if he were giving her a ring that belonged to an X-- fiancé or wife--that would be tacky!
it was about time!7 years..that's a long time, the ring is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI'd say, since that ring was chosen by Diana (Charles didn't propose with a ring) as her engagement ring, it really is something of hers that can be fittingly given to Kate. It symbolized Diana's love for her prince which is a nice thing of an innocent time for her, even if in the end things didn't turn out well. I hope William will be the man his father was not.
ReplyDeleteKate is gorgeous, and seems like a lovely person. That William chose to give her this ring is very touching... His mother chose this ring, and thus thought it beautiful, and to give Kate something so precious from his mother speaks to his love for both his mother and Kate.
ReplyDeleteBy wearing that stunning sapphire blue dress, Kate was emphasizing the ring -- and how could that not but summon visions of the young Diana?
(and I never noticed before, but Charles has very odd fingernails and finger tips...)