Wedding of William and Catherine: Suggestions and Musings

[COUNTESS]

Frankly, it was his Mother's ring and he loved her very much and wanted to share that feeling with his fiancee. He, possibly, planned to do this, no matter whom he married. I am sure Kate said, it was fine, maybe more than fine. No one here knows anything, except it was Diana's.

 

[texankitcat]

Anyone of the opinion that this "sudden" engagement may have been brought about by pressure from HM or PoW? You know, "fish or cut bait?"
This is NOT an indication that I believe PW is/has been insincere in his long association with Catherine, but I do wonder if he got a royal "nudge."

Huh? There is nothing at all "sudden" about two people getting engaged after 8 years together.

 

[Skippy]

I think William moved according to his own standards and was not nudged on by anyone. He comes across to me as someone who decides in his own time.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

It was "sudden" to me. Did you know about it beforehand? Eight years "together" has nothing to do with it.

 

[Skippy]

It was "sudden" to me. Did you know about it beforehand? Eight years "together" has nothing to do with it.

Why would you be surprised when an engagement is announced between two people who have been together for eight years?
It's not like their relationship came out of nowhere, so what made it "sudden" to you?

I'm not trying to attack you or anything, I'm just asking a question.

 

[texankitcat]

It was "sudden" to me. Did you know about it beforehand? Eight years "together" has nothing to do with it.

I see....so because he didn't announce to the world he was going to propose to Kate before he did so, it is "sudden" to you.

 

[Marie of The Sea]

You're right Princess Carmen. Besides Kate Middleton is partial to blue, as is William. Just look at their wardrobe choices.

A ring has no 'baggage' in and of itself. It has a history, in this case, of a young woman who was more of a success than a failure. A woman who wore that ring in hope, not in defeat. Dismantling the stones and destroying the design would never change it basically. The ring had no control over Diana's happiness. The ring brought her no sorrow. It remains a small symbol of the union which brought her the sons she adored. I think Kate chose that ring because I believe William gave her a choice and I further believe that together, they will change history, not just for a ring but for a Kingdom.

 

[MRSJ]

It is not uncommon for wedding rings to be buried with their owner. Here in the US, it is supposedly illegal to bury a loved one whilst wearing "expensive" jewelry (to ward off grave robbing possibilities). However, wedding bands are sometimes buried with their owner. Although not royal, an example is John F. Kennedy; he's buried with his wedding ring and Jackie's wedding ring.

I don't know what the Royal Family's traditions would be. Good research subject and I hope that someone takes it up.

Oh I'd be buried with my wedding ring IF I was still married- she was divorced so I believe that makes it seem even more significant they chose to bury her with wedding ring- like obviously special to her Just my opinion

 

[Marie of The Sea]

The Queen or the POW nudging William on to a proposal? Not likely at all. He explains his timing in the interview and is not known to rely on others for his decisions, quite the contrary.

 

[Sister Morphine]

To throw my own two cents in the pot, if a man proposed to me with a ring that had been in his family for generations and I threw it back in his face because I hadn't gotten to pick it out or because it wasn't new, do you know what that would make me look like?

A greedy, materialistic shrew.

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

 

[Lenora]

To throw my own two cents in the pot, if a man proposed to me with a ring that had been in his family for generations and I threw it back in his face because I hadn't gotten to pick it out or because it wasn't new, do you know what that would make me look like?

A greedy, materialistic shrew.

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

Why such a categorical opinion?

 

[Sister Morphine]

Why such a categorical opinion?

Categorical? What?

 

[texankitcat]

To throw my own two cents in the pot, if a man proposed to me with a ring that had been in his family for generations and I threw it back in his face because I hadn't gotten to pick it out or because it wasn't new, do you know what that would make me look like?

A greedy, materialistic shrew.

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

Abolsutely right on.

 

[berengere]

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

I agree, it was a lovely sentimental gesture

 

[Iluvbertie]

I don't think they could have married during Lent, so it had to be after Easter.

The Archbishop of Canterbury raised that arguement with Queen Victoria when the date was announced for the marriage of The Prince of Wales in 1863 and she replied along the lines of - it was the best time to marry due to the time of the religious year and Edward VII and Alexandra did exactly that - married during Lent.

As way more people were practising Christians then and the rulings of the Church were more strictly adhered to if the heir to the throne could marry in Lent in the 1860s there is no reason why the 2nd in line couldn't marry in Lent in 2011.

 

[Lenora]

To throw my own two cents in the pot, if a man proposed to me with a ring that had been in his family for generations and I threw it back in his face because I hadn't gotten to pick it out or because it wasn't new, do you know what that would make me look like?

A greedy, materialistic shrew.

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

Now I completely understood the meaning of your opinion,do agree

 

[nascarlucy]

Sometime a woman might not like the style or the type of engagement ring that is sentimental to her husband to be or other family. In order not to cause hurt feelings or cause bad feelings, most of the time they will accept the ring. I don't know that this is the case with Prince William and Catherine but I've known of a few cases where this occurred. I also known women who told their partner that they didn't want family heirlooms. They wanted their own engagement rings.

 

[Nikki63]

I know women who agreed to wear an heirloom ring that they really didn't care for because of the style etc....and on their fifth anniversary, or the birth of their first child, their husbands presented them with an anniversary band that they then replaced the heirloom with, with the old ring being put away for their children to use if they chose. It may well be that William will give Kate such a ring later on. Who knows. Kate is a very strong minded young woman, and I seriously doubt she would have accepted the ring just to keep the peace. If she had doubts about it, chances are she would have voiced them. She and William have been together too long for her to just take whatever is offered without having her say about it.

 

[wanderingnana]

No one has said it, but would you want to be constantly compared to your dead would be mother-in-law who was iconic as Diana?

Anyone who has ever had a mother in law knows you will be compared to her- for good or bad reasons. For heavens sake, let these two kids alone. Surely you have more important things to worry about than whether this ring is bad luck, or bad taste.

 

[4Pam]

To throw my own two cents in the pot, if a man proposed to me with a ring that had been in his family for generations and I threw it back in his face because I hadn't gotten to pick it out or because it wasn't new, do you know what that would make me look like?

A greedy, materialistic shrew.

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

Right on!

The ring doesn't really matter, it's the marriage that matters.

 

[wanderingnana]

To throw my own two cents in the pot, if a man proposed to me with a ring that had been in his family for generations and I threw it back in his face because I hadn't gotten to pick it out or because it wasn't new, do you know what that would make me look like?

A greedy, materialistic shrew.

When a man proposes marriage, the ring itself is secondary to the fact this person whom you deeply love wants to spend the rest of their life with you. He could give you a ring that came from a $0.25 machine and if you truly love him and want to marry him, you'll wear that ring on your finger with as much pride as you would a diamond from Tiffany's. The idea that if a man proposes with an heirloom ring or a ring that belonged to a beloved family member, it means they want to marry their mother/grandmother/great-grandmother/other relative or that they don't really love you is just a pile of wank.

Thank God- someone on this board has some sense

 

[nascarlucy]

A man who gives you an engagement ring which is a family heirloom holds you in very high regard. The ring means a lot to him. Not many women get a family heirloom from the groom's side as an engagement ring as if the engagement is broken, the ring might not be returned even if proper etiquette dictates that it should be given back.

 

[wymanda]

I think we can put this down to a difference in cultures if you and no one you know would allow their fiance's to choose a ring for them, or present them with a family heirloom as an engagement ring in Australia.

Please do not take the views of a very small sample of the Australian public on this issue. I've known several people who had heirloom engagement rings from either side of their families. One lady had her own grandmother's engagement ring another one that her husband had inherited from an aunt.
I'm horrified to think that one Austrailian opinion would be considered to be how all Australian's think.
My own viewpoint on that person is that they are obviously from the republican mob over here!

 

[Mrs.B]

A man who gives you an engagement ring which is a family heirloom holds you in very high regard. The ring means a lot to him. Not many women get a family heirloom from the groom's side as an engagement ring as if the engagement is broken, the ring might not be returned even if proper etiquette dictates that it should be given back.

I agree with you. By giving Catherine Diana's engagement ring, William has shown how much love and respect he has for this young woman.

 

[MARG]

Unfortunately that lovely gesture may very well turn out to be an albatross around her neck. Every single aspect of their personal relationship, engagement, coming wedding, etc. are all being measured against "Diana".

Williams long road to an engagement: Because of Diana.

William makes a loving gesture: Because of his mohter.

William is good with children: Because of his mother.

Kate's engagement ring: His mother's

Kates choice of dress for the engagement announcement: Emulating his Mother.

Kate's developing style: Emulating his mother (badly).

Kate's (supposed) Princess Training: Because of his mother.

Wedding: Said to be designed to include as much honour to the groom's deceased mother as to the luck couple.

Somewhere in this Wedding and their life there has to be an honest emotion or action attributable to no one but William or Kate. A choice of wedding stlye their unadulterated own. Their love, their own!

 

[texankitcat]

Please do not take the views of a very small sample of the Australian public on this issue. I've known several people who had heirloom engagement rings from either side of their families. One lady had her own grandmother's engagement ring another one that her husband had inherited from an aunt.
I'm horrified to think that one Austrailian opinion would be considered to be how all Australian's think.
My own viewpoint on that person is that they are obviously from the republican mob over here!

Thank you for setting the record straight wymanda! I have no idea how women in Australia feel about heirloom engagement rings or rings that are bought by the man rather than chosen by the woman, but I found it difficult to fathom that they are as materialistic and selfish as what was being described. I am relieved to hear that this isn't the norm.

 

[berengere]

Yes it may become an Albatross but PW clearly intends for her to forge her own path and identity as he stated.

Hopefully she can!

 

[Mrs.B]

Marg, I understand what you're saying but with or without that particular ring on Catherine's finger, comparisons would be inevitable in my opinion.

Over the years some have criticized William for not caring about his mother. I guess it's clear now that that was not the case. I think he's honoring Diana's memory in a very special way by wanting to "include" her in one of the most important days of his life. (I think most of us would want to do that for a parent we loved. The only difference here is that it's on a very grand scale compared to the average person.)

William's choice of engagement ring also happens to be a very classy, respectful way of making sure that Diana isn't airbrushed from history quite as easily as some may wish. So much for William's insensitivity.

 

[texankitcat]

Unfortunately that lovely gesture may very well turn out to be an albatross around her neck. Every single aspect of their personal relationship, engagement, coming wedding, etc. are all being measured against "Diana".

Williams long road to an engagement: Because of Diana.

William makes a loving gesture: Because of his mohter.

William is good with children: Because of his mother.

Kate's engagement ring: His mother's

Kates choice of dress for the engagement announcement: Emulating his Mother.

Kate's developing style: Emulating his mother (badly).

Kate's (supposed) Princess Training: Because of his mother.

Wedding: Said to be designed to include as much honour to the groom's deceased mother as to the luck couple.

Somewhere in this Wedding and their life there has to be an honest emotion or action attributable to no one but William or Kate. A choice of wedding stlye their unadulterated own. Their love, their own!

I don't know if I agree with you on this. The media and those that can't get past the Diana comparison will make of it what they will. However, I think that would have been the case regardless of what ring he gave her. She is the first woman to get married to a future King of England since Diana (Camilla doesn't count in this particular case), so no matter who William chose or how what type of ring he gave her the comparisons were inevitable. Kate won't be able to wear any of the jewels or that were passed down to William without small minded people making it into her of trying to please William's sick "mummy obsession", etc.., or trying to be another Diana.

It really does make you sad for society when a happy occasion has to be ripped apart to the extent this one is. Thank goodness William and Kate have such a solid relationship and can ignore the crap out there.

 

[Zonk]

Suddenly...the countdown to April 29th seem very far off. So let's have some ground rules:

1) Everyone needs to be respectful of each other. You can disagree without being rude and condescending to your fellow TRF posters. Such posts will be deleted without notice.

2) Let's cool down on the Diana comparisons. Unless there is announcement that so and so is in remembrance of Diana (ie. Elizabeth Emmanuel is designing the dress). There is no need for speculation.

3) Let's be respectful to your fellow TRF posters.

Questions can be directed to the British moderators and/or TRF administrators via PM.

Zonk
British Forums Moderator