THE “FIRM”, as members of the House of Windsor are known to refer to themselves, certainly puts on a wonderful show. In terms of pomp, pageantry and sheer theatricality, the trinity that is British royalty – monarch, head of church and of military – has no peers.
And historical sensitivities notwithstanding, many within this Republic paused at television screens yesterday to watch with curiosity and some affection – together with more than a billion others around the world – as commoner Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was joined in marriage to William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor, now Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus.
The mise en scènewas spectacular, from the tree-lined nave of Westminster Abbey, to the cavalry escorts and state carriages, and the simple Sarah Burton ivory silk and satin dress (with Carrickmacross lace). Then, the soaring music of Charles Perry's anthem I Was Glad as she walked up the aisle, a healthy sprinkling of glorious King James's Bible "betwixts" and "troths", and what else but Jerusalem, the congregation lifting the roof, trumpet fanfares, and the obligatory kiss on the balcony. . . Not to mention 36 Philip Treacy hats.
Of course this was much more than a mere wedding. Although not a state occasion, it was an intensely political one, a chance for the sometimes dysfunctional family – on whom the monarchy rests – to reassert itself as central to the nation. “Long to reign over us”, the anthem reminded them all more than once.
Ms Middleton is the epitome of solid middle-class England, a 29-year-old level-headed and modern bride who has lived with her fiance ahead of the wedding. Such realities should help equip her for the pressurised life of celebrity upon which she has embarked. Prince William’s mother Diana once observed that “being a princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be”, although the sort of tensions she faced are unlikely, by most accounts, to be part of the marriage begun yesterday.
But the newlyweds start their new life in the knowledge – an uncomfortable burden – that failure will not only hurt the immediate family but could also jeopardise the institution of a monarchy that has in recent years lost some of its lustre. More positively, her commoner roots may help to give the House of Windsor a more popular appeal in a society still deeply riven by class. Whatever the challenges facing William, he has lived for and with this since birth. The task of his bride is far the greater.