Saturday, June 19, 2010

What a beautiful wedding

As I am a Lutheran, I am partial to the simplicity of a Lutheran wedding service, which will usually be top loaded with music. Why? A Lutheran wedding without music or readings would be over in less than 15 minutes! The music at today's wedding was a brilliant mixture of classical and modern!

It was very interesting to see a rather portly looking Prince of Monaco who was accompanied by his companion, the former South African swimmer, Charlene Wittstock. Miss Wittstock may be the Prince's official girlfriend, but she's not a fiancee ... yet. About a year ago, I read an article about Charlene's future as the Princess of Monaco. Albert wanted to wait until Charlene learned French, as she would need to be fluent in the language as the wife of the Prince of Monaco. The King and Queen of Sweden may know something we don't about Miss Wittstock's future, which would explain Charlene's inclusion, although she sat behind Albert in the church, and was not seated at the head table.

Now that Charlene has been introduced to members of European royal families, I do see an engagement ring in her not-so-distant future. Perhaps, Victoria and Daniel's vows will inspire the Prince to get on one knee, propose and produce the diamond ring.

Only one heir apparent to the throne remains unmarried: HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg. The young prince is 28, but is not linked with anyone.
Royal weddings will be in short supply in the next few years. I expect Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton to be announced toward the end of this year, but certainly no later than early spring 2011. Prince William is second in line to the throne, and his wedding may not be a state occasion. It will be grand, but not nearly as grand as the wedding of an heir to throne.

4 comments:

Tracey Lowndes said...

As a regular reader of this blog from the UK, I'm catching up on the last few days' posts.

You seem to be assuming Prince William will marry Kate Middleton, but if they break up again, and for good, you will have egg on your face. Remember Tina Brown?

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Yes, I am assuming but unlike Tina, I don't claim to know the exact date of the announcement. I am looking at the overall picture - if there is to be an engagement, the announcement is likely to take place between the fall and early spring 2011 with a wedding in the early summer (more tourists) and certainly not in 2012 -- too many other things going on.

There is no evidence to support a break up, but of course they could break up ...
I am working on a supposed time line for weather, larger crowds and not in 2012.
If I have egg on my face, it will be scrambled

Tracey Lowndes said...

And what about the Monaco wedding, now that Prince Albert has said it will be next summer, as there would be two big royal weddings in the same year?

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

The weddings of Frederik of Denmark and Felipe of Spain took place within 2 weeks of each other. Moreover, although Albert's wedding will be a state occasion, I do not expect to an onslaught of crowned heads. Reps, perhaps, but he is a Prince, not a king. I lean toward an early summer wedding for William for several reasons - the RF takes off for Scotland in August. The weather is nice, the tourists will come. William's wedding will be rather low key - royals will be there, but again, probably not heads of state because William is not the heir to the throne. I am merely speculating, and am not doing a Tina Brown who quoted sources. I am looking at the overall picture - and taking into account 2012. Let's put it another way: if there is no announcement of an engagement by next May, there won't be a wedding. Period. full stop.