Royal weddings — what’s not to like?

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

3 words: sparkling, sprightly, romantic

 

The only thing that’s shocking about my liking this book is that it took me so long to read it. It’s only in the aftermath of the most recent royal wedding that I picked it up, so late to the party.

Which brings us to the following short story…

Why It Shouldn’t Have Taken Me So Long, or, My Lifelong Royal Wedding Watching Credentials

 

Royal Wedding #1

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

I was in elementary school, and thankfully, Charles and Diana were married in the summer, so my mom had no qualms about honoring my request to be awakened in the wee pre-dawn hours to watch the wedding on the telly. I believe I took notes (cuz that’s precisely how geeky). Then I proceeded to coax my mother into purchasing large coffee table books containing gorgeous photos of the blessed event.

Then we learned what a skunk of a husband Charles was, and so much for all that.

 

Royal Wedding #2

Prince William and Catherine Middleton

Ahhhhh… the defining moment for me was watching Kate walk down the aisle, and seeing the view from above. There were trees in the sanctuary!* It was so lovely I cried.

This marriage I have a good feeling about. I know much was made of “Wait-y Katie,” but I find it wise that they knew each other well before marrying.

This is the relationship that was the inspiration for The Royal We, although the American commoner element in the novel was eerily prescient of the arrival of Meghan Markle on the scene.

 

Royal Wedding #3

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

All I can say is: thank goodness for YouTube. Because when this wedding took place, we were on vacation in a television-free, Internet-free log cabin in the woods. The place had been reserved well in advance of a wedding date announcement, so I forewent viewing in real time. Because we live in a splendidly modern era, I watched the thing the following week, and, as a bonus, got to skip the dull preachy parts and boys’ choir. (I know: wrong. This is wrong.)

They’re a beautiful couple who had a gorgeous wedding, but I gotta say: makes me a little nervous that they knew each other less than 2 years before the wedding. Who knows? It might work. (I wish them well, but I have my doubts about this one.)

 

So if you mash up William/Kate and Harry/Meghan into a single storyline, you basically have The Royal We. A young American college student attends university in England and meets the Prince of Wales. They chum around, and then they fall in love. And the American commoner marries the prince, but only after the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl business plays out.

 

It’s sparkly, it’s light, it’s stylish, it’s fun, but it’s not silly. You can read this novel and have just a hint of the guilt but all of the pleasure.

 

Give this book a whirl if you like… royal weddings, rom-coms, unlikely love stories, the success of the girl next door

 

Anyone else a fanatical watcher of royals committing matrimony?

 

*there’s not a public domain photo available, but if you Google Prince William wedding trees, you can see it