Author: Kara McVey
Thirty years ago, 750 million people watched as Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. This year, it is their eldest son Prince William who will be in the media spotlight when he marries his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton on April 29 at Westminster Abbey. Media experts expect more than two billion people to watch the nuptials on television and online.
The couple met at the University of St. Andrews, where they were both art history majors, and struck up a friendship. They became flatmates with several other friends and eventually became romantically involved. As they were spotted together more frequently, the public became increasingly interested in Middleton and in the couple’s relationship. Their romance was strained, however, by the enormous media attention that surrounded them. After the onslaught of paparazzi attention surrounding Middleton’s 25th birthday, both Middleton’s lawyers and the Royal Family threatened legal action against media outlets, stating that Middleton’s privacy was being invaded. Just a few months later, in April 2007, it was reported that the two had split up.
William continued to go about his royal duties, training for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Middleton, meanwhile, was exploring various career paths and working for her family in Berkshire, who own a successful sales business. Middleton, coming from a normal upper-middle class background, initially felt intimidated by the Royal Family. Although she has stated in interviews that the Royals were welcoming to her, she admits that their position and fame made them formidable. Her fear was eventually overcome by her and William’s desire to be together.
The couple rekindled their relationship but went to great lengths to keep it more private the second time around. During the next few years, they grew closer and were often spotted spending time together. In October of last year, they went on a trip together with a few friends to a Kenyan wildlife conservancy, and the Prince proposed to Middleton. He offered her his late mother’s sapphire engagement ring and she accepted. They kept the engagement private for almost a month and on Nov. 16 publicly announced their engagement. Since the announcement, many media outlets have contributed to the ever-increasing public fascination with the royal wedding.
There was widespread media interest in who would be invited to the wedding, where it would take place and what the bride and groom would be wearing. For the past few months, the media has scrambled to uncover every detail of the wedding. It has been reported that William’s younger brother Prince Harry will serve as best man, while Middleton’s younger sister Pippa will be the maid of honor. Reportedly, Middleton has elected to go by car rather than the more traditional carriage out of security concerns. The one thing that the ceremony planners have managed to keep secret is what dress Middleton will be wearing, which has fueled speculation from the media and the public.
The wedding is being billed as the event of the decade. Media outlets have planned enormous coverage of the event. Just a few hours after the ceremony, it will be streaming online and televised on many channels as well. CNN will reportedly send 125 crew members to London for the wedding, and the cast of USA Today will be there for the day of the ceremony. In the next few days, as more details about the wedding surface, Prince William and Middleton will be the source of much more media attention and public interest. Middleton has already experienced life in the public eye, but in a few weeks she and the Prince will be following his parents’ footsteps into a life of publicity and royal responsibility.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
