Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Engagement?

According to a recent blog post by Tina Brown, today was supposed to be the day that William and Kate finally announced their engagement to the world. Right now I'm picturing Prince William kicking back and relaxing while the media goes into overdrive and people like me blog about it. Maybe Prince William is reading the papers and going online, texting Kate to see who can locate the silliest headline first.

As I write this post it is currently 6:47PM in London. I don't know about over there but that's quitting time in North America. The time that people go home to their families and have dinner. However, the day is not over in the UK and there's still time to spare. So we wait until 11:59PM and a last minute reprieve to put us out of our misery.Yes, William's people are just waiting to spring the news on all of us when we least suspect it. Here in Canada it could be cause for a celebration for more reason than one - a Friday, an engagement announcement and warm sunny weather! Boo Yeah!

While we wait, reporters twitter about Tina Brown's credibility. People bought her revelation hook, line-and-sinker and that's when the dissection started: other reporters jealously questioned her sources and thoroughly checked William's and the Queen's diaries for available time to make the announcement. Some wondered if she'd made the prediction to increase traffic to her site. Then there were fears, what if she might actually be  *gasp* right! Well, according to one reporter: 'Tina Brown's reputation is riding on her prediction."  Today, self-satisfied and commenting: "it was never going to happen today."  Like the Duchess of York, is Tina Brown throwing herself at the mercy of friends and  'leaving anguished messages' on their answering machines too?

While it's true that the changes of an engagement announcement on Friday are unlikely, it isn't 12:00AM in the UK just yet.

To quote Prince William, we just have to ''wait and see".

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Is Tina Brown just as clueless as the rest of us?

Just when I'd give up all hope of an engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton, Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, throws us a bone by claiming that June 3rd and 4th have been mysteriously blocked out in the Queen's calendar. Brown, having been a friend of Diana's, knows something we don't. Maybe she got an exclusive from the ghost of Diana.

This tidbit has set the media and blogsphere on fire. Engagement predictions are nothing new and after so many years of dating, they're taken more seriously in the absence of any solid news. Raising hope in those rooting for the couple and striking fear into those who are not. But there's hope for the naysayers. These reports forget the fact that the Queen is supposed to be away on those two days and William will be unavailable for the obligatory engagement day photos. Or that engagement announcements are not traditionally announced in June. But William and Kate could be bucking the royal trend on this part. It was inevitable that some royal couple would come along and blaze a trail, why not them? It's not as if they have to worry about the availability of venues or their favorite photographer.

Other media royal watchers have been quick to downplay Tina Brown's revealations, possibly out of jealousy. No one can be completely certain but the evidence is weak. Other than Buckingham Palace purchasing 300 bottles of champagne and Party Pieces expanding their line to include wedding favors, there's little to go by and Clarence House isn't talking. Right now these are just guesses, but oneday someone might get lucky and won't they look prescient when that happens?

© Marilyn Braun 2010