Fergie.
Fergie, Fergie, Fergie (insert dramatic sigh here).
What have you done this time? Just when we thought you were on the road to royal redemption, breaking scones with the royal family at tea time and cozily living with your ex-husband as, what you call yourselves: "the happiest divorced couple in the world." You get caught in a video sting by an undercover reporter for News of the World. I hate when that happens.
My first reaction to your video? Holy c**p!
Second reaction to your video? She's done it again!
How, I wondered, could you still be so
naive after all of these years?
Yes, you were shafted by the royal family in the divorce settlement. Yes, you have had to make your own way in the world. Having a title didn't hurt you. But your royal connections seemed to be off limits. Watching this video they obviously are not. Yet you are not the first person connected to the royal family to be captured making unflattered revealtions - Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Princess Michael of Kent to name but two. If anything, you're in good company.
You have apologized for your "serious lapse in judgement." As the royals supposedly react to these things, the Queen herself must be
'incandescent with rage', Charles must be
'knashing his teeth' and the scandal is said to have
shaken the royals. Then there are the rest of us who may be bemused, shocked, or indifferent. It is incredibly unfortunate, especially for some of us who had held out hope that when the Queen goes to that great palace in the sky, that you two might once again be reunited on commmemorative china. Like waiting for William and Kate to get married, we all have unrealistic dreams.
Reports of your financial difficulties are nothing new. You have denied them in the past but there is no denying it now. It must be a desperate situation for you to offer up the Duke of York to the higest bidder. While the deal you were trying to broker is shocking, it is your naivety that is painful to watch. Your appearance in the video, smoking, looking stressed and hunched over was pathetic for a woman circa 1986 who joined the royal family with such 'breath of fresh air' potential.
It's hard to say how this will affect your future with your business and your credibilty. I feel sad that for all of the progress you have made with the royal family you might be back to square one. Not to mention how your daughters must feel being caught in the middle. But you have bounced back before and you have proven that you are a survivor when others have chosen to count you out. And in that respect I'm not worried about you - for now.
This too shall pass...until the next time...
© Marilyn Braun 2010
Unlike other royal weddings, the Swedish royal wedding coverage had the distinction that I didn't have a clue what the commentators were saying. Given that I'm in Canada and I have a link to watch the event online, I'm not complaining!
Arriving by a Rolls-Royce, the Princess entered the Stockholm cathedral on the arm of her father the King, with her attendants leading the way. The pages wore sailor suits, a Bernadotte tradition.The bridesmaids wore full-length pearl white dresses in silk organza with short sleeves and roll collars. On their feet white ballet slippers. The King and the Princess walked to the half-way point in the cathedral where the groom awaited to lead her to the altar. The groom, clearly emotional at the sight of his bride, bowed to the king and the couple briefly kissed before proceeding to the altar where the ceremony would begin.
Wearing her mother's wedding veil and the traditional cameo tiara, the bride and groom were emotional as they exchanged vows and rings. The brides dress, designed by Pär Engsheden was simple and unadorned. It is made of cream-coloured duchess silk satin, with short sleeves and a turned-out collar, which follows the rounded neckline. The dress has a v-shaped back with covered buttons. The sash at the waist is buttoned up at the back. The train is edged with a border, fastened at the waist, and has the same shape as the veil. The train is almost five metres long (about 16 feet). Her shoes matched the material of her dress and her bouquet consisted of lily of the valley, rose, phalaenopsis orchid, peony, clematis, cosmos, wax flower, sweet pea, dicentra formosa, Mårbacka pelargonium, Amazon lily, gardenia, azalea, bleeding heart and the traditional myrtle from Sofiero. All the flowers were white, and the bouquet was tied into a free teardrop shape. 
During the ceremony the couple looked visibly moved. After the ceremony, the Crown Princess and the new Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland stood at the entrance to the cathedral, sharing a kiss, both relieved that the ceremony is completed as they awaited the arrival of the Parade Barouche from the Royal Mews to begin their cortège. It is the same barouche that was used by The King and Queen at their wedding exactly 34 years ago to the day. 
The horse-drawn cortège travelled through the streets of Stockholm to the Royal Barge Vasaorden, rowed by eighteen cadets from the Naval College, taking them through Stockholm Bay, thronging with Swedish and foreign warships, flying their flags high and saluting the Crown Princess Couple with a 21-gun salute. After their arrival at Logården the couple enjoyed a choral tribute at the foot of Lejonbacken, before beginning their wedding banquet in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace in Stockholdm Sweden's finest ceremonial hall. 
Commemorative china? Check.
I rarely blog about non-British royals but in honor of the upcoming marriage of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Daniel Westling, I thought it would be appropriate to give a brief history of male royal consorts. Their destiny is to walk two paces behind, living in the shadow of their reigning wives. The future Prince Daniel is in good company.
Arguably the most famous Prince Consort in history, he his the only consort of a Queen Regnant to hold the title. He was a first cousin of Queen Victoria. They married in February 1840 and he was a devoted hisband until his death in 1861. Victoria mourned him for the rest of her life, imortalizing him in countless statues and landmarks. 
The late consort of Queen Beatrix was a controversial choice for the Crown Princess. He was German and a former Hitler Youth Member. 60,000 Dutch signed a petition against the marriage and the Jewish community boycotted the celebration. They were married on March 10, 1966. On the day of the ceremony there were several attempts at sabotage, Dutch TV crews had an important cable cut. Protestors lined the route with smoke bombs. He gradually won over the Dutch public and was a popular member of the royal family when he died in 2002. 
The consort of Queen Margarethe II of Denmark. Henri Marie Jean André de 
On her wedding day, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will continue a Bernadotte royal wedding tradition by wearing the Cameo tiara, one of the oldest jewels in the Swedish royal family's collection . UPDATE: Victoria wears the tiara at left
