hello brits

r u happy about prince william's and kate middleton's engagement

They definitely took their time about it. Maybe she should have proposed to him on February the 29th; that would have made history.

But I'm happy for them, but Kate is quite uncomfortable in front of the press.

She'd probably look more relaxed if they stopped talking about Diana and treated her as if she were a person rather than the new tenant of her fiancee's mother's shoes.

It's funny, I was wondering last week if they were going to get engaged any time soon. I thought William was a bit older than he is, though, and thought he might come under serious pressure once he reached 30.

Happy? I'm apathetic, as I am about monarchy in general, but I heard today that there may be a bank holiday in honour of the royal wedding so I'm not complaining.

Quite unenthused about the whole thing. Just like the British public at large many Royal Weddings (capital letters because there's always such a song and dance about it) end in divorce or estrangement: think Princess Margaret, think Princess Anne, think Prince Andrew, think Charles... Only the Queen seems to have survived still spliced to her man. Hope it goes well for them, may even watch the wedding live on TV, but for the media it is just a temporary happy blip in the white noise of doom and gloom.

Everything gets so hyped these days. The media, bless their hearts, should take a word of advice from Michael Winner, and calm down, dears...
I'd like Bill and Kath (which is what I intend to call them henceforth) to get spliced in, oh let's say, Guildford Register Office. Or on top of a hill on Sark. Or something.

They could do it while he's on a search-and-rescue mission in North Wales; if they were over the sea could they get a captain to marry them?

There will be some benefits - extra money coming into the economy from additional tourist visits and the sale of cheap and nasty souvenir tat, a day off - but otherwise to me it is just another manifestation of celebrity culture and I will be doing my best to ignore it. There'll be an X Factor winner singing a solo in one of the hymns.

5. I was hoping for a village hall, somewhere in a remote corner of Wales perhaps?

I'm not sure it's up (or down) there with the majority of celebrity culture, since the royal family arguably have a legitimate reason to be in the public eye. They're a far cry from the pointlessly-famous Big Brother contestant or the long-has-beens on I Was Famous Once And I'm So Desperate I'll Eat Worms On Primetime TV. I'm not exactly what you would call a monarchist but I think the work done by the royal family is essentially respectable enough.

Not sure where I stand on actually watching it, though, although must admit I'm interested in the girly stuff like her dress.

coolio thx 4 ur comments

yoh brits

So it's official, then: Westminster Abbey, and we get an extra day off at Easter. And they're paying for it all (security included, I think) themselves. Celebrity is the opium of the masses (to coin a phrase).

Well it is nice for the government to make my birthday next year an official holiday. I wouldn't be surprised if the government had to pay for a lot of the security themselves - after all it would be a national embarrassment if something happens to a foreign head of state or member of a foreign royal family.

#8 I'm not exactly what you would call a monarchist but I think the work done by the royal family is essentially respectable enough.

Couldn't agree more though I'm a monarchist because it seems to be working rather than for anything to do with political theory. The Duke of Edinburgh is going to give up most public tasks soon but as he'll be 90 next year he's served us well. And the Queen is no spring chicken either. And although I don't agree with all that Charles says I do think he has a sense of service to the people. I think of the alternative as a presidency under Tony Blair with the wretched Cherie as First "Lady".

#11 - According to a news report I heard, the families are paying for everything except the security.

#14: I stand corrected! I knew security came into the equation somewhere!

*Decides she counts as a Brit, considering she was born in Bolton, and still has an accent. Not her fault that she was moved across the sea to ::puke:: America. So... yeah :)* (I dunno why I wrote that all in third person... whatever :PPP)

Does anyone know/like/LOVE the band McFly? I know I do! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

no...is it any good???

#16 I do too - and I'm 55. (Still love 'em?)