Royal Wedding preview

Do you remember the dancing wedding … entrance… ummm… procession?

[wp_youtube]4-94JhLEiN0[/wp_youtube]

Here is a rehearsal for the entrance procession for the upcoming royal wedding.

[wp_youtube]Kav0FEhtLug[/wp_youtube]

Yes… we need Summorum Pontificum.

o{];¬)

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Lighter fare and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

45 Comments

  1. Rob Cartusciello says:

    OMG, the Rowan Williams impersonation was perfect.
    Scarily so.

  2. HyacinthClare says:

    OK, people will have horror stories, but that is NOT one of ours. That presider is a woman. That is NOT one of ours.

  3. Charivari Rob says:

    Brilliant!

  4. EWTN Rocks says:

    Way too funny – thanks for the laugh!

  5. JennyZ says:

    HAH!! Those were some pretty brilliant look alikes.

  6. Cazienza says:

    I haven’t watched it; I’m much too close to my Will and Kate overdose-level as it is! :)
    But then, the CofE needs Summorum Pontificum too, I suppose. In due time?

  7. APX says:

    OK, people will have horror stories, but that is NOT one of ours. That presider is a woman. That is NOT one of ours.

    No, it sure isn’t. I am so happy we keep our wedding processions dignified. There’s an entire solemn high nuptial mass on Youtube. Now that’s a wedding ceremony.

  8. thomas ryan says:

    I hope that, wherever that fine-looking church is, the church authorities were paid enough by T-mobile’s production company. Is that an ad orientem altar back there?

  9. Robert of Rome says:

    Protestants are not held to canonical form.

  10. Jack Hughes says:

    If I could afford it I would be join the anglican ‘bishop’ who mooted the idea of celebrating the royal wedding by going on a day trip to calais and having a republican party on the beach.

  11. APX says:

    @Robert of Rome
    Protestants are not held to canonical form.
    No, but that doesn’t mean a marriage ceremony has to be stripped of all its dignity and class. Yeesh!

  12. jflare says:

    Uh, Father, are you SURE this isn’t some misplaced joke? Maybe a bad Monte Python rerun?
    I can almost believe that some idiot civilians might go for this.. But a bona fide prince of England??
    Surely not!

    Charles may not be my idea of a paragon of virtue and Diana was quite the rebel….surely though, they wouldn’t descend THAT far?

    Or at least, they aren’t really doing this in a church??

    Yike!

  13. Warren says:

    If only half the energy and resources expended on wedding planning and lavish receptions could be redirected toward marriage preparation and prayer, then more couples might stay together for a lifetime of contentment versus 15 minutes (or 5m 10s, as it were) of fame.

  14. Seraphic Spouse says:

    People, this is an elaborate and brilliant joke that manages to poke sly, affectionate fun at both the original video and the Royal Family. And Father Z’s final remark is his joke, which pokes sly fun at himself. Not everything on the Catholic blogosphere is dead serious and “the sky is falling!”

  15. Francis says:

    Seems to be St John’s in the Tower, eh?

  16. Definately Rowan at his finest hour; too bad Shori and he didn’t dance in together in full feathers.

  17. DominiSumus says:

    I am sure there are many people who wish this was real.

  18. an elaborate joke indeed! Though I wouldn’t put it past some in the C of E (or some within the fold of Rome, for that matter). I, too, am fed-up with the overkill on the royal wedding – and I don’t even have a television in the house – I catch it on the newsfeeds at the gym. I will say, however, that the extensive coverage (of course they are just looking at pomp and pageantry, not actual substance) indicates something within the human psyche which “needs” such pomp and pageantry. It can be found in dignified worship (someone above mentioned a Solemn Nuptial Mass in the Extraordinary Form) in both forms of the Roman Rite. Those who eschew dignified ceremony ultimately descend to silly novelties such as was seen in the original video (do we have confirmation that that was not also an elaborate joke and NOT an actual wedding?) I hope that all of Fr. Z’s readers will be “treated” to worthy and dignified ceremonies in the coming days as we celebrate the Nuptial Feast of the Lamb!

  19. Oh, okay, it was a T-Mobile commercial! Well, I stand by my comment above.

  20. ContraMundum says:

    Honestly, the real wedding will be as much about “LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT MEEE!!!” as the dance procession ever was. Aside from questions of class consciousness (which really comes down to an issue of wealth only — the groom’s parents and aunts and uncles having demolished the myth that there is any other difference), surely the real question is not whether or not there is reverence, but whether the reverence is toward God or toward man.

  21. Scott W. says:

    Honestly, the real wedding will be as much about “LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT MEEE!!!” as the dance procession ever was. Aside from questions of class consciousness (which really comes down to an issue of wealth only — the groom’s parents and aunts and uncles having demolished the myth that there is any other difference), surely the real question is not whether or not there is reverence, but whether the reverence is toward God or toward man.

    Ouch! Right between my eyes! I enjoy a good joke, but I enjoy good truth even better. And I prefer it like my bourbon–straight, no chaser.

  22. Sissy says:

    fake, but accurate

  23. APX says:

    I doubt it’s fake. I’ve seen some pretty freaky processions over the past few years. It seems to be a new trend. Undignified wedding processions are like mullets. Sure, they seem like a good thing at the time, but when you go back and look at it again 20 years from now, you’re going to realize just how stupid you looked.

  24. APX says:

    Grr! I was referring to the first video being real. Not the royal one. I figured the queen wouldn’t permit such a thing, and the bride’s dress seemed too tart and unelaborate for a royal wedding.

  25. moon1234 says:

    Not to toot my own horn, but this was our wedding from 1999. High Mass by the Institute of Christ the King in Rockford, IL.

    http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0959578BA95A34C8

  26. irishgirl says:

    I thought it was somewhat funny-but the resemblance of some of the actors to the ‘real thing’ was downright spooky! Was this actually done in a CHURCH?
    I for one am looking forward to the Royal Wedding! I’m sure that everything on that day will be up the usual great pomp and circumstance that the Brits are famous for!
    Yet I’m disgusted with the whiny cynicism that some people in the blogsosphere and elsewhere are displaying. Lighten up, everyone! This is an event celebrating life and love, not tragedy and death! I wish many years of happiness to William and Catherine…and I’m American!

  27. APX says:

    This is an event celebrating life and love, not tragedy and death! I wish many years of happiness to William and Catherine…and I’m American!

    I dunno. I think it’s a tragedy she renounced being Catholic so she could marry Prince William without his losing his heir to the throne.

  28. edm says:

    Lighten up people. It is a joke. It is funny. And just because it will be an ANGLICAN wedding does not mean it will be a horror. I have been a guest a some pretty horrible ROMAN CATHOLIC marriage ceremonies. I could make generalizations too based on that. The main idea here, though is : IT IS A JOKE!

  29. Centristian says:

    Land of hope and glory,
    Mother of the free,
    Watch the Royals get married,
    Just like Kurt’s Dad’s from “Glee”.

    Wider still, and wider,
    Shall the YouTube screen get,
    When you click on the icon,
    It’s a joke, don’t forget.
    Prince Harry’s not taller,
    Than Prince William, I’ll bet.

    Land of hope and glory,
    Land of crumpets and tea,
    Ladies wear hats to church, here,
    Tarts and strumpets? Not we!

    All our shoes match our handbags,
    All our hats are wide-brimmed,
    All our husbands are titled,
    Uniformed and well-trimmed,
    Our archbishop is mitred,
    Our long service is hymned.

    Land of hope and glory,
    Dig our fly new dance tricks.
    When this nonsense is over,
    Let’s go to Trader Vic’s!

    Savile Row made a killing,
    Ede and Ravenscroft, too,
    And the tab will be picked up,
    By Elizabeth 2.
    All except for the bobbies,
    They’ll be paid for by you.

    Land of hope and glory,
    Chuck and Di made us blue,
    Now it’s William and Kate’s turn,
    To dance down the aisle for you.

    Chuck is now with Camilla,
    Fergie was sent far away,
    Ed’s still married to Sophie,
    (She doesn’t know that he’s gay).
    Good luck William and Catherine,
    We’ll buy your mugs on Ebay!

  30. irishgirl says:

    Centristian-hey, that’s funny! And I like ‘Land of Hope and Glory’!
    edm-Yes, I know it’s a joke…the ad, that is! And I say the same thing, ‘Lighten up, people!’
    APX-where did you get the idea that Catherine Middleton was Catholic? I know that she spent some time in a Catholic school when she was younger. And she just got confirmed by the Church of England not very long ago.
    She’s Anglican, plain and simple.

  31. Centristian says:

    “I dunno. I think it’s a tragedy she renounced being Catholic so she could marry Prince William without his losing his heir to the throne.”

    I think you are confusing Kate Middleton with Autumn Kelly, who renounced her Catholic religion in favor of Anglicanism to marry Peter Philips, son of Princess Anne. Kate Middleton is not a Roman Catholic.

  32. JaneC says:

    APX–Miss Middleton is not Catholic and never has been. Some people have been speculating that she was, but if she really had been it would have been a huge deal in the newspapers long before now. The rumor may have started with some articles relating to the rules of succession; a couple of politicians mentioned that they thought the rules favoring sons over daughters should be changed, so that the oldest child would become monarch regardless of sex, and in the same breath mentioned that the rules of succession forbidding Catholics were also unfair and outdated. But she was never a Catholic. There was, however, a recent kerfluffle when Peter Phillips, who is 11th in line for the throne, married Autumn Kelly. She renounced her Catholicism so that her husband would not lose his place in line. That was very foolish of her; it would have been supremely stupid if only because of the eternal consequences, but for so little? Given that the possibility that he’ll inherit is so very remote? But the point is that Miss Middleton is and always has been Anglican.

  33. APX says:

    APX-where did you get the idea that Catherine Middleton was Catholic? I know that she spent some time in a Catholic school when she was younger. And she just got confirmed by the Church of England not very long ago.
    She’s Anglican, plain and simple.

    I saw something on CNN. Was there another royal wedding perhaps?

  34. APX says:

    Correction

    I was wrong about the renouncing Catholicism thing. It was a different British prince who married a French-Canadian women from Montreal. That was 3 years ago. It would appear these past few years have all been a blur. My apologies.

  35. BobP says:

    Cranmer has returned?

  36. Jane says:

    I am astounded at how much like the real people, that some of these pretenders look like. It is a funny video, but I would not like my own wedding sent up like this. This is the price that is paid for being famous.

  37. Augustine says:

    Lest anyone be scandalised, the latter clip takes place in a truly beautiful church, so one can safely assume that it’s Anglican rather than Roman…

  38. RichardT says:

    The church in the 2nd (Royal) clip is, I think, St Bartholomew the Great, London.

    See this picture – when the camera faces the other way, the arches behind the altar are quite distinctive.
    http://www.london-architecture.info/stbarts3.jpg

    Known as Great St Barts to distinguish it from St Barts Hospital, a related foundation until the Reformation.

    St Bartholomew the Great is currently Church of England, although when founded in the 12th century it was an Augustinian priory and was of course Catholic until the Reformation.

    I have been to several services there (as well as being a parish church, it also serves as my Livery Company’s chapel), and the services are extremely dignified. I think (although someone might correct me here) its reputation amongst Anglicans is for being very ‘High Church’ without being pro-Catholic, and it is closely associated with Dr Richard Chartres, the current Anglican Bishop of London.

    I also heard the Abbot of Westminster (a remarkable Catholic survival, given that we lost the Abbey over 400 years ago) preach in St Bartholomew the Great a few years ago.

    However St Bartholomew the Great does have a thriving (and, presumably, profitable) sideline as a venue for filming, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, The End of the Affair and The Other Boleyn Girl.

    Sad to see it used for this traversty though.

  39. RichardT says:

    I wonder if there is a bit of ecclesiastical rivalry going on here.

    Prince Charles was married in St Paul’s, the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of London. Prince William’s will be in Westminster Abbey, a Royal Peculiar and so not a diocesan church.

    I wonder if this was seen as a snub by the diocese of London, and so meant that St Bartholomew the Great (as a London diocesan church closely associated with the Bishop of London) was more inclined to agree to the filming of this parody?

    Or do they just need the money?

  40. SidMJr says:

    Yes… We need Anglicanorum Coetibus.

    ;-)

  41. edm says:

    They need the money. Anyone with a moderately sized building of Victorian-or-previous age knows that it is a constant battle to maintain it in good form. I know that I will not make many friends by saying that I think this is “the lesser of two evils”. By that I mean that what was filmed was not in any way anti-Christian. It was, I think, a commentary on the present distasteful practises in some places. And humorous at the same time! Viewing it might even help some couples to avoid the ridiculous. And, if the money can help St. B’s operate and repair the building, so much better. I would not be critical of this.

  42. adamFERG says:

    As a good Canadian I know my royal family. Rest assured to the people who think this might be real, it is not. That is not the Queen and her Family. Welcome to the internet age.

  43. adamFERG says:

    Also to people bashing the wedding because it will be Anglican, have you been to a Catholic Church lately. 90% of the masses I have been to have been more protestant than an Anglican mass. Cranmer started the Liturgical revolution and the Catholic Church finished it with the new Mass. Cranmer had the advantage of the English form used at the time so The Book of Common Prayer Mass still sounds dignified. At an Anglican Church I went to we keeled most of the mass. At my local Catholic Parish they all stand during the consecration and hold up there hands to “help” the priest Consecrate the Host. Lest face it most Hippie Priests from the 60’s went into the Catholic priesthood because they saw a chance with Vatican II to put there own theology into Christian thought. The Anglican mass has not changed really from 1662 or so and is based of the old Sarum liturgy developed about 1078 . This facts tend to attract more conservative types. We are very blessed to have such a good Pope to help organically bring us Catholics back to our Liturgical roots.

  44. Father K says:

    Nice altar; nice architecture…

Comments are closed.