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Royal Weddings: The Agony And The Ecstasy

A Tapestry of Royal Expectations

Apr 29, 2011 by Jane Genova

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Royal weddings can be for the single woman what Christmas tends to be for everyone: The agony and the ecstasy.

The magic is being played out on the small screen of a young golden couple who found each other, adjusted to each other, and made it to the day when they would commit themselves to each other for life. We watch and wonder how come we couldn’t pull that off. We couldn’t even manage the feat with a commoner.

Of course the old chip on the shoulder returns that we weren’t born to the noble class. Had I been, heck, I could have had a shot at my special day being gawked at by millions around the world. The times I had been engaged, relatives on both sides would have had to have a special pass from jail or substance-abuse rehab to attend.

The agony also is rooted in fear for the couple. Royal wedding 1.0 hadn’t worked out for Diana and Charles. And 1.5 hasn’t seemed to either for Camilla and Charles. Do any two people, with the exception of hearty stock like Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, have a chance amidst a global high profile, the punishing schedule of the work responsibilities at The Firm, and temptations of the flesh? We can almost hear a Greek Chorus in the background warning the couple to protect their love.

The ecstasy part is the hope that love can triumph over institutional and human obstacles. We who have been single a long time or even a while know that ways can be found to beat the odds on anything. For example, by trial and error, I gained the insight on how to get the smug married to leave me alone. That included “having me over” with their beastly children on Christmases.

We singles are cheering for the royal couple to have the wisdom and strength to create their own micro lives within the macro world of The Firm or, should it happen, the loss of their good jobs. The people of Britain could close down the House of Windsor in the name of cost-efficiency. Then the couple, somewhat like characters in a sad novel by Charles Dickens, are in for a bit of a change in lifestyle.

Who will we singles be watching the ceremony with? Hmmmmmm. Isn’t that a question smug married would ask?

About the Author

Jane Genova Has Written 24 Articles For Us!

I’m a coach, book author, and lecturer on careers, specializing in transitions. When I was 58, I restarted my professional life. That was in 2003. Since then I have I have muted into one of those renaissance folks who keeps multiple lines of work going. My latest book Over-50: How We Keep Working has helped thousands of people realize that exciting careers don’t depend on your age. I write four blogs: Jane Genova, Law and More, Career Transitions, Over-50.

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