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Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter marries in Gatsbyesque splendour


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Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter marries in Gatsbyesque splendour

By Michael Holden

 

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WINDSOR, England (Reuters) - Hollywood stars joined Queen Elizabeth and her family for Britain's second major royal wedding this year, as the monarch's granddaughter Princess Eugenie married wine merchant Jack Brooksbank.

 

Eugenie, 28, daughter of the queen's third child, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, tied the knot with Brooksbank, 32, in a traditional ceremony at Windsor Castle's 15th Century St George's Chapel.

 

It was the same setting as the lavish wedding in May of Prince Harry and his American actress wife Meghan. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as the couple are now known, were among Friday's congregation.

 

Eugenie's nuptials had much of the same pomp and pageantry as Harry's, but the grandeur for a "minor royal" attracted some criticism.

 

The 92-year-old queen and her husband Philip, 97, who has retired from official engagements, were joined by other royals and celebrities including Hollywood stars Liv Tyler and Demi Moore, models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell and singers Ellie Goulding and Robbie Williams.

 

Female guests had to cling on to their hats as a blustery wind threatened their wedding outfits.

 

Eugenie’s dress, by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos of London-based label Peter Pilotto, had a low back to reveal scars from surgery the princess underwent to correct scoliosis when she was 12.

 

"It's a lovely way to honour the people who looked after me and a way of standing up for young people who also go through this," she told ITV's "This Morning" ahead of the wedding.

 

The couple showed clear signs on nerves but beamed happily during the hour-long service.

 

"This is meant to be a family wedding," Eugenie’s father Andrew said earlier.

 

"There will be a few more people than most people have, there are a few more than Harry had, but that's just the nature of Eugenie and Jack - they've got so many friends that they need a church of that size to fit them all in," he told "This Morning" which broadcast the event live.

 

Several hundred singing and cheering well-wishers gathered outside in the shadow of the castle, far fewer than the tens of thousands that crammed into Windsor for Harry's wedding.

 

THE GREAT GATSBY

 

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed during the service led by the Dean of Windsor David Conner.

 

Eugenie's elder sister Princess Beatrice, the maid of honour, read a passage from the "The Great Gatsby" describing the smile of the title character, a rich man famed for throwing parties for the 1920s New York glitterati.

 

The bride had read the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel shortly after meeting Brooksbank in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier in 2010 and it had reminded her of her future husband.

 

"She decided she wanted eventually to let Jack know how much those words had brought him to mind," Conner said.

 

Princess Charlotte, 3, daughter of Harry's elder brother Prince William and his wife Kate, was a bridesmaid, and her brother, Prince George, 5, a page boy.

 

One noticeable absentee was Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, the wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, as she was carrying out an engagement in Scotland.

 

After the service, the couple took a horse-drawn carriage tour of Windsor before a reception at the castle hosted by the queen.

 

Eugenie is a director at London's Hauser & Wirth art gallery, and Brooksbank owns a wine wholesale business and is European brand manager for Casamigos Tequila, which was co-founded by U.S. actor George Clooney.

 

Security around Windsor was tight, with airport-style checks and a heavy police presence. Eugenie does not carry out official royal duties and republicans said it is wrong that the estimated 2 million pound ($2.6 million) security bill will be paid by taxpayers.

 

"Clearly, a line has been crossed today," opposition Labour lawmaker Emma Dent Coad wrote in the Mirror newspaper, saying even usually pro-monarchist papers had criticised the public funding of the wedding "of a minor member of the royal family".

 

"Whatever our thoughts about the long-term existence of the monarchy, we should know what it costs us," she wrote. "I’m asking for a debate, not a revolution. And it’s well overdue."

 

 
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-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-13

 

 

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26 minutes ago, rodney earl said:

What a load of rubbish. If I dont see another article about privledged royalty it will be too soon.,

Perhaps you are unaware that your comment is an offence under the Thailand Penal Code.

 

"Section 133. Defamation of Foreign Head

 

Whoever, defaming, insulting or threatening the Sovereign, Queen, Consort, Heir-apparent or Head of Foreign State, shall be imprisoned as from one year to seven years or fined as from two thousand to fourteen thousand Baht, or both."

 

You might argue that your comment was not directed at the categories listed in Section 133 but equally you might well be disabused of that view if the matter went to a Thai court. 

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Super A list at the wedding. no wonder it cost millions .

Did the British taxpayer foot the entire bill for a wonderful works outing for the super rich priveleged class ?When Eugene has kids they will join the 'snout in the trough' brigade.

Clooney and his buddies sold a liquor business for over 1 billion dollars. Basketballer Kobe Bryant made 200 million on a 6 million investment. Why wasnt he invited to shoot a few hoops ?

He's up there with them now . LOL

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Keep it in the family, don't want our bloodline contaminated with the common folk......

Educated at Stowe School in Buckingham, where boarding fees are currently almost £12,000 per term, Brooksbank, 31, is a descendant of the Brooksbank baronets and reportedly a distant cousin of Eugenie’s. (Her mother, the Duchess of York, is the great-great-granddaughter of Lady Julia Coke, who is the daughter of Jack's great-great-grandfather, Thomas Coke.)

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1 hour ago, Jeremy50 said:

Of course, Gatsby was a hopelessly lovesick romantic, one of life’s wonderful dreamers who unfortunately ends up dead in a swimming pool. But let’s not worry about all that.

Had he been holidaying in Koh Tao??

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3 minutes ago, soistalker said:

Eugenie was robbed on the riverside in Phnom Penh about 10 years back with two British soldiers watching her. 

 

Actually SO14, who are a division of the MET, and she was not robbed, they prevented the attempt but the muggers did get away.

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2 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

What I ain't understood in all of this is why handy Andy who had some choice sort's on his case back in the 80's decided to get his leg over a passed-around-abit frumpy old heffer like her .. 

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Well, actually in recent years his taste has run to skinny 17 year old models. He is always doing deals with the insidious Saudis. A thoroughly nasty piece of work.

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2 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

What a bunch of miserable and jealous old sods in this thread, gawd almighty.

You are right. We only give her family a measly 82 million quid a year, and Betty herself has only 370 million in the bank. To hell with the hundreds of thousands of kids in our country who live in poverty, the taxpayer needs to look beyond them and give this poor girl a helping hand on her special day.

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3 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

You are right. We only give her family a measly 82 million quid a year, and Betty herself has only 370 million in the bank. To hell with the hundreds of thousands of kids in our country who live in poverty, the taxpayer needs to look beyond them and give this poor girl a helping hand on her special day.

It's high time she had an increase, she's excellent value for money.

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35 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Who cares?  I don't (yes I'm a Brit).  I firmly believe it's the MEDIA who keep this circus going (CNN huge culprits). I don't care, i don't want to hear, see or know about this. Boring!

But interesting enough for you to make a post about the subject, albeit a rather silly one.

 

People don't make posts about subjects they find boring.

 

Still, don't misunderstand me. The following reader's comment on an article in The Times resonated with me.

"Thanks for this, Giles Coren. I didn't watch a second of this, nor read a line in the newspaper, and yet am a staunch royalist for pragmatic reasons: who would want a politician as head of state? But this awful attempt was, for me, an expensive, Disney like slur on the royal family's reputation, a sad, silly, pop-star attempt to dignify a silly young woman who leaches off the accident of her birth."
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15 minutes ago, jayboy said:

But interesting enough for you to make a post about the subject, albeit a rather silly one.

 

People don't make posts about subjects they find boring.

 

Still, don't misunderstand me. The following reader's comment on an article in The Times resonated with me.

 
"Thanks for this, Giles Coren. I didn't watch a second of this, nor read a line in the newspaper, and yet am a staunch royalist for pragmatic reasons: who would want a politician as head of state? But this awful attempt was, for me, an expensive, Disney like slur on the royal family's reputation, a sad, silly, pop-star attempt to dignify a silly young woman who leaches off the accident of her birth."

The thing about an elected heads of state is that we would have the facility to replace them if they proved to be unsuitable. I agree with the commentator, however, that there are few politicians whom I would wish to see elevated to that position. But as it is a titular role, we could elect those whose values and ethics we admire. Alan Bennett or David Attenborough would get my vote.

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21 minutes ago, jayboy said:

But interesting enough for you to make a post about the subject, albeit a rather silly one.

 

People don't make posts about subjects they find boring.

 

Still, don't misunderstand me. The following reader's comment on an article in The Times resonated with me.

 
"Thanks for this, Giles Coren. I didn't watch a second of this, nor read a line in the newspaper, and yet am a staunch royalist for pragmatic reasons: who would want a politician as head of state? But this awful attempt was, for me, an expensive, Disney like slur on the royal family's reputation, a sad, silly, pop-star attempt to dignify a silly young woman who leaches off the accident of her birth."

Nothing sillier than getting wet in the pants over a grand-daughter marrying a toff. As a Brit I am entitled to pass comment on the nonsense AND reflect on the media spinning it at every opportunity (CNN top of the spin list)

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1 minute ago, RuamRudy said:

The thing about an elected heads of state is that we would have the facility to replace them if they proved to be unsuitable. I agree with the commentator, however, that there are few politicians whom I would wish to see elevated to that position. But as it is a titular role, we could elect those whose values and ethics we admire. Alan Bennett or David Attenborough would get my vote.

Alan Bannett I agree would certainly make a good queen.

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I'll bet that tourism receipts and the increased revenue to business resulting from the wedding, more than outstripped any expense that was paid by the taxpayer for the wedding. Kate and Wills wedding boosted the coffers by GBP 2 bill.:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/apr/29/royal-wedding-tourism-boost

 

Megan's wedding boosted tourism by a third: https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/944562/royal-wedding-2018-tourism-increase-33-per-cent-over-weekend

 

And you lot are bleating about the taxpayer having to pay the 2 million quid for police service during the recent wedding, get some perspective people!

 

 

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2 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

The thing about an elected heads of state is that we would have the facility to replace them if they proved to be unsuitable. I agree with the commentator, however, that there are few politicians whom I would wish to see elevated to that position. But as it is a titular role, we could elect those whose values and ethics we admire. Alan Bennett or David Attenborough would get my vote.

A nominal president to 'represent' voted in (and out if need be) is preferable to what we have. Having said that our Queen has done an outstanding job but many of us would be pleased if it ended with her.

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4 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Nothing sillier than getting wet in the pants over a grand-daughter marrying a toff. As a Brit I am entitled to pass comment on the nonsense AND reflect on the media spinning it at every opportunity (CNN top of the spin list)

 Of course you are entitled to comment even if what you say - including the bizarre thought CNN Is a mainstay of the monarchy - is ridiculous.

 

Incidentally I'm not quite sure why you focus on a member of the royal family to marry what you call a "toff." Wouldn't it be weirder if she had married a yokel

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