William & Kate - clearly in love
Weddings being all the rage at the moment, it seems fitting to review these fascinating books on Royal Weddings and the Traditions of Marriage Whether one is a Royalist or not, there is something tremendously hopeful about a marriage, in the belief that no matter what else is happening, people fall in love and decide to get married. Months of preparation ensue as couples opt for the full blown ‘fairytale’ bash or a quiet ceremony in the Register Office
Henry V & Kate de Valois - clearly strangers
Marriage between the high born and the low born historically served different purposes. Up until the last hundred years, marriage between royalty existed to consolidate the power of the monarch and stabilise the relationships between countries who might otherwise have posed a threat. Love was not even considered and young aristocrats were often betrothed when they were little children and even underwent a ceremony to cement that commitment. That is not to say, however, that love didn’t sometimes develop in spite of the business-like arrangements.
Nowadays, we expect our royal families to be in love with their chosen partners (let’s forget Charles and Diana who appear to have conformed to the ‘stability’ model) and we expect the wedding to be a spectacle in which the whole nation takes part. But looking back through the centuries royal weddings have taken place at venues as different as York Minster to hurried late night ceremonies in locked rooms.
Henry I was the first Norman king to marry on British soil and married Edith of Scotland in 1100 at Westminster Abbey to both demonstrate his claim to the English throne and to endear himself to the downtrodden masses.
In 1464, the youthful Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville in a secret ceremony at her father’s manor. Henry only mentioned it to his advisors when they announced plans to secure a more politically profitable match.
George V sweeping away German title & tradition. Cartoon from 'Punch' by L Raven-Hill, my great grandfather as it happens
‘Royal Weddings’ charts the social and political backdrop to a thousand years of matrimonial monarchs and gives a fascinating perspective on the changing ideals and interdependency of royalty and the people they ultimately serve.
“But what about we ordinary mortals?” I hear you cry. In many ways our story is more rich and juicy than anything the royals can cook up because tradition and folklore varies so widely from region to region.
Many people have been absorbed by the recent TV series ‘My Big, Fat Gypsy Wedding’ and whatever one’s views about that community, their traditions and expression of their culture serve as a perfect example of the different roles marriage has to play in communities with different needs and expectations.
‘Discovering the Folklore and Traditions of Marriage’ takes us through love and courtship, preparation for the big day, the wedding day itself and the celebrations, as well as the social implications of being obliged to be together forever. I wonder if the marriage ceremony would include the words “’ till death us do part” if they had known that future couples might live to be 90 or more?
After the Stag Night. Great bunch of lads...
Fleet Weddings, Gretna Green, Besom Weddings, Penny Weddings, Wife Selling – it’s all in here. Throwing stockings was the forerunner of throwing bouquets and it was done when the newly married couple were actually in their marriage bed. Who would consider having a ‘Rough Band’ banging saucepans to be a lucky thing and yet Chimney Sweeps still advertise their services to appear at weddings.
The Wartime Housewife never married (but lived ‘o’er t’brush’ with two bastard children), but after reading this book, she might just consider it. But only if she can re-enact the scene from the Mayor of Castorbridge and, having got drunk on ‘furmity’, her husband promises to sell her and her children to a passing sailor.
If you want your wedding to stand out, you will find everything you need in here to make your day a truly historic occasion.
Seriously interesting - even if you're not the marrying kind
Wartime Housewife 