A wedding to enjoy

"Oh to be in England now that's April's there," pined English poet Robert Browning while away from his homeland in 1845.

England is certainly the place to be come tomorrow, April 29. It's the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and London will be the centre of attraction for the world with an expected 1,900 guests in attendance and several billions watching the televised event.

England has lost much of the lustre and influence that it once enjoyed as a major world power, but on Friday they will be treating us to a magnificent display of pomp and circumstance that will provide a refreshing break from those otherwise catastrophic news headline events.

I have always been amused at the preoccupation of the English with upholding traditions - afternoon tea, the well-tied tie, the stiff upper lip, and so on. They place high value and loyalty on what, on the surface, seems to be commonplace. Perhaps that's part of the secret of their self-confidence: it's that long line of tradition and ancestry that can make them parade what we would consider caricature with all the aplomb and all the surety of purpose and detail on the streets of London before the eyes of the world.

It's their story to tell, and they will tell it well, with the English language spoken at its best when the BBC begins relaying its broadcasts tomorrow morning.

Disdain

The English have little use for those who they say massacre the language abroad, or, for that matter, at home. "There even are places where English completely disappears; in America, they haven't used it for years," according to phonetics expert, Professor Henry Higgins, of My Fair Lady fame.

I wonder what Higgins would have made of the Jamaican Patois which invaded England in the 1950s and took such a firm hold on the spoken word. In a legendary story, a well-recognised London clothing establishment could not make head or tail out of a letter of complaint sent from Duhaney Park demanding redress for a faulty suit purchased by mail order. In reply, the manager offered to compensate the irate writer, but as a postscript, asked politely, "Could you explain, please, and identify the source of the Jamaican material referred to in the last line of your letter to us?"

There will be many Jamaicans on the route from Westminster Abbey through Parliament Square, Whitehall, the Horse Guards Parade, the Mall, and on to Buckingham Palace. Which Jamaican could avoid being in the squeeze-up that will be lining the streets for a wedding of this grandeur? Look closely and you might even see an empty Red Stripe crate with a couple of yardies mounted on spot.

This will be a wedding to enjoy. It's a stately occasion as much as it is a romantic love story with an ideal happy ending. It's also a family affair, with as many family concerns re seating, in-laws, likes and dislikes, as with any commoner wedding party.

All eyes are on the handsome couple who have brought a fresh round of popularity, youth and charm to the royal family. But the groom will be hoping that his younger brother and best man, the fun-loving Prince Harry, will behave. According to reports, Harry has said he will drink nothing strong until after his speech. Prince William, who has done the nightclub rounds with Harry, must have breathed a sigh of relief at that announcement.

The fashion and protocol in London will be copied by some of us in Jamaica. And Sir Patrick and Lady Allen are among the guests. I remind them of Miss Lou's advice in 1962 when Princess Margaret came, on practising how to meet royalty.

"Ben dung lower, sah, lower! Ben yuh back

Noh ben yuh knee,

Yuh haffe learn de rightful way

Fe bow to royalty.

Come try yuh luck again an timely

Graceful ben yuh back

Good, straighten up yuself, whai oh

Here how you jint a crack."

Lance Neita is a public relations and communications consultant. Comments to columns@gleaner.com or lanceneita@hotmail.com.