DUNCAN BARKES Good reason to enjoy right royal celebrations

Despite having questionable nicknames for each other, I am looking forward to the royal wedding. Although I wonder if we will see the kind of nationwide celebrations we have witnessed with previous royal nuptials.

I like the fact that we have a royal family in this country, although I draw the line at purchasing any ceramic products produced bearing their images, which suggests having more money than sense.

But the wedding day has been declared a national holiday, which has to be good news all round. And with the following Monday being May Day it could turn into a four- day celebration. But do we still have the passion and community spirit to make it a right royal knees-up?

The Silver Jubilee of 1977 and the wedding of Charles and Di in 1981 saw street parties across the UK. I remember them well: bunting dancing on the breeze, trestle tables laden with sausage rolls and people raising a glass to toast the royals while wearing a Union Flag hat.

Similar shenanigans were the order of the day for the marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986.

Next year’s event will mean 25 years have passed since the last major royal wedding. A lot has changed. The rise of celebrity culture has seen the ‘wow factor’ of the royals becoming somewhat diluted, plus there has been stiff criticism of the royal family following the death of Diana and the divorce of Andy and Fergie.

The royals certainly seem less revered these days. Poor old Prince Charles seems to be the target of much flak, with a recent poll showing only 19 per cent of us wanting him to take to the throne with Camilla as his Queen, should Queen Elizabeth abdicate.

I believe he is a deeply misunderstood man and deserves a crack at the top job.

The timing of the royal wedding could not be better. Next year will be pretty grim, as VAT goes up and the government’s austerity measures take effect.

The Establishment hopes the royal wedding will see a ‘street party atmosphere’ across the UK. 
I hope they are right. We absolutely should celebrate an event that makes Britain ‘Great’.

Sadly, for some it will just be another excuse to go to the pub at 11am and be bladdered by lunchtime. I predict the punch-ups will start by late afternoon.

But I plan to be there, waving my flag and eating my body weight in party nosh. How about you?