I can remember watching Di and Charles wedding on tv and then Sarah and Andrew's. My son John was about three and a half when the latter were married, and this is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to Keryn at the time.

"Did you watch the Royal Wedding? Or as John puts it, the "Oil Wetting."

I let him stay up to watch it, and he was fascinated. He loved the horses and carriages and the church and all the people, but I had a hard time explaining what it was all about. I pointed out Sarah in her carriage and said "That lady's going to be a princess!" He stared and asked "How are they going to make her a princess?"
"Well" I explained "She's going to marry a Prince."
"No she's not!" said John firmly.
When Andrew and Edward came on I said "That's the prince she's going to marry, and the other man is a prince too."
"No, they're not Princes!" protested John. "Where are their swords?"
I pointed out that they did have swords on their belts, but he still wasn't satisfied. "Where's their hats?" he asked.
"Do you mean crowns?" I said.
"Yes, those hat-things they wear on their heads!"
I couldn't anwer that so I just said that they left them at home sometimes. He watched very intently for a while then asked "What are majesties?"
"They're Kings and Queens, you have to call them Your Majesty....."I said, hoping the questions wouldn't get any more complicated.
"Where are THEIR crowns?" John asked, obviously quite sceptical until he saw at least one crown amongst all the fashionable hats.

Eventually Sarah got there and started to walk down the aisle. "What's that thing behind her, that bit of dress?" he asked. Inwardly I groaned and said "It's called a train." John fell about laughing, then said "That's not a train, what's it called ?" It was a while before he'd accept that it was indeed called a train, but I could see him thinking all this was getting weirder and weirder. "Where's HER crown?" he asked, looking critically at the wreath in her hair. I ignored that and said wasn't she pretty etc etc.

During the service they showed the man conducting the choir, making trembling passionate gestures and frowning at the singers. I turned to look at John, and there he was, throwing his arms around, glaring at the telly and generally being a temperamental Artiste. When he saw I was watching him he was quite embaressed and explained "I'm conducting, but you really need a stick!"

After Sarah had signed the register and came out I quickly spied the tiara and said to John "Look, Look! She's got a crown now!" He stared at her open mouthed, then turned to me with huge round eyes and breathed "She IS a Princess!" After that it was sealed. Sarah was a princess, Andrew a prince, her train a train, it was all true because Sarah had a crown."

Ah me, that was a long time ago. I think I'll go and make a pot of tea and wonder where all those years went...