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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 9-15, 2018 UCW 5 Had enough of 2018 partisan primary politics for a while? How about a royal wedding to ease the political tension? No one does pomp and circumstance like the Brit- ish. For the May 19 wedding of Prince Harry, the fun son of the Prince of Wales who will not become King of England, and actress Meghan Markle, we will be treated to marching music, fabulous uniforms and horse-drawn carriages – not to mention royal family ups, downs and all arounds, precious children and bi- zarre hats called fascinators. Since the soon-to-be royal bride is an American biracial divorcee older than her hubby-to-be, we can all sit back and enjoy the pageant. e New York Times recently posed and answered 80 questions about the big to-do. ese include the normal ones like "Can I go to the wedding?" (No) and "What if my invitation was lost in the mail?" (Dream on!), and some that pertain to this particular royal spectacle. Here is some of the intel gathered by the Times. How did the lovebirds meet each other? ey con- fess to meeting on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend not quite two years ago. It went so well, according to the Times, that a few weeks later the Prince and Meghan zipped off to Botswana where they "camped out with each other under the stars." Anyone who has ever put on a wedding knows the sky is the limit in terms of cost. So how much is this royal one costing? e Times suggests that if you ask that question, you cannot afford a royal wedding, but adds that Harry's brother William and his bride Kate's wedding in 2011 cost $34 million, with $32 million of that picked up by British taxpayers for security. Ru- mor has it that Meghan will pay for her own wedding gown, but the Times did not confirm that. Who exactly was the bride-to-be's first husband? His name is Trevor Engelson, and the two married on a Jamaican beach in 2011 after dating for 7 years. e marriage lasted 2 years, and the Times reports that Meghan's ex is working on a TV pilot about a divorcee who marries a prince. Life is strange. Prince Harry had an active pre-Meghan social life himself, and several of his ex-sweeties are expected to attend the nuptials. Who else is going? Lots of royals from all over Europe and elsewhere who routinely attend each other's occasions. Who is not included? Neither the Trumps nor the Obamas were invited, although the prince and Barack Obama are reportedly chummy. Members of the former Spice Girls, a 1990s girl group, are ex- pected to attend, as Harry once declared the day he met them in 1997 as the best day of his life. Who wrote the wedding vows? Buckingham Palace has not commented on this, but odds are overwhelming that the vows will come from the "Anglican Book of Common Prayer." Meghan has reportedly converted to Anglicanism from another Protestant denomination. No mushy, gazing-into- each-other's eyes personal vows for this royal pair. Will there be a wedding cake? Yes. e couple selected a lemon elderflower cake, a departure from the more traditional fruitcake featured at many Brit- ish weddings, including that of Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. Fruitcake is one tradition I can skip. What do royals actually do day-to-day? Here is the Times' assessment. "…young royals are just like us: they drive cars, go to the supermarket, drop kids off at school and work out at the gym. (Not sure I am buying all that sameness…). "…it's unlikely Meghan will take on a 9-to-5 job after her marriage. ere will be numerous public engagements to attend … and you can expect a royal tour abroad with her new husband in the first year or two. Got to keep the fans happy, after all." What name will be on Meghan's driver's license, as- suming she has one, of course? e Times' best guess is Rachel Meghan Mountbatten Windsor. e royal family adopted the family name Windsor in 1917, amid anti-German sentiment in World War I. e family dropped its original German surname. No one ever said the royals cannot read political tea leaves. And finally, does the happy young couple want children? Prince Harry spilled the beans on that one in a post-engagement interview with the BBC. Said the Prince ever so discreetly, "Of course, one step at a time and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future." Start planning your watch party now! Coverage begins on the 19th at 4 a.m. on CBS, NBC at 4:30 a.m., with other media outlets chiming in as well. Let us all eat cake! Here comes the bride by MARGARET DICKSON OPINION MARGARET DICKSON, Columnist. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. one year special $ 15 for UP & CoMING WEEKLY rEadErs oNLY you save 89% off Tv GuIDe MaGaZINe Get A GreAt DeAL from tV GuiDe mAGAzine start Your subscription online, By Mail or Call online: tvguidemagazine.com/newsoffer mail: complete order form below call: 1-800-365-1940 WHeN CaLLING use PRoMo: K6fNsWPZZ Every issue delivers inside scoop on your favorite shows Breaking news keeps you in the know Highlights help guide you to what's worth watching Your favorite stars take you behind the scenes 28 Pages of easy-to-use primetime listings GrEaT rEasoNs To sTarT YoUr sUBsCrIPTIoN e New York Times recently posed and answered 80 questions about the big to-do.