Not a day will likely pass by without news on the impending Royal wedding of Prince William popping up, at least until the actual wedding day, which bookies in England are showing could occur as early May. Yes, that’s correct, bookies, bookmakers, bet takers: they are all taking bets as to where and when the wedding will take place. Americans will bet on just about anything, but even in this country we have yet to bet on weddings.
Despite the fact that a date has yet to be announced, Prime Minister David Cameron has already declared Prince William’s wedding date to be a national holiday. Just as it was decided for his parents’ wedding in 1981, the Prime Minister has announced that all residents of the U.K. will be given the day off work to annually commemorate the occasion, with the provision given that should it fall on a Saturday, workers will be given Friday or Monday off as well.
As for when the wedding will occur, May is being given the best odds due to the weather. Rumors have begun to swirl that the Prince himself favors a March wedding, but officials fear that the likelihood of rain during the spring months will not portray a nice picture of London. And if the over 750 million worldwide viewers that watched his mother Princess Diana marry Prince Charles is anything to go by; all eyes will be on London that day.
All eyes already seem to be on Kate Middleton in the days that have followed the announcement that she will marry Prince William after eight years of dating and waiting. Pictures surfaced, just two days after the announcement, of Middleton exiting West Minster Abbey accompanied by the Prince’s aides, after a late night visit. This gave betters an edge on where the ceremony might be held, but it also indicated that, much like Princess Diana, the paparazzi are already following her every move.
Also much like Diana, Middleton is already being considered a fashion icon in the making. Brazilian born clothing designer, Issa London has always been a favorite of the future Princess, having been seen at various events over the years in her gowns and recently revealed that several dresses had been custom made for her by the designer.
And although the simple blue dress that Middleton wore during the couple’s first interview together was designed by Issa London, it was not custom. It was in fact, available through the designer’s website for purchase. ‘Was,’ because one day after the interview aired, consumers flooded the website and the dress was sold out. Her style, which has always been describe as girl next door with understated elegance, has begun to influence the nation.
But the biggest hit from this media parade has been the sapphire engagement ring that William bestowed upon Middleton. The 18 carat Sapphire that once belonged to Diana has already sparked a worldwide sapphire craze, the likes of which not been seen in 30 years. Retailer QVC, which sells costume jewelry rings that bears a resemblance to the royal ring, already reported an 800 percent increase in demand. And New York Natural Sapphire Company reported 51 orders placed for sapphire rings the morning after Middleton was shown wearing the family heirloom, and too many other emails than could be processed. Michael Arnstein, the company’s CEO, told reporters that this was the biggest news for the company since Diana chose the ring in 1981.