Marriages of Convenience
“For generations, the cream of British aristocracy and the crowned heads of Europe have intermingled to produce a bloodline like vintage champagne. Then what do they go and do? Pour in a quart of brown ale. I’m surprised they haven’t booked the Rovers for afterwards.” I have not heard such a wonderful summary of the debate over royalty marrying non-royalty as Mary gave about William and Kate’s wedding in Tuesday’s episode.
Like many, I have a favourable impression of Miss Kate Middleton, purveyor of party supplies, now Catherine, HRH Princess William of Wales, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus. And future Queen. However, it will be hard to think of her again without picturing a quart of brown ale.
An advantage of being seven months behind the UK broadcast dates is that this week we got to relive the Royal Wedding. It was wonderful. The banner in the Rovers, the commemorative plate in Graeme’s apartment. It took me back to the all night television watching I did last April, and added some lovely twists.
On royal and other marriages
It worked nicely into the Graeme and Xin immigration marriage story. Mary had pronounced that the primary purpose of Royal marriages is as alliances for purposes of bloodlines and politics. Of course, that flew right in the face of her earlier statement that marriage ought to be for love only. When she had said that, she was justifying her reporting Graeme and Xin’s marriage scam to the immigration office.
When Rita questioned her inconsistency in argument, she backed down gracefully and admitted she had done wrong in turning them in. She then, in her home on wheels, rode to their rescue. She helped Graeme find Xin, and singlehandedly changed a flat tire while quizzing them on their knowledge of each other.
Immigration via royalty
But we weren’t done with pontificating on the Royal Wedding. The immigration officer gave a republican view. “I’d line the lot of them up against the – well, I’d favour an elected head of state,” he opined in the Rovers as he pointed along the wall where he could imagine them all lined up. He looked at the royal lineage from the perspective of his position. He made the valid point that his job is to “stop marriages of convenience, marriages that let undesirable foreigners into this country. The Royal Family has been doing that for centuries.”
During the interview in the apartment of “Mr. and Mrs. Proctor,” Graeme quickly realized that hanging the Royal Wedding plate had not worked quite as intended – to show his and Xin’s patriotism. He blamed its presence on a wedding gift giver and smashed it.
What a treat Bob Stephenson from the UK Border Agency was! I do hope he has to return to deal with Mary over the car crash they had – or anything (except Xin’s new visa being taken away). He and Mary together are just wonderful. I wonder if the Queen was amused by the episode.
The real deal, darling!
And speaking of queens, Audrey meeting “Marcia” and friends Friday was, well, priceless. Please, can we see these ladies again?
