We Had No Idea

   I needed some background noise a few days ago. Lately my favourite source of background noise has been You Tube. I like putting on a documentary or something while folding clothes or washing dishes. I found a video of the blessing of the marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles. After it was over I decided I wanted to find the video of Charles' wedding to Diana and watch it.
   I was one of the many starry eyed preteen girls who watched the ceremony on TV. I watched the beautiful bride roll up in a carriage pulled by horses looking just like Cinderella. Swathed in tulle, she walked down the aisle on the arm of her distinguished looking father. Waiting for her at the other end was the Prince, not so handsome as the one in the fairy tale, but a real prince in a smart looking military uniform with a blue sash.
  It looked so romantic. The flowers, the long train and clergy wearing all sorts of colorful vestments. The cathedral filled with guests in colourful clothes. The ladies wearing beautiful hats. All the artwork and arches and gold plate on the altar.
  After the ceremony the bride's veil was lifted and her diamond tiara glittered. The bride and groom walked down the aisle with the long train trailing behind.
  They climbed into an open carriage and rode away waving to the crowds that gathered to see them.
  There was an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and a public kiss. There was a huge cake, a meal and wedding presents from all over the world. They rode off to their honeymoon in another carriage, a "just married" sign on the back.
   They were off to their happily ever after. It just had to be that way, right? How could it not be? That's how the fairy tales end. The prince and princess ride off into happily ever after.
   That's not how it turned out. That's because the prince and princess are humans and not figures in a fictional tale. It turns out that they were not well matched. The bride was young and in need of emotional support which she did not get. The groom was in love with someone else who was deemed to be an unsuitable match. The pressures of being popular figures in a very public family did not help.
   The marriage fell apart. They separated and divorced. It was public and ugly and people took sides. How could the prince do that to her? How could his family treat her so badly? She was young and lovely and such a good mother to their two sons. He was a cad who didn't do right by her.
    I don't think anyone could have foreseen what happened next. The beautiful princess was killed in a tragic car wreck the victim of a drink driver and photographers that wanted the next big picture. The prince married the woman he always loved and is happy. Their two sons grew, married and now have families of their own.
   I watched the video as the bride settled into the carriage smiling a shy smile and waving to the crowds as she rode away. You have no idea what's ahead of you, I thought to the image on the screen.  You have no idea.
   I think many of us, me included, wanted them to have that happy ever after ending so that we could believe that those endings are possible. We hoped that their days would be filled with joy and sunshine and love and happiness. We wanted them to be this shining example how love should be.We wanted them to be not quite human, but they are. There were hard times, hard feelings and tragedy.
  They didn't turn out to be the fairy tale couple we had hoped for, instead they turned out to be something more real. Something that many of us can relate to, infidelity, divorce and tragic accidents. They have shown no one is immune from the difficulties of life. They have also shown how to move on.
  We had no idea.....