I don't get all this hype about the royal wedding?

[Eoin247]

Can somebody please explain to me why is everybody excited about this royal wedding? Why am i looking at CNN and seeing barely anything about whats happening in the Middle East and North Africa? Instead why am i constantly seeing the same repeated things about Kate Middletons wedding dress?

Obviously I don't have to pay anything for it. Yet still to me there's something morally wrong about getting taxpayers to pay tens upon tens of millions for a single wedding especially during times like this when even in the UK that money could literaly save countless lives. Tourism isn't a very good excuse, you don't have to pay nearly a million dollars for flowers to get tourists. I'm just curious as to why not that many of you Brits seem to be bothered about this?

Before you say it though, i'm not "hating" on your monarchy. I wouldn't approve of taxpayers paying that amount of money for an overly extravagant wedding for anybody on earth.

Apparently these are some of the things you're paying for:

Three dresses of about $100,000 each have been made just so that one isn't "leaked out" by mistake.

Two cakes costing $78,000

Even the invitations were pricey. Mailed in late February, each invitation was individually die-stamped in gold, then burnished, and features bevelled and gilded edges.

[Triz]

In short, the USA have always been fascinated by our traditions, the Royal Family brings a lot of tourists to the UK, so for there to be a wedding is a historical event! Whereas us in the UK just see it as a day off work haha!

[Eoin247]

In short, the USA have always been fascinated by our traditions, the Royal Family brings a lot of tourists to the UK, so for there to be a wedding is a historical event! Whereas us in the UK just see it as a day off work haha!

Surely having a public holiday will take more out of the economy than any amount of tourists visiting this wedding will bring in to it?

[Alkaz]

I personally think that this country would just be 'another country' without the Royal family, we literally do nothing any more. Also you mentioned the cost, yes it may be extravagant but what else would you expect from it? I'm sure a few months ago they estimated a £1bn boost to the economy because of the wedding which if true surely out weighs the cost of the wedding. As well, when you think of some of the other crap that tax payers pay for including things like the EU, MPs dry cleaning etc then you think of this, we're sort of actually getting something out of it.

[peteyt]

I agree that it's good to have a royal family and history but they don't do anything for us. Kings and Queens used to have such a dominant and public role and now it just seems to be a title. They don't seem to do anything.

My work asked me if I wanted to work it and I said yes as I'd rather do something constructive than watch posh people who probably don't care about us and wont do anything for us get married.

[Jordy]

I'm sick of people complaining about the "losses for the economy" on a Bank Holiday. Most people get a day off work or school thanks to the bank holiday, you're not forced to watch the Wedding so ******* enjoy yourself a bit. How often do Royal Weddings happen? Another significant one won't happen for another 25 years at least till Prince William has a child and they choose to marry.

It's bringing in a ridiculous amount of tourists to London (and the rest of the UK) anyway and will do so for years to come, then there's loads of souvenirs etc to sell them too. Economically it all just about balances out, the Royal family and Middletons are putting a lot of the money towards it.

The Royal Family has done far more for this country than anyone else, it's largely down to them we live in such a great and wealthy country today. Today they're extremely charitable and help with an awful lot of causes and diplomatically, it's very surprising how busy all the Royal Family is, no pensioners of the Queens age travel around anywhere near as much as she does. It's simply not true that they sit at home all day and drain the taxpayer. Yes we maybe in a bit of a debt but this is just one day to have a bank holiday and celebrate.

[Jessicrawrr]

Big royal weddings have been a tradition in our country, I think it's not good the amount of money being spent on it, but how many royal weddings has there been lately?
and to be honest, if the country is paying that much money, you want it to pay off by everyone watching it.

[Hecktix]

I'm sick of people complaining about the "losses for the economy" on a Bank Holiday. Most people get a day off work or school thanks to the bank holiday, you're not forced to watch the Wedding so ******* enjoy yourself a bit. How often do Royal Weddings happen? Another significant one won't happen for another 25 years at least till Prince William has a child and they choose to marry.

It's bringing in a ridiculous amount of tourists to London (and the rest of the UK) anyway and will do so for years to come, then there's loads of souvenirs etc to sell them too. Economically it all just about balances out, the Royal family and Middletons are putting a lot of the money towards it.

The Royal Family has done far more for this country than anyone else, it's largely down to them we live in such a great and wealthy country today. Today they're extremely charitable and help with an awful lot of causes and diplomatically, it's very surprising how busy all the Royal Family is, no pensioners of the Queens age travel around anywhere near as much as she does. It's simply not true that they sit at home all day and drain the taxpayer. Yes we maybe in a bit of a debt but this is just one day to have a bank holiday and celebrate.

I agree, and may I highlight that when this Royal Wedding was announced it was announced that the Royal Family and the Middleton Family would be paying for around 80 or 90% of the wedding costs, I think the only thing coming from the tax payer is the security for the day, which is fair enough since this will be provided by the police, army etc - who are paid by the British tax payer on any other day.

[GommeInc]

Surely having a public holiday will take more out of the economy than any amount of tourists visiting this wedding will bring in to it?

Many companies will still be working, particularly those associated with tourism e.g. restaurants, transport etc. The transport industry will be raking in a lot of money, something the economy needs at the moment. Besides, the amount of sourvenirs people have bought to do with the wedding is epic

[dbgtz]

I don't see the fuss in it, but I can see why its fussed about as it's like a british thing which is admired world wide. In fact I'm interested in what americans are doing because i hear time and time again about how they are their royals too and how excited they are and were for diana etc.