Feud over the rights to the work of Zorba the Greek’s author Nikos Kazantzakis intensifies despite ruling A row over the rights to the works of Greece’s most celebrated writer Nikos Kazantzakis is intensifying after the supreme court ruled that the adopted son of his late widow is his rightful heir. The feud, which has pitted relatives and admirers of the author of Zorba the Greek against Patroclos Stavrou, the adopted son of his late widow, Eleni, erupted seven years ago as a disagreement over copyright ownership of the author’s works. Despite the intervention of the supreme court, which ruled that Stavrou, a Cypriot-born philologist, was the writer’s rightful heir, the dispute shows no sign of abating. “Kazantzakis’ natural heirs are considering taking further action,” said Yorgos Stassinakis who heads the Geneva-based International Society of the Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis. “The court decision did not go to the heart of the matter, which is the books. Publication and translation of all of this great man’s works has been very poor and as a result readers worldwide have not had access to them.” A widow for more than 40 years, Eleni Kazantakis met Stavrou during a visit to the island in 1967. Fifteen years later she adopted him as her legal son and heir. She was in her 70s and he was 55. “She became my mother and I became her son,” writes Stavrou in a prologue to the catalogue of works produced by the publishing company he established with Eleni. “She called me son, dearest son, and radiated certainty and happiness … She took her last breath, a few months before her 101st birthday in 2004, at a hospital in Athens holding my hand.” After her death, he became the guardian of Kazantzakis’ works. But critics accuse him of failing to adequately promote the author’s legacy. The Cypriot was forced to withdraw from the board of the Kazantzakis Museum in Crete, where the writer was born and buried, for allegedly failing to attend meetings. Last year, the International Society of the Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis began a global campaign, gathering some 4,008 signatures in 92 countries, to “save and promote” his artistic legacy. In an open letter addressed to the Greek president, it denounced what they said was Stavrou’s dismal oversight of the oeuvre. The Nobel prize-winning novelist Nadine Gordimer and the French politician, Ségolène Royal, are among those who have signed the petition. “To make someone your adopted son when he is more than 50 years old, his parents are still alive and you are over the age of 70, is a strange thing,” said Stassinakis. “But much more it is the lack of love this man has shown towards the work of Kazantzakis. A large part of his oeuvre remains unpublished and many of his most important books are out of print, unavailable even in countries like France where he lived for years.” An essayist and traveller, who translated Shakespeare and Dante to make ends meet, Kazantzakis wrote more than 30 books. His range extended from popular novels such as the Last Temptation of Christ to The Odyssey: A modern Sequel, an epic poem of 33,333 verses which he rewrote seven times and considered his best work. In 1957 he lost the Nobel Prize for Literature to Albert Camus by one vote. At the two-storey offices of Kazantzakis publications in the heart of Athens, Patroclos Stavrou’s daughter Niki, described the “seven continuous years of absolute hell” that the family has endured since the court action began. “I cannot begin to describe how much vital energy and time was wasted on trying to defend ourselves,” says the scholar who directs the company’s foreign rights division and is trying to get Kazantzakis’ works translated and on bookshelves around the world. “When he was alive Kazantzakis lived under constant persecution from the Greek Orthodox Church and critics. I am sure this [row] would have broken his heart.” Greece Europe Literary fiction Fiction Nobel prize for literature Awards and prizes Helena Smith guardian.co.uk
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Senior heads of national team allegedly approved system to limit black players and those of north African origins France has been plunged into a fresh race crisis after claims that football officials tried to limit black and Arab players on youth training schemes to make the French team more white. The French football federation has opened an internal investigation after website Mediapart reported that top management approved a quota system to limit young black players and those of north African origin emerging as candidates for the national team. The alleged plan involved limiting non-white youngsters as young as 12 or 13 from entering the selection process through training centres and academies. “For the top brass in French football, the issue is settled: there are too many blacks, too many Arabs, and not enough white players in French football,” the website said. According to Mediapart, one of the most senior football federation figures wanted to set a cap of 30% on players of certain origins, but insisted at a meeting the quota should be kept quiet. At another meeting, the French national team coach Laurent Blanc allegedly backed changing youth talent selection criteria to favour players with “our culture, our history”. Sources claimed Blanc cited current world champions Spain, saying: “The Spanish, they say: ‘We don’t have a problem. We have no blacks.’” Amid stupefaction from players, the French governmenthas asked for clarification from the football federation, which has denied setting out a quota policy. The federation’s national technical director, François Blaquart, said the organisation’s “only problem” was with dual national players who were trained by France and then went off to play for other countries. He said this applied to players of all races. The French team’s media officer, Philippe Tournon, said Blanc “categorically denies that he could have supported selections based on ethnicity or skin colour”. He added that “it goes against his philosophy” and said that Blanc was “outraged” by the allegations. The issue hit a raw nerve in France in 1998, where their World Cup victory by a multicultural team led by Zinedine Zidane was hailed as “black, blanc, beur”, and was said to symbolise a new beginning for a mixed nation, but it mainly gave way to great unease and bickering over the racial profile of “Les Bleus”. Not only did the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen complain of too many black people in the team, a leading Socialist regional head, the late Georges Frêche, was expelled from his party in 2007 for making the same observation. Crucially, the French team’s mutiny at the World Cup last summer was privately blamed by some on black or Muslim players, including the French convert to Islam, Franck Ribéry. Speculation was that the team had fragmented over the lack of the football team’s “national identity”. One of the first measures taken by Blanc – a World Cup winner from 1998 – when he became coach of the French team last summer was to stop the team policy of eating only halal meat. Mediapart said federation officials had even challenged the morphology of black players. The website claimed Blanc had suggested that a stereotype of player, which he described as “large, strong, powerful”, needed to be changed. Blanc allegedly told a meeting of senior federation figures: “And who are the large, strong, powerful? The blacks. That’s the way it is. It is a current fact. God knows that in the training centres and football academies, there are lots.” Counting people by race or ethnic origin – even for census purposes or for statistics research – is banned in France, a state which, in theory, is blind to race or religion. The notion of quotas is fundamentally anti-republican. Henri Guaino, Nicolas Sarkozy’s special advisor, said he was “viscerally opposed to any form of quota”, adding: “Setting quotas would be the end of the republic.” Lilian Thuram, a World Cup hero who is outspoken on racism and once accused Sarkozy of judging people along race lines, commented on the row: “Initially I thought this was a joke. I’m so stunned I don’t know what to say.” He added that if the reports were true, the scandal would run and run. France France Race issues Europe Angelique Chrisafis guardian.co.uk
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Partially exploded bomb found on ground under van in County Derry An incendiary bomb has been removed by army technical officers in County Derry, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed. The security alert occurred in Maghera in the early hours of Friday morning, the PSNI said. The bomb, which was put on the ground under a van in the Willow Glynn area, partially exploded at around 3am. The device was reported when it was discovered by the vehicle’s owner at 8am, police said. A PSNI spokesman said they believe the device was left in the area sometime between midnight and 3am. Local councillor Kate Lagan said she was shocked by the blast: “This is a quiet estate, full of young families and children on their bicycles and this device could have caused tragic consequences. “I have no idea why it was left here, but it doesn’t matter who it was meant for, a person could now be dead. “I think it’s ridiculous and it makes me very angry.” The technical officers have examined the bomb and removed it for further examination. Northern Ireland UK security and terrorism Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
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Violent response to protests led by Kizza Besigye has fuelled rioters’ determination to throw out President Yoweri Museveni Riots have swept across the Ugandan capital, Kampala, in the biggest anti-government protest in sub-Saharan Africa so far this year. Security forces have launched a brutal crackdown, opening fire on unarmed civilians with live rounds, rubber bullets and teargas. Two people have been killed, more than 120 wounded and around 360 arrested. Women and girls have been among those beaten, according to witnesses. Two weeks of growing unrest – sparked by rising food and fuel prices – have gained fresh impetus after the violent arrest of the opposition leader Kizza Besigye on Thursday. Critics say President Yoweri Museveni, in power for 25 years, is losing his grip. They claim his wildly disproportionate crackdown on Besigye’s “walk to work” protests smacks of panic and is sowing the seeds of popular revolt. “I thought the police were going to kill me,” said Andrew Kibwka, 18, after police with heavy sticks rained blows on him. “I was telling them I’m harmless but they just carried on. I did nothing to provoke them. They beat me because I was running away.” Some point to the political earthquakes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, and wonder if the aftershocks could reach tyrannies south of the Sahara. Already there are pockets of unrest from Burkina Faso to Senegal to Swaziland. Even South Africa, reputed anchor of the continent, is tormented by deadly protests over poor public service delivery. In Uganda there is an inchoate revolution struggling to be born. Protests have spread to several towns, leaving seven people dead and hundreds in jail. The riots, in which roads have been barricaded with burning tyres and vehicles pelted with rocks, mark a new level of defiance. Facebook and Twitter, which the government unsuccessfully tried to block, are reverberating with dissent . Museveni’s heavyhanded attempts to put out the fire only appear to be fanning its flames. The subversion here began on 11 April with nothing so spectacular as an act of self-immolation: rather, a defeated politician and half a dozen allies walking down a street. The walk to work campaign is intended to highlight the soaring prices of fuel and food, which leave many Ugandans unable to afford public transport. If Besigye, who has lost three elections to Museveni, had been ignored the piece of theatre might have fizzled out. Instead riot police blocked the group, unleashed teargas and arrested Besigye. At a stroke this waning establishment figure was reborn as a hero of resistance. Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, an MP-elect for Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change , recalled the innocuous beginnings of walk to work. “We never intended to have a Tahrir Square to remove Museveni,” he said. “We just wanted a reawakening of the people. We started walking, the simplest thing on Earth, and Museveni said you can’t.” At the third protest Besigye was hit in the hand by a rubber bullet. Images of him with hand bandaged and in a sling gave the opposition a publicity coup. With each walk he has attracted more followers like a pied piper. Nganda, who was jailed for five days for taking part in a walk, said: “When you start a campaign you never know what the response will be. I didn’t know we’d have any people following; nobody knew. Museveni’s brutal reaction is what raised its profile beyond our expectations. It’s dominating the media, the opposition, even Museveni himself.” The 37-year-old said Ugandans would prove as determined as their north African counterparts. “I don’t think when the Tunisians started they knew it would be the end of Ben Ali, or when the Egyptians started they knew they would get rid of Mubarak. Nobody can be sure what shape it will take in Uganda but we are going to continue until Museveni leaves.” Besigye, 54, who was Museveni’s personal doctor during the bush war against former president Milton Obote , was detained again in Kampala on Thursday after police smashed their way into his vehicle and shot pepper spray into his eyes, potentially causing permanent damage to his sight. Just an hour earlier he had admitted he was hesitant to draw close comparisons with Egypt and Tunisia. “The only parallel goes to the extent that people are discontented with what is going on and their governments are non-responsive,” he said. “There is a loss of trust between the regime and the people. I think that is the only parallel I can see. How this popular discontent is channelled is always governed by the unique qualities of governments.” Asked if he was prepared to die for the cause, Besigye replied: “I am not setting out to become a martyr of anything. I am simply asserting my citizen’s rights, which are inherent, which are not offered by the state and which I am determined to defend at all costs.” Commodity prices could be the spark in a Ugandan tinderbox of resentment over corruption and neglected public services. Museveni has refused to copy neighbouring Kenya by cutting taxes on fuel. And with unfortunate timing his recent re-election campaign is estimated to have cost $350m (£210m) with a further $1.3m (£781,000) allotted to his inauguration ceremony, while a bill for new military fighter jets stands at $740m (£445m). Public anger was burning on a street where no car was safe from flying stones. Robert Mayanja, a self-described activist, said: “What they are doing now shows that Museveni rigged the last election. If you look at Uganda, why should we vote for him after 25 years? We have high prices, we have hospitals without medicine.” Mayanja, 31, said a repeat of the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia was “definitely” possible. “What we are seeing here are people who are not armed but are taking a stand against armed forces,” he said. “People are ready. It’s just a question of time. “We know they are going to arrest many people and put them in torture chambers. We know this regime has expired. These are the signs.” In Ntinda district angry youths shouted and hurled stones and chunks of concrete at passing cars. On one corner a man ran up to a council vehicle as it drove by and smashed the driver’s window with a rock, raising cheers from onlookers. A teacher, who gave his name only as Nixon, 32, said he could not imagine an Egypt-like revolt in the short term. “But in the long term I believe it can happen,” he said. “The military is still strong and many of the soldiers are unwilling to turn to the side of the people. But in time they might get tired of beating the people. “I really look forward to it. As your friends are beaten and arrested, the professionals need to come out and organise the people.” A young population often seen as politically apathetic has reached unexpected levels of activism. People who used to bolt at the first whiff of teargas are losing their fear. But there are serious doubts over whether a critical mass of Ugandans have the will or the means to drive the president out. He retains a vice-like hold on the military and police. Rosebell Kagumire , a journalist blogging and tweeting the political crisis, said: “Most people on Twitter are anti-Museveni but there is not a firm opinion on what to do now. They don’t expect him to go anywhere soon. He owns the army and his government won’t stop at anything. “It’s hard to get people to believe going to the streets will change anything, especially when they know the government is prepared to kill half of them. Ugandans have not reached that level yet.” Museveni, whose recent election victory has been denounced as fraudulent , is confident he can avoid the fate of Arab leaders. “Nobody can take over power through an uprising,” he said recently. “Whoever thinks like that, I pity such a person.” His spokesman, Tamale Mirundi, added: “In Tunisia and Egypt democracy was lacking; in Uganda we elect our leaders at every level. The president organised and campaigned in transparent elections. Besigye cannot say he was cheated and that is why he is jumping on oil prices.” Mirundi played down the power of the internet. “Go to the villages. How many people can access Facebook? Very few. Who knows Facebook? Very few. Facebook cannot create a politician in our country. Facebook cannot create a problem.” Yet every day in Uganda, and elsewhere in Africa, new people are connecting and interacting for the first time. “Uganda is sitting on a time bomb,” tweeted Richo Nuwagaba . “It’s just a matter of time. I am scared.” Uganda Protest Arab and Middle East unrest David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Sarah Palin to share stage with Gen. Jerry ‘Jack D. Ripper’ Boykin at ‘troop tribute’
April 29, 2011 No Comment
enlarge Gee, it sounds like a match made in Tea Party Heaven: Sarah Palin and Jerry Boykin, appearing on the same stage to deliver a good ol’ fashioned right-wing fundamentalist “Tribute to the Troops” : Former Alaska governor and vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin will be the keynote speaker for Tribute to the Troops, a military and veterans appreciation rally at Colorado Christian University on May 2, 2011. Boykin will speak on “Our Debt of Gratitude”. Not sure what that means — but since it’s coming from the guy who brought you both Abu Ghraib and Waco , it could be anything. As Kyle at RightWingWatch observes : Since leaving the military, Boykin has joined up with self-proclaimed prophet Rick Joyner and become the Religious Right’s resident “expert” on all things Islam and a leading member of the Religious Right’s Spartan-like army . He is also the man who exposed the fact that President Obama is a Marxist who intends to use the health care reform legislation to build an army of Brownshirts loyal only to him … Indeed, it was while elucidating on this charge that it became clear that Boykin is a direct military descendant of Gen. Jack D. Ripper himself: Click here to view this media And of course, his “expertise” at all things Islam meant that he was the go-to guy when Glenn Beck was expounding on the looming “Caliphate” in the Middle East . More recently, he’s been declaring “Molon Labe” to the dirty America-hating secret-Muslim libruls who he’s convinced are coming to take his “rights” away. Combined with Palin’s presence … well, let’s just hope that the critical mass of wingnuttery coming together in one place like that doesn’t open a hole in the space-time continuum.
Continue reading …I’m trying to come up with a term to describe the Birthers’ frenzied attempts to definitively uncover evidence that Obama’s long form birth certificate is a forgery. ‘After-Birthers’ seems about right. Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft debunked the document in fifty two seconds on YouTube. He declares it’s a fraud. Wow, wouldn’t you think Obama could come up with something a little better than that? He does have the CIA at his disposal. Hoft easily unmasked the counterfeit because he’s a graphic artist and can tell. I was always waiting for him or some other lunatic like Pam Geller to break into the hospital in Hawaii to try and locate the original. G. Gordon Liddy and his crew of plumbers are too old now. I wasn’t really down with Obama releasing it, but watching these nutcases make fools of themselves makes it pretty much worth it. They just can’t handle that Obama is a Democrat and black. Digby: I’m sure there are other theories about the “usurpation” I haven’t run across. But the fact that there are so many proves that these people are determined to find a way to defend their primitive belief that this man is not a legally elected president. And that belief lies in their fundamental, bedrock definition of what constitutes a Real American — a white, Christian conservative. There’s no way they will ever be able to reconcile the idea that a black Democrat could legitimately represent a majority the American people. Clearly, they will rewrite history and the constitution if they have to in order to make that case.
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This year’s bands will hope to walk in the footsteps of festival alumni Mumford & Sons and Amy Winehouse Its early days amounted to a gaggle of obscure indie kids playing to beer-soaked youngsters in pub back rooms, but Saturday will see a rather more slick, and vastly extended, Camden Crawl celebrate 10 years at the coalface of new music. More than 300 acts are to perform in 50 venues over the bank holiday weekend as part of the London music festival, including sets from urban star Tinchy Stryder and a new comedy circuit. It is a far cry from the largely chaotic scenes that accompanied the first crawl back in 1995, said founder Lisa Paulon. It was set up by a group of friends who ran small independent labels and were struggling to find venues for their acts, she explained. “We thought we’d pool together to get some gigs put on, but it was ultimate chaos,” she said. “We were just five people who didn’t know anything about putting on a gig, and less about health and safety. It was definitely a lot noisier than it is now.” Cans of lager sold like hot cakes in an unlicensed Scout hut, while the Saturday night nearly saw a riot after more than 1,000 punters turned up for a gig in a venue designed for half that number, she explained. “We had kids breaking the windows, spilling out on to the street fighting … when I see the photos now I just put my head in my hands.” That event had just 15 bands, playing in five venues, and covered a stretch of road no longer than 200 metres. This year’s Camden Crawl will stretch for more than two miles and will feature fringe theatre, with more than 100 comedians including Robin Ince and Rufus Hound. Alongside the laughs and the tunes, the East End film festival is linking up with Camden Crawl for two days of “sonic film” during which movie-savvy musicians – Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne and indie band Guillemots – will show special selections, accompanied with live sets at The Forge. “We attract a much wider scope of people now,” said Paulon. “Before it was just people who were very into the underground music scene, but now we have every type of punter under the sun from all over the country. It’s like the Camden version of the Edinburgh festival.” The festival gives music fans a taster of relatively unknown bands: you may not yet have heard of Lulu and the Lampshades, or the History of Apple Pie, but a few years ago a little-known band called Mumford & Sons played a set to around 70 people and this year played the Grammys with Bob Dylan. The queen of Camden, Amy Winehouse, has also performed at the festival, slurping tequilas while belting through an electrifying set in the Dublin Castle pub back in 2007. The band Paulon is backing to provide the spine-tingling moment of the festival go by the rather catchy name of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, sometimes abbreviated to Odd Future, or the equally memorable OFWGKTA. The hip-hop collective from Los Angeles, California, are playing the outdoor stage on Sunday. “I think there will be about 2,000 people in the audience and I’m pretty sure I’ll look at it and think: I can’t believe we’ve done this,” said Paulon. Andy Ross, who curates the crawl lineup in the Spread Eagle venue and in a former life signed Blur to his indie label Food Records, said the ethos of the event was to give people the chance to see next year’s hot acts, via serendipitous methods. “It’s sometimes hard to get in venues for the bigger names, so you often end up stumbling into a bar to hear something. It’s a testing ground for up-and-coming bands and there is a lucky-dip element to it, and that’s really quite entertaining.” Camden Crawl Festivals Pop and rock Indie Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Another Friday, another brand-spankin'-new episode of NewsBusted! This is, if we may say so, one of the better episodes we've seen in a while. Check it out below the break, subscribe to Jodi's YouTube channel , then tell all your friends! Topics in today's show: — Gold hits $1,500/oz — Obama's campaigning — Fidel steps down as Cuba Communist Party chief — The God Particle — Aroldis Chapman throws 106 mph fastball — Obama praises illegal immigrants — TV-watching kids have narrower blood vessels in their eyes — Hospital lets baby be breastfed by a stranger Starring: Jodi Miller Director: Bruce Roundtower Executive Producer: Dialog New Media Feeling generous? Text 'NewsBusters' to 85944 to make a $10 contribution to keep 'Busted going strong. NewsBusted is a comedy webcast about the news of the day, uploaded every Tuesday and every Friday. If you like the show, be sure to tell your friends and family! Think you're funny? Send your (short) jokes to newsbusted at dialognewmedia.com. If we use them, we'll pay you USD $50 for each one.
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Gangmasters licensing authority investigating Thanet Earth’s Kent facility, which supplies leading UK supermarket chains Working conditions at Britain’s largest greenhouse complex are being investigated by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) after claims that agency workers at the vegetable growing site in Kent are being treated like “sweatshop labour”. Protests organised by the Unite trade union were held on Thursday outside Broadstairs branches of Tesco and Marks and Spencer, which are among the supermarket chains supplied with vegetables from the 220-acre Thanet Earth. Unite has submitted allegations to the GLA, the body responsible for regulating agency practices, including claims that workers have been systematically denied holiday pay, denied work as a result of taking holidays, and been employed for years on a casualised basis without fixed contracts. Thanet Earth grows cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes that are supplied to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Marks and Spencer. It has been employing more than 250 workers in recent weeks to meet demand. The facility emphasises green credentials. It is a joint venture owned by the Fresca Group, the country’s largest privately owned fresh produce supplier, and three specialist grower companies. In a statement Thanet Earth insisted that the agencies supplying its labour were fully audited and licensed by the GLA. All legal safeguards were in place and an internal investigation carried out after allegations were raised by Unite in March 2010 was concluded satisfactorily. It said it had invited the GLA to carry out an investigation after Unite, which it accused of having “a fundamental opposition to the use of agency workers”, raised allegations again in March of this year. “We strive to make Thanet Earth an attractive, welcoming place to work and we care about the treatment of all workers on site – be they employed by an agency or by one of the Thanet Earth businesses directly.” Unite claims that the vast majority of the workforce have no permanent contract, no job security and work through four different agencies in a system of permanent casualisation. A Unite regional officer, Dave Weeks, said: “We’re taking our fight to the top of the food chain – those supermarkets that employ Thanet Earth. They have an obligation to make sure workers who help generate their healthy profits are treated fairly from root to basket. We know that many shoppers think if you buy local you buy ethical – that’s the message Thanet Earth might have you believe – but these workers have being treated like sweatshop labour.” An unnamed worker said: “We are treated like sweatshop labour. The agencies have done whatever they want, and Thanet Earth and the supermarkets have let them. When we have asked for our rights we have been told: ‘You can find another job.’ “We are disposable people to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S and the rest, despite them agreeing to respect workers’ rights.” Neil Court of the GLA told the BBC: “We believe that Thanet Earth Marketing are a responsible company and I don’t think people should have any concerns on the basis of the allegations that have been made. “If we find evidence of non-compliance we will take action against the relevant licensed labour providers … even if that means removing the licence of that labour provider.” The GLA is expected to announce its findings in May. Food Employment law Supermarkets Retail industry Unite Trade unions Ben Quinn guardian.co.uk
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Wedding was a moment of light in the economic gloom – with no mention of a fairytale in sight Bells pealed, crowds cheered, even the sun put in a timely appearance, as Prince William emerged from Westminster Abbey with his bride on his arm. Wearing a broad smile, a Wartski wedding ring of Welsh gold and an ivory gown with lace applique, Kate Middleton – now Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge – joined The Firm amid the pomp and pageantry Britain prides itself on performing well. Before a global television audience of many millions, Kate played her part to perfection. From the dress – by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, kept a secret until the last moment and sending the British fashion industry into paroxyms of ecstacy – to the 1936 Cartier diamond tiara loaned by the Queen, she looked every inch the fairytale princess. Which, of course, she was not. The Queen’s conferring of the ancient title of Duke of Cambridge on her grandson just hours before the ceremony deprived his wife of the title Princess Catherine. But she is a duchess, which is several rungs up the social ladder than her standing before entering the 1,000-year-old abbey this morning. And there was no mention of fairytales – unlike 30 years ago when Robert Runcie, then Archbishop of Canterbury, gushingly pronounced Prince Charles’s union with Lady Diana Spencer “the stuff of fairytales”. Lessons have since been learned. Instead, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, read a prayer penned by William and Kate, and asking for spiritual help to guide them through their new life together. And this time, the bride did not forget her groom’s name and the groom did not stumble over the wedding vows. Indeed, apart from some slight wrestling required get the tight ring on to Kate’s finger, everything appeared to go without a hitch. William, in the bright red dress uniform of a colonel of the Irish Guards, whispered: “You look incredible, beautiful,” as his bride arrived at his side in front of the High Altar. The two exchanged smiles and glances throughout the service. The couple, in the 1902 state landau, were borne to Buckingham Palace on a sea of union flags and a tide of well wishes. And the kiss on the palace balcony, duly demanded by the crowd below, was executed with poise and with a few blushes from an embarrassed William. It was a fleeting and quite chaste kiss. It was repeated as the crowd bayed for more, with William’s seeming awkwardness reflecting his father’s own self-consciousness when he had been required to perform “that caper” in front of millions. It was the father of the modern British constitution, the 19th-century essayist Walter Bagehot, who once wrote “a royal family sweetens politics by the seasonable addition of nice and pretty events”. Such was today’s occasion, a moment of light to pierce the economic gloom. Kate, unblemished, beautiful and carrying a bridal bouquet that included sweet williams in tribute to her prince, hid her nerves well. There surely were nerves as the couple made their vows in front of God, the so-called great and the good and a global TV audience of millions. About 44 foreign royals were seated close to 51 members of the Queen’s extended family. The lesser royals had been bussed to the abbey in minibuses. After the couple said their vows, in which she did not promise to obey William, the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, declared: “I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” They spent a private moment together with their families as they signed the marriage register. The congregation included heads of state, diplomats, charity workers and the couple’s friends. David Beckham, prominently displaying his OBE on the right lapel of his Ralph Lauren morning suit, was accompanied by his pregnant wife Victoria. Elton John, the singer, and Guy Ritchie, the film director, were among the celebrity faction. David Cameron, who slept on the Mall the night before Charles and Diana’s wedding, wore morning dress while his wife, Samantha, chose to go hatless, unlike most of the female guests. The Middleton family guests were bussed in four silver mini-coaches from the Goring hotel, which the family had taken over for the pre-wedding night, thus bestowing on the hotel global publicity of inestimable value. Other guests included Hash and Chan Shingadia, who run the convenience store in the Middletons’ Berkshire village of Bucklebury, and obligingly added a love of Haribo sweets to Kate’s many attributes. Villagers not in possession of a golden wedding ticket indulged in some celebratory duck and lamb racing on the green – and a spot of morris dancing. Back at Buckingham Palace, 650 of the guests enjoyed a champagne and canape reception. Royal officials said William and Kate were involved in planning their wedding day, from the music at the ceremony to the flowers and the cake. Guests and observers agreed, it was a stylish marriage. Naturally it included a carriage. There was, though, a bicycle made for two at their disposal – a tandem given to the couple as a wedding present by the London mayor, Boris Johnson. Royal wedding Monarchy Weddings Kate Middleton Prince William Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk
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