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US newspapers play it cool over the Royal wedding and some question the cost of it all

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

April 29, 2011 | 6 min read

It can't be all that wonderful for US newspapers seeing the nation go gaga over the monarchy they kicked out 235 years ago. Still, some thought Wills and Kate would by good for the old Royal firm

Typical was the Boston Globe which in its print edition made no mention of the wedding on page 1 and carrying three modest pictures of wedding fans in London on Page 3 with a 50-word caption.

The Globe's Opinion blog carried this sour comment: "“The best wedding gift for tomorrow’s happy couple? Get rid of the monarchy — and free them both to lead normal lives. . . . After the pageantry , Prince William and Kate Middleton will be doomed to a lifetime of tedious meetings with foreign dignitaries, scandalous tabloid headlines about their family, and unflattering portraits on stamps.

"Mostly, that’s none of our business. The family confined to this strange institution, and the British taxpayers who foot the $60 million-a-year bill, have the best reasons to object.’’

Later however the Globe posted 33 wedding pictures (yes 33) on its website.

The New York Times, which had a page one pic of the London fans with a one-line caption, also ran a leader headlined " The Monarchy Earns Its Keep" . Said the Times, "Amid the flag-waving and street parties to celebrate the marriage today, bigger questions about the relevance of the monarchy to modern Britain lurk like uninvited guests.

"Extravagant living in a time of austerity abrades public sensibilities; unearned privilege is resented, while snobbery and elitism are seen as dangerously outmoded. The usual arguments in support of the monarchy — continuity, tradition and dignity — are no longer enough. The royals need to earn their keep.

"While only a small minority here favor a republican government, many Britons hope the wedding might signal the dawning of a more populist monarchy. This is the marriage of a senior royal prince and a commoner — the first in 350 years — that spans the class divide and is, it seems, a marriage for love."

Later on the website . . . screeds of pictures.

The Philadelphia Inquirer said, "With a smile that lit up TV screens around the world, Kate Middleton swept down the aisle at Westminster Abbey to marry Prince William in a union expected to revitalize the British monarchy."

The New York Post was also positive in its website, "Prince William and his beautiful bride Kate Middleton are officially future king and queen!

"The newlywed royals —now known as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — exchanged "I will’s" in front of nearly 2,000 guests and billions of TV viewers at Westminster Abbey.

"But the big moment for romantic royal buffs came after they left the storied 11th century abbey and shared two tender kisses on the balcony at Buckingham Palace."

USA Today in its early print edition had a short feature on wedding merchandise , including heart-shaped doughnuts. It promised a wedding extra edition on Monday, however and led its online coverage with the wedding dress. "A triumph" said the headline: "It was a wedding dress of fairy-tale princess-esque proportions — a dress that will be immortalized in fashion history."

The San Jose Mercury News reported how Americans "swept up in royal fever" woke long before dawn Friday to eat full English breakfasts and attend British-themed parties across four time zones as they watched the wedding.

"Restaurants and bars from coast to coast hung Union Jack bunting and hosted gatherings to watch the wedding on live TV, complete with royally named cocktails, including "The Windsor Knot" and "The Bitter Queen."

A big cheer went up at Walt Disney World's party in Orlando when Middleton emerged from her limousine outside Westminster Abbey and took her father's arm. Hundreds of guests were invited to wear prince and princess attire and watch in the park's Wedding Pavilion with a view of Cinderella's castle."

The Miami Herald was distinctly cool to the wedding.

They published in the Entertainment section a list of vehicles used, plus a note that there had been 5,500 applications for street closures for street parties, "with residents in some towns setting up long tables in the middle of main roads."

In Glasgow, said the Miami paper, officials warned people not to go to an unofficial party in Kelvingrove Park after more than 14,000 indicated on Facebook that they planned to attend. Officials feared the party would overwhelm the park.

The Los Angeles Times said that "unlike the marriage of Charles and Diana, the monarchy has survived, arguably its main value being for tourism. Having acquired some political savvy in her 59 years as queen, Elizabeth volunteered to pay taxes, wisely got rid of the royal yacht and booted some relatives off the "civil list," as the royal gravy train is known.

"That hasn't stopped this wedding from being ludicrously expensive. (Some reports say $40 million.) Too bad they didn't take a page out of the Dodgers' playbook and just sell television rights."

The LA Times concluded, however, "On the face of it, William and Kate — university-educated, nearing 30, already living together — seem practical and modern enough to survive as a couple and future monarchs. (He is second in line to the throne, behind his father.) We just have two words for them: mazel tov."

This is a Yiddish phrase meaning 'Good luck."

The Denver Post reported, "They gathered Friday in distant outposts of what used to be the British empire, a world of not-quite-subjects watching the wedding of the heir to the crown.

"In New Zealand, they celebrated the Kiwi godmother to Kate Middleton's father. In Hong Kong, a well-known wedding designer gave Chinese-language TV commentary. Aid workers in Kabul, Afghanistan dug out their nicest clothes for a wedding party, and in Jordan, a Middleton family friend slaughtered two lambs for a celebration feast.

"In India, once the jewel of the empire, they sat transfixed in front of millions of televisions."

Up in Canada, The Toronto Globe and Mail, amid lavish coverage, got down to the serious stuff: Did Kate's sister Pippa outshine her ??

"Oh god. Pippa looks better. AWKWARD," tweeted one reader.

"Pippa Middleton stole the show!" squealed another.

"Kate looks just fine but she should've made Pippa wear a re-designed pair of curtains," was the advice of a third.

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