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Media Royal Prince William

Paper View: what the front pages are saying about the royal engagement

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

November 17, 2010 | 3 min read

Taking over the majority of front pages and countless column inches today is the news of the royal engagement. Here we take a look to see what the papers are saying.

“Kate’s very special”, reads the front page of The Daily Telegraph, relaying prince William’s verdict on his bride-to-be and the reason she deserved his mother’s ring. The newspaper goes on to explain that the prince chose to use the ring to bring together the two most “special” women in his life. Inside the Telegraph boasts 16 pages of souvenir coverage.

The Daily Mirror went with “With this ring… Di thee wed” and boasts Royal News… Royal Entertainment. Inside it only managed an 8-page royal engagement souvenir edition.

The Independent’s front page almost entirely ignored the palaver over royal nuptials, leading with “Ghost estates and broken lives: the human cost of the Irish crash”. The only acknowledgement of the royal engagement on the front page is a quote from Julie Burchill saying “I wish her well, but Kate Middleton is marrying beneath her”.

The Scottish Daily Express exclaimed: “OFFICIAL: Royal wedding next year”. It continues: “Sealed with Diana’s ring” and as well as a close up of said ring offers full story and pictures on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7.

Scottish Daily Mail puts words into the prince’s mouth with its headline “We got there in the end, darling!” and outdoes itself inside giving over 14 pages of coverage as well as a “superb 16-page souvenir pull-out”.

“Match of St Andrews” quips The Scotsman, before continuing “nine years after first meeting at university, Kate Middleton and Prince William announce their engagement”. 9 pages inside are devoted to the news.

The Guardian chose to lead with “A royal wedding in the age of austerity” and relegated the rest of its engagement coverage to pages 6 and 7. Below the fold the front page is dedicated to David Cameron’s U-turn in removing his personal photographer and a filmmaker from the public payroll, news he perhaps thought would go unnoticed because of the hullabaloo over the royals.

A return to puns with the Daily Record as the red top quips “Love is in the heir” following the headline “With Di’s ring I thee wed”. Inside coverage of the engagement takes over pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7.

The Herald leads with a full page picture of the couple and a headline reading “The look of love”. Pages 6 and 7 are also devoted to the couple’s news.

“The new romantics” reads The Times, which gives over 10 pages of news, analysis and pictures to what it dubs “a seven year hitch”.

The Scottish Sun today has a “Wills & Kate engagement souvenir edition” and leads with what by now is a quite predictable headline “With Mummy’s ring I thee wed”. Inside nine pages are devoted to the royal news as well as a 12-page pullout.

Media Royal Prince William

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