The Royal Wedding

Ladies and Gents, we are less than 100 days away from when Wills will marry Kate!  The date has been picked (April 29), the venue secured (Westminister Abbey-- of course!), and the attendants named (Prince Harry as Best Man and sister Pippa as Maid of Honor).    I have to say that we are pretty excited about the whole Royal Wedding, and by "we",  I really mean me.  However, for the record, I was not the one to rush out and buy a commemorative tankard for the occasion.

On offer at the Royal Collection are a variety of things you can purchase to remember the event.  Will bought the tankard-- which is misnamed, as the vessel is actually smaller than a tea cup.

It arrived wrapped in tissue paper with the couples' initials intertwined.  The cup is manufactured in Straffordshire, UK according to "traditional methods that have remained unchanged for 250 years."  It is bone china and finished by hand using 22 carat gold.

Purchasing one of these items is a charitable activity, as all the proceeds go to keeping up the Royal Collection. One of the largest collection of art in the world, the Royal Collection  has been built up over five centuries of consecutive British monarchs "collecting."  One could probably argue with how some of the pieces of priceless works of art come into the collection (I am thinking of you, Henry VIII, and your monastery dissolutioning).  Ahem.  But, according to the little pamphlet included with the cup, this is the only collection in the world that doesn't receive public funding.

It is quite a pretty piece of china but I doubt that Will will let me use it for coffee, or even tea, for that matter.  (Not at $60 a cup!)  Having it now only makes me want to go over to London for the wedding just a little bit more.