Royal love story comes as welcome distraction

It doesn't matter what you think of them both, nor will it make a difference if you happen to oppose the existence of the monarchy as one of history's longest-held institutions.

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton (L) pose for a photograph in St. James's Palace, central London in a November 16, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

For when Kate Middleton walks into Westminster Abbey in London next year, and emerges an hour later as the wife of Prince William, it will quite possibly be Britain's most anticipated national event in decades.

Until then, we'll be swamped with media coverage that began when CNN broke news of the engagement in its main headline news. Not to be outdone, papers and websites are devoting whole sections to coverage of the royal wedding, from 'what will she wear?' to 'who will she wear?'

Meanwhile, cut-price copies of the blue dress that Kate wore for her first television interview, as well as the diamond and sapphire engagement ring, has seen a roaring trade from Melbourne to Manchester.

Indeed, the breadth of the Commonwealth ensures that whether you are in Fiji or in Nigeria, there will be heavy interest in most parts of the world.

Of course there will always be a few dissenters, like the Bishop of Willesden who deserved the suspension that the Church of England handed down after he publicly predicted that the royal marriage wouldn't last over seven years.

I think that the wedding will reaffirm the sense of continuity that we all secretly yearn. A radiant bride, a fairy tale dress, and trumpets, tantrums and tiaras that the British do so well will likely mute some of the calls in countries like Australia for a switch to republicanism. Critics will be won over by the sense of occasion and, as we get closer to the wedding day, the cynics will opt for a temporary cease-fire.

If anything, it will be a welcome return to an upbeat, feel good factor that has been sorely missing in recent months. Students in London and around the country have taken to the streets. Bus and train drivers have repeatedly gone on strike.