I wasn't really interested in the Royal Wedding last week (but grateful for the day off we all got) and, despite received wisdom, I wasn't alone. I did find something interesting in what the hysteria means though.
The British don't have a national 'day'. There's no Fourth of July, or Queens Day like the Dutch. For the increasingly ironic British, rubbish at showing emotion, terrified of earnestness, showing off or feeling pleased with ourselves in any way, it's just too self congratulatory, too…. 'worthy'.
That's why we get overly excited at the football World Cup, or every four years, take an Olympic 'national treasure' to our hearts. Getting excited, proud and even loosing our inhibitions a little over teams, people or even overly spoiled aristocrats serves as a substitute. These avatars allow channel our pent up need to come together and let our hair down. They're a way to celebrate being British without having to admit you're doing it.
Of course, these occasions are few and far between, for those times, we have our liver shrivelling relationship with alcohol.
What an eccentric bunch we are.
NORTHERN PLANNER 
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