Prince William and Kate Middleton, one year strong

It would be too convenient to bash the opulence and grandeur of the royal wedding that occurred one year ago, on April 29, 2011, when Kate Middleton and William, Duke of Cambridge, were wed.

The affair was the culmination of months of intense lead-up. Morning shows featured long, drawn-out segments critiquing anything and everything made public about the upcoming nuptials, and actual “experts” were brought on to weigh-in.

Sporting the red of the Irish Guards, an outfit of the famous British Army, consisting of almost no Irishmen (the Irish have their own army and have a pretty checkered history with their neighbors to the east), it was akin to a lifelong Cub donning a St. Louis Cardinals roadie.

While the nuptials proved to be a celebration in imperialism, gluttony and poor dental hygiene, the same question remains today: who cares?

Kate Middleton, now a princess, has neither a rags-to-riches story, nor is she particularly inspirational. Yet her influence stretches around the world, due to the fact that she married the prince of Great Britain.

In an age where society looks back at the age of imperialism as a horrific event that nonetheless shaped today’s society, the celebration of the current embodiment of the imperial establishment – the British Crown – is remarkable, especially in the United States of America.

Possible benefits that could come from this union are the continued championing of random, state-sponsored charities … or perhaps a progressive decline of the relevance of the Crown, which holds as much political power as the Salvation Army possesses military might.

So far, Middleton has jetted around the world, looking pretty and reminding everyone that Great Britain is an old, old country that still has a queen. On St. Patrick’s Day, she even donned a green dress when handing the ceremonial four-leaf clovers to members of the Irish Guard (her husband was not present, as he is still not a member of the Irish Guard), a classy political move meant to honor the Irish and promote a progressive union between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

But with the good has come the bad: Kate’s younger sister, Pippa, has been released on society. Basking comfortably in the shadow of her sister’s celebrity, Pippa’s introduction to the world came at the wedding, where the world admired her … figure. She hasn’t quite left the tabloids, unfortunately, and now holds the dreaded title of socialite.

Recently, Pippa was pictured with a driver who pointed a handgun at the police. Apparently, no one informed the two that pointing handguns, even in jest, is never a good idea.

According to “The Royalist,” Tom Sykes, the couple spent their anniversary in a hotel that cost only “£165-a-night,” something completely unfitting of the Royal Family. This conscious shunning of lavishness is unbecoming of the title “Prince” and is a disappointment to the embittered British society, not to mention the world, who demanded prolific festivities akin to the wedding for which they are celebrating.

I, for one, am wishing the royals a happy anniversary and wish them one or two more of the same. Congratulations, Billy and Kate — welcome to the married life.