Unlike my Pulse colleagues I intend to have my tush firmly planted in front of the telly early Saturday morning to witness the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In the Ybarra household you really don’t have a choice. Royal family obsession kind of runs deep in our family. My great aunt lived in London for 25 years and during that time she toured Buckingham Palace at least once a year. Ask her one thing about the British royal family and she would provide you with a full detailed report of the entire family tree and with such enthusiasm you’d swear she was related to them. When my Mom visited my aunt in the UK in her early 20s it isn’t surprising her knowledge of the royals rubbed off on her and ultimately her own daughters. Growing up the goings-on at Buckingham Palace were a pretty standard topic around the dinner table. From Princess Margaret’s fling with a married man, to the Duchess of York’s toe scandal to Princess Diana’s multiple affairs (how does Prince Harry NOT look like James Hewitt) and of course William and Kate’s wedding, I hate to admit there aren’t many events or topics I don’t know about.Consider it force feeding Ybarra style. And so yes, on Friday night my sisters and my Mom will put on our tiaras, drink champagne and toast to Harry and Meghan. Yes, I get and understand a large portion of Canadians poo poo the pomp and pageantry not to mention millions of tax payer dollars spent on the royals each year. However for my family it’s just something we do and enjoy.
– Vanessa