Was the Royal Wedding a Spirit-filled event?

Prince William and his new wife, Kate, exit Westminster Abbey after the nuptials

When I came home last night, I went to check my email and check the news headlines to see if anything major in the world had happened while I was out.  Of course, the major headline was the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.  I was not in the least bit interested in this wedding, which will have absolutely no impact whatsoever on matters of any real importance.  The poor will still be poor.  The sick will still be sick.  People are still dying senselessly on the streets of every major city in America.  Yet, the media (who are always trying to get us to look right when we should be looking left) are having a feast covering this wedding.

Well, out of curiosity, I clicked on the link on the Yahoo website to the video of the coverage of the wedding live from Westminster Abbey.  And I am so glad that I did.  What was most interesting to me was not all the pomp of the wedding.  It was not seeing what celebrities were there, though there were a couple luminaries in the crowd whom I recognized.  It was not seeing Catherine Middleton’s dress that the media said was just to die for.  It was the spiritual significance of the wedding that interested me.  The planners did their very best to make the wedding a very spiritual affair.  It may very well have been spiritual, but it was definitely not Christian.

First of all, it was a beautiful affair.  Westminster Abbey is a spectacular edifice, rich, and steeped in history.  The whole time I was watching the wedding, I kept wondering what it must be like to know your family’s history going back hundreds even thousands of years. That is a privilege that has been denied many of us.  In that respect, Prince William is very fortunate indeed.  What I enjoyed most of all, though, was the all-male choir that performed.  They gave one of the best performances I have ever heard in my entire life. They were outstanding.

But, there were two things that happened that were of major spiritual significance for me, and that really made an impression on me.  The first occurred after the royal couple said their marriage vows, when Kate Middleton’s brother read from the Bible a passage from Romans 12.  To begin, his reading was so dry and emotionless that there could not have been any doubt that the Holy Spirit was nowhere in the room.  But what was even more notable was that the young man was not reading from the Authorized Version, the King James Bible, but from another translation.

This may not seem very significant to most people, but it is very significant when you consider that England gave us the King James Version.  And when a translation other than the King James is used in the marriage of the likely future king of England–a marriage, the religious significance of which, the organizers went to great lengths to underscore–it sends a clear message to the world.  Not only is it basically a denial of the King James as the Authorized Version, but it is, in fact, tantamount to endorsing whatever version of the Bible was used.

Think about it.  Designers’ careers are made when someone of note wears one of their creations on nationwide TV.  The same can be said of jewelers, shoe makers, handbag makers, cake makers, eyeglass makers, and on and on.  Everything that is to be seen, worn, consumed, or in any way associated with a celebrity is carefully scrutinized and considered, because the celebrity’s handlers know that the use of an item at such a media event is essentially an endorsement of that item.  Doubtless, this did not escape the attention of the organizers of the royal wedding.  They knew, especially considering the importance of religion, and the current war that the liberal bible versions are waging with the King James, that this would be of major importance. They were sending a message; and I read it loud and clear.

The second event of note occurred during the reading of the address by the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.  The theme of his address was basically that for a young couple to have a successful marriage, they should each allow the other to be an individual and not try to change or “reform” the other partner.  About three-quarters of the way through the bishop’s address, Kate Middleton did something very significant.  I will pick up the address already in progress:

“We’re all incomplete.  We all need to have the love that is secure, rather than oppressive.  We need mutual forgiveness in order to thrive.  But as we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ…”

At this point in the address, the camera had shifted away from the bishop to the royal couple.  At the mention of the name Jesus Christ, Kate Middleton’s lip tightened, and she looked to her right and to the floor, held that position for a moment, then looked back up again, managing a wan smile as though she realized the cameras were on her.  She seemed visibly disturbed at the mention of the Lord Jesus.  This is what I saw.

I am so grateful that I was watching a video of the wedding rather than seeing it live.  I was so caught off guard by this, that I rewound the video about six or seven times to make sure that I really saw what I thought I saw.  Not only did I see what I thought I saw, but I noticed that Prince William reacted rather curiously himself, though his reaction was very slight.  Princess Kate’s reaction, however, could not be mistaken.  Check out the video of the wedding.  Pay close attention beginning at about 4:58 and see if you see what I saw.  Pray for discernment.

Make no doubt about it.  The royal wedding, though very beautiful, did not have a Christian feel to it.  Even though there were many references to Jesus Christ, I don’t think the Holy Spirit was in attendance.

Below is a scripturally sound analysis of the royal wedding from the perspective of a Christian wife and homemaker.  

“Royal Wedding: A Shabby Affair?”

Disclaimer: I am not able to thoroughly investigate every site, so please exercise discernment and consult Scripture, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.  Disclaimer on translations other than the King James Bible and possibly some content.

7/21/11: YouTube removed the original video on “copyright grounds.”  You be the judge. I managed to find this one today.  Let’s see how long it lasts.  I’ve noticed that someone from Australia visits my website fairly often and only goes to this webpage.  What are the odds that this has something to do with the videos disappearing.  Watch and pray.

4/24/14: Someone access this site and altered the URL link to the Royal Wedding so that the video would not appear.  I have now linked to the video on my YouTube Channel.  Let’s see how long this one lasts.

Be encouraged and look up; your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011-2013 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man.  All Rights Reserved.