The Windsors

My friends in England are astonished at the interest some of us Americans are showing in Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton. My college friend George, who lives near Portsmouth, sees the engagement as an attempt to divert attention from England's economic woes. Although he'll have April 29 off from work as a national holiday, he says he'll refuse to watch the wedding and instead will treat himself to a special lunch at his local "carvery."

If Prince Charles abdicates in favor of his son, don't you think he and Camilla would be perfectly happy having a country place in Unionville? It looks a lot like rural England here. They'd have their choice of excellent hunts and polo teams to join. They could plant an organic garden. Paparazzi and protesting students wouldn't make the trek all the way out here, and goodness knows we locals would keep our mouths shut about their comings and goings. (After all, if Chadds Ford can keep mum about having Martha Stewart as a neighbor, so can we.)