On another royal wedding, but no illustion of fairy tale...

It's long time coming, but finally there's a bit of cheery news from the British royal family. At long last, Prince William has announced engagement with his girlfriend.

Such a déjà vu, when the Prince Charles and Diana announced their engagement back in 1981. Such happy times, with a fresh-faced and innocently looking Diana and the young prince. But of course we know how it all ends now, almost voyeuristically like the reality TV show, with blow-by-blow updates carefully leaked by Diana and counter-leaked by the royal PR machinery. There was the alleged infidelity of Charles, more infidelity by Diana, allegations of royal mistreatment to Diana who is as blue-blooded as anyone can get. Perhaps, the finally straw to the royal family's tolerance of a daughter-in-law ran astray was when Diana announced that she's the Princess of the Hearts, advocating the throne to bypass Charles and go straight to her kiddie son, William. That all ended, when Diana died in a car crash with her Egyptian lover. More tabloid news pursued when the Egyptian father wouldn't let go of a conspiracy theory that the car crash was orchestrated by the royal machinery to shut Diana up for good.

Every family has dirty laundry. Oftentimes, it takes two to tango, with faults on both sides (Charles' and Diana's). I don't have much sympathy for Charles, but at least he's been almost faithful to his long-time love interest, Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he eventually marries. I lose count of how many lovers or love interests that Diana had. She probably thought that, by staying pretty, everyone would love her, no matter what, however many lovers she'd have. I don't have sympathy for Diana either.

Regardless, what is past, is past. One can only wish luck for the two young royal couple-to-be that, being not as young and naive as Diana had been, they won't repeat the exact same errors that William's parents made. But the uncanny resemblance of every steps that Prince William and Kate Middleton are going through now, in honor of the traditions that the royals at Windsor are so proud of, doesn't look very promising.

But one thing is for sure, no one has any illusion about fairy tales, that the handsome prince will sweep the maiden off of her feet, take her to the castle, and they live happily ever after. These days, not even a 5-year-old girl would buy those tales anymore.