English royal weddings seem to fascinate even the most jaded Americans. These spectacles provide a chance to see a bit of a fairy tale come to life, with pomp and ceremony, historic jewels, magnificent wedding gifts, and cathedrals and great palaces. Royal weddings have evolved from medieval ceremonies that cemented dynastic national alliances to private ceremonies witnessed by close family members and courtiers to spectacles watched by millions on television. Curt will look at English royal weddings, the events and places associated with them, and the couples themselves during the last 800 years. Going back as early as the wedding of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152 and up to the rebirth of pageantry with the 2011 ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton, this lecture will feature a slice of English history with lots of glamour and great stories!