CULTURE: Frustrated Queen in the Dark as Wills Plans Wedding

Kids these days, insisting on planning their own weddings without any help from Buckingham Palace. Prince William’s modern and somewhat headstrong attitude about his upcoming nuptials is apparently causing quite a bit of friction within the royal family, the Daily Mail reports. He wants his aides to plan everything, leaving the palace “largely in the dark,” sources say. Unlike previous engagements, William’s was a surprise to basically everyone, so much of the planning that would normally be done in advance is being hammered out now.

“The Queen has joked that she hasn’t a clue what is going on, but it is actually quite serious. This is turning into a drawn out and rather complicated process,” says a source. Those complications include the date (William and Kate favor Thursday, April 28, though royal weddings are traditionally held on Wednesdays or Saturdays), the officiant (the Archbishop of Canterbury has not been formally consulted and may not be asked to officiate), and the wedding planners (William prefers his team to handle preparations, but Prince Charles insists his former valet be involved as well).