# Royal Wedding: Who Were the Kids on the Balcony? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 29, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148 "2011-04-29T12:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/1 "2011-04-29T12:34:30Z")
7:29 CST, watching the feed on NBC The Royal Family is standing on a balcony at Buckingham Palace. To William’s left are three kids: a little girl in white, a and two little boys in red coats with yellow shields and black crosses on them. Who are those kids? Kate’s niece and nephews? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/2 "2011-04-29T12:39:24Z")
one of them was Camilla’s grand-son. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/3 "2011-04-29T12:40:22Z")
Pageboys and flower girls? [ > [@](#): > > Another four bridesmaid have been chosen to accompany the brunette on her big day, those being Lady Louise Windsor, the queen’s youngest granddaughter, Eliza Lopes, the Duchess of Cornwall’s granddaughter, the hon Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the daughter of Viscount Linley, and Grace Van Cutsem, the daughter of Prince William’s close friend, Hugh Van Cutsem. All of the bridesmaids are aged between 3 – 8 years old. > … > Two pageboys will be included in the bridal party, these will be 10-year-old William Lowther-Pinkerton, whose father is William’s private secretary, and 8-year-old Tom Pettifer, whose mother, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, was William and Harry’s nanny. ]([http://www.wedding-news.co.uk/royal-wedding-bridesmaids-pageboys-and-best-man-revealed-158800/](http://www.wedding-news.co.uk/royal-wedding-bridesmaids-pageboys-and-best-man-revealed-158800/)) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/4 "2011-04-29T12:46:52Z")
sorry - grand-daughter. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/5 "2011-04-29T14:38:21Z")
WHY were all the attendants (except the Maid of Honor and Best Man) little kids, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/6 "2011-04-29T16:11:56Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > WHY were all the attendants (except the Maid of Honor and Best Man) little kids, anyway? Makes William look taller. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/7 "2011-04-29T17:20:35Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > WHY were all the attendants (except the Maid of Honor and Best Man) little kids, anyway? Because it’s a wedding. I don’t know how it works in the US, and I have seen adult bridesmaids in the UK in recent years, but traditionally bridesmaids and page boys are little kids. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/8 "2011-04-29T17:29:05Z")
In the US, bridesmaids are almost without exception relatives or friends of the bride, usually around her age. Girls younger than 10 or so are flower girls. There used to be a category called junior bridesmaid, for a girl 10-14, but that kind of went out when brides started becoming determined to match up their wedding party members as if they were chorus lines. No 25-year-old groomsman wants to escort a tween girl down the aisle. Sad, really. ETA: We don’t have page boys; if you have a young boy you want to put in your wedding, you make him the ring bearer and send him down the aisle with the ring(s) pinned to a little pillow. Best if they’re replica rings in case he runs out the side door of the church. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/9 "2011-04-29T23:53:57Z")
Who was the little girl holding her hands over her ears? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/10 "2011-04-30T00:49:18Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > No 25-year-old groomsman wants to escort a tween girl down the aisle. Sad, really. You’re so wrong it’s hard to know where to start. The only sad thing in the statement is your view of 25 year old men. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/11 "2011-04-30T08:28:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Who was the little girl holding her hands over her ears? Grace van Cutsem; see jjim’s reply above as to who she is. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/12 "2011-05-01T01:52:13Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Because it’s a wedding. I don’t know how it works in the US, and I have seen adult bridesmaids in the UK in recent years, but traditionally bridesmaids and page boys are little kids. I’ve seen photos from royal weddings in the early- to mid-twentieth century, and the bridesmaids generally appeared to be roughly the same age as the bride. For example, [here’s](http://www.goldsboroughhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/img033.jpg) a photo of the wedding of Princess Mary to Viscount Lascelles, in 1922. The bridesmaids all look adult to me. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/13 "2011-05-01T01:59:55Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > I’ve seen photos from royal weddings in the early- to mid-twentieth century, and the bridesmaids generally appeared to be roughly the same age as the bride. For example, [here’s](http://www.goldsboroughhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/img033.jpg) a photo of the wedding of Princess Mary to Viscount Lascelles, in 1922. The bridesmaids all look adult to me. And they are all so Happy, too! (I know it mainly because of the photography technology at the time) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/14 "2011-05-01T12:43:48Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Pageboys and flower girls? > > > [@](#): > > > > Tiggy Legge-Bourke, was William and Harry’s nanny. I don’t know how Tiggy Legge-Bourke pronounces her name, but pronouncing it the way I choose to pronounce it makes it my new favorite name ever. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/15 "2011-05-01T12:52:09Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I don’t know how Tiggy Legge-Bourke pronounces her name, but pronouncing it the way I choose to pronounce it makes it my new favorite name ever. Teegy Leegy? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/16 "2011-05-01T13:27:00Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > You’re so wrong it’s hard to know where to start. The only sad thing in the statement is your view of 25 year old men. I retract my statement and apologize. This is GQ and I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ve just been around too many brides who felt they had to fill a “Y chromosome” quota. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/17 "2011-05-01T14:20:49Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > I’ve seen photos from royal weddings in the early- to mid-twentieth century, and the bridesmaids generally appeared to be roughly the same age as the bride. For example, [here’s](http://www.goldsboroughhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/img033.jpg) a photo of the wedding of Princess Mary to Viscount Lascelles, in 1922. The bridesmaids all look adult to me. Oh, I’m sure some weddings have adult boyfriends, but I 100% guarantee that the convention in England is to have children as bridesmaids and pageboys. I’d been a bridesmaid 7 times by the age of 9. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/18 "2011-05-01T14:50:44Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I don’t know how Tiggy Legge-Bourke pronounces her name, but pronouncing it the way I choose to pronounce it makes it my new favorite name ever. I prefer Tiggy Leggy Boorky. Sounds like the Swedish Chef describing a lamb dish. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/19 "2011-05-01T14:58:25Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I retract my statement and apologize. This is GQ and I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ve just been around too many brides who felt they had to fill a “Y chromosome” quota. Sorry. You’ve been to too many “modern” US weddings. Or seen too many episodes of _Bridezillas_. In which case it would be all too easy to think that current practice involves matched pairs of bridesmaids & groomsmen. With the bridesmaids in hideous dresses & the groomsmen’s cummerbunds in hideous colors to match. The groomsmen don’t care who they escort down the aisle. Their job is to pick up the rented suits & help people to their seats. At Westminster Abbey, officials helped heads of state to their places & most other guests fended for themselves. Here, the groom’s job is to pick up his suit. William was apparently quite involved in the arrangements & he already had the uniform. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148/20 "2011-05-01T15:06:40Z")
Speaking of the uniform he wore to the wedding, was that the same dress uniform that would worn by any officer of his rank, or was it a special one for a royal? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-wedding-who-were-the-kids-on-the-balcony/580148.md?page=2)