British Royal Wedding Answers

Thanks to Certified Royal Expert, Robyn H., for writing this quiz!

1. This special and rare material has been included in royal wedding rings since 1923, and William and Kate may likely follow in the tradition. What is this material?
The material is Welsh gold, which has come from the Clogau and Gwynfynydd gold mines. (Since this is Welsh, spelling does not count.)

2. Since the Royal Family has been mum so far on what royal peerage William will receive (if any), many different ideas on what his new bride will be called have all been batted around. Why are the following title suggestions incorrect?
a. Princess Catherine of Wales Kate will not hold the title of Princess in her own right, and therefore cannot put the title before her first name.
b. Catherine, Princess of Wales First of all, William is not The Prince of Wales yet, and therefore Kate cannot be "Princess of Wales." Secondly, this is the form of title used for women who have divorced their titled husbands. Notable women with this style and title are Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York. So Kate could only be "Catherine, Princess of Wales" if she divorced William after Charles had become King and invested William as The Prince of Wales. For the record, Kate's official title will be Princess William of Wales unless the Queen gives William another title (Duke/Earl of Someplace), in which case she'll be Duchess or Countess of Someplace.

3. Kate's engagement has thrown her family into the spotlight, especially her younger sister Pippa, who will be maid of honor. Apart from best man Prince Harry, just who are these people in the wedding party?
Bridesmaids:
a. The Lady Louise Windsor - daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and thus William's cousin
b. The Honourable Margarita Armstrong-Jones - daughter of the Queen's nephew Viscount Linley, and thus William's second cousin
c. Grace van Cutsem - William's goddaughter
d. Eliza Lopes - Camilla's granddaughter

Page boys:
e. Billy Lowther-Pinkerton - son of William's private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton
f. Tom Pettifer - William's godson

4. Part of the royal hullabaloo surrounding the wedding have been calls for William to pass over his father and succeed his grandmother as King. Apart from nullifying the work of a man who has trained to rule for nearly his entire life, why will this not happen?
Simply because the British constitution does not allow it. The Queen does not have the power to choose who inherits the throne (nor do the British people, for that matter). The only ways that William could skip over Charles would be if Charles were to predecease both William and the Queen, marry a Roman Catholic, or abdicate. Furthermore, under the Statute of Westminster 1931, changes to the Constitution regarding succession (e.g., allowing eldest children to succeed, regardless of gender) require the consent of every nation in the Commonwealth.

5. Where are the official sources to get British Royal Wedding information?
Information (such as it is; with six weeks to go, many of the details are still under wraps) can be obtained by following The Prince of Wales' official Twitter account (@ClarenceHouse) or by visiting the official British Royal Wedding website.