Windsor, England (CNN) -- The choice of Westminster Abbey as location for the most eagerly awaited royal wedding in 30 years has taken most royal experts by surprise; their consensus of opinion over the past week suggested that St. Paul's would oversee the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. But on reflection, the abbey is the most obvious and perfect venue. By choosing it, William is showing an astute awareness of his royal status and ultimate destiny as king of England. As a modern royal couple in a modern royal family, William and Kate will start their married life in the most ancient of royal buildings, stepping into the future with one foot firmly in the past and an obliging nod to those kings and queens buried there.
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Mark Saunders says many royal watchers thought William and Kate would wed at St. Paul's
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But Westminster Abbey is future king's nod to the past, he says
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It has power of tradition as site of royal weddings, Princess Diana's funeral, he says
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Saunders: Couple embraces tradition in monarchy modernized by Charles and Diana
As strange as it may seem today, @placeholder and Diana were once considered a thoroughly modern couple.
When William brought Kate out to face the world's press last week, standing together as equals, so obviously in love, you could see how successful @placeholder and Diana have been.
The monarchy today is a vastly different institution from the one @placeholder joined all those years ago.