The Royal family has deemed the extra space and equipment required to broadcast the April 29 Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton to be a royal pain in the arse.
So Buckingham Palace notified BSkyB Tuesday (Feb. 8th) that they have ruled out 3D coverage of the pending nuptials at Westminster Abbey for the 3D channel that was launched last October. The potential of a Royal wedding in 3D cropped up last November.
Plans had gotten as far as putting together a trial run 3D production of a mock wedding staged at a church in Eastbourne, Sussex in late January, followed by a demonstration of 3D at the Guards Chapel in Windsor, according to the U.K.’s Guardian.
Patrick Harrison, press secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, said the decision was made in consultation with the royal couple themselves, William’s private secretary Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and Westminster Abbey officials.
“I’m afraid I have to say that we have decided not to progress with 3D coverage of the service on this occasion,” Harrison told the BBC, ITV news provider ITN and Sky News, in an email sent to the broadcasters.
“There are a number of reasons for this, most notably the additional camera footprint in the abbey, the relatively small (albeit growing) audience for 3D, and our desire to not be distracted away from negotiating and facilitating the optimal 2D, radio, photographic and online coverage of the day.
“I know you have all become increasingly enthusiastic about 3D and I’m sorry that this will come as a disappointment.
“I hope you feel the process we have gone through will be helpful for other live events and of course we do not rule out facilitating 3D at some point in the future.”
— By Scott Hettrick