Bishops talk the talk, but King walks the walk.
According to the spokesman for the Swedish Royal Household, King Carl XBI Gustaf has decided to hold the hand of his daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, and walk her down the aisle in the church to give her away to her betrothed, Daniel Westling, on June 19.

The simple announcement put an end to a flurry of media statements from church officials as well as common people that went so far as trying to blame Americanism for encouraging the Swedish king to carry out the "down the isle" tradition with his daughter. In elaboration, the court's official pointed out that this marriage was no ordinary knot-tying event and that the king was actually ushering the country's future monarch down the aisle to marry the man who, it is hoped, will help provide the nation with even more royals.

From Sweden's Lutheran Archbishop in Uppsala to local leftists politicians and citizens, the outcry for observing the once-sacred Nordic tradition of the bride walking alone down the isle to her to-be husband, and they said it was all due to too many scenes that showed this in American movies and television. They went on to specifically blame Hollywood for causing their anguish at the planned "handing off" sequence of the Royal Wedding.

Feminists as well as heads of churches, including the Cathedral in Lund, also objected to what they claimed was an expression of male dominance and superiority that "giving away the bride" represented. However, some more scholarly voices mentioned that the practice went far back into the Middle Ages and was prevalent during Anglo-Saxon ceremonies long before the Swedish Lutheran Church was founded during the Protestant revolution against the Catholic Church.

Much like the first monarch of Sweden, Gustav Wasa, the current king left little doubt with his decision that he was, indeed, the protector of the Swedish faith ..and as far as his kingdom and daughter's marriage was concerned, his word was final.