THE island stands divided today. Not on grand ideological, political or sporting grounds, nor any issue that will reverberate down the centuries.

Instead it is the marriage of one young couple.

For many, today is an occasion of deep happiness, wonder and celebration. For others, it’s a chance to catch up with the gardening, play a round of golf or go to the pub.

Whichever camp you are in, it has been impossible to ignore the Royal Wedding this week. Indeed, for several months this one occasion has dominated national news agendas.

Every statement by the young prince and his bride-to-be has been pored over and expanded into something of significance to be accompanied by pictures snatched through car windows on long lenses.

For those in ‘the other camp’, for whom the whole process has been torture, today’s wedding cannot be over soon enough. In their modern world, where royals long ago lost their lustre and mystique, it has limited real significance.

In that light it matters little what Kate’s dress looks like, if William fluffs his lines or how long ‘the kiss’ lasts for.

And in many ways, both sides are right. Compared with the troubles of the world where the people of Arab nations are locked in furious struggle and Europe’s economies are tottering the wedding is, of course, irrelevant.

But pomp and pageantry has its place. It has the capacity to lift the spirits of millions, to change the way a nation sees itself. After the tawdry revelations surrounding the failures of royal weddings it seems this one has the power to inspire widespread hope, which is no small thing.

Of course, not everyone will see it that way. This, after all, is an island where on the same day that the Bailiff pledged before the new Lt-Governor his people’s strong allegiance to the Crown, a publican admitted that the Union Flags of the UK must not be allowed to dominate the Guernsey banners.

Regardless, those for whom the term British is uncomfortable have only a week to wait before they can celebrate Guernsey’s national day.

On that, at least, there can be no division.