The first callers this week to the Royal Wedding Information Service wound up with the wrong connections. AT&T told them not to take it personally. Created by AT&T and British Telecom International for royals-watchers in the Colonies curious about the pending nuptials of Great Britain`s Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the number was supposed to provide late poop from London for persons who wanted to let their fingers to do the gawking. It didn`t work at first, says Carolyn Zachary, a publicist for AT&T, because of routing problems and staff shortages caused by a strike by the Communications Workers of America. ”We got the line up at the last minute,” she said. ”We weren`t able to test it properly.”
It now works, as proved by a test call to 011-44-81-LOVE-818. A man answered. He, Godfrey Talbot, formerly ”the BBC`s official court
correspondent to Buckingham Palace,” sounded like Alistair Cooke`s younger and livelier brother.
According to AT&T, each message runs three minutes. In one segment, Talbot talks about Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth marrying ”a breezy sailor,” now Prince Philip. ”It was, oh, just after the war, really, and life was very austere,” he says. How austere was it? So austere ”the Princess had to use ration coupons to purchase a suitable dress.”
In future segments, Talbot chats about Prince Charles and Lady Diana, describes the wedding route and answers the question: ”Will she be good for him?” (Talbot is unlikely, admits AT&T, to say ”No!”)
Other phone services might be more useful, such as a Don Johnson NBC-TV Contract Dispute Update (at, say, 305-VICE) or, until recently, a Spilotro Whereabouts Dial-a-Tip. But this London offering, like ”Warm Up Time” before a baseball game, does set a certain scene. The cost is $2.19, from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., using direct-dial, although calls can be placed any time. And you don`t have to look your best.