Great Britain’s royal family has been in the news a lot for the last month. Most of it focused on Prince William, who’s second in line for the throne, and his wife, who gave birth to their first child, Prince George of Cambridge, on July 22.
I understand why the residents of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth nations are so interested in the royal baby, in particular, and the doings of the royals in general. After all, young George Alexander Louis could one day become monarch of the 16 Commonwealth nations, even if that role is mostly symbolic.
I’m less certain why so many Americans seem to be so interested in the royals.
The Founding Fathers would not have approved. Their portrayal of King George III helped fan the flames of the American Revolution.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence in 1776 that King George had shown himself “unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” He also described the monarch as “a Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant.”
King George made a valuable propaganda scapegoat for the early Americans, but the blame for England’s mistreatment of the American colonies really fell on Parliament. The last English king who wielded any real power was King Charles I. And his opponents cut off his head in 1649.
More than a few of the first Americans thought the new nation needed a king. They were, after all, former Englishmen. Some say that’s why our political system is led by a president, an “elective monarchy.” Certainly, many presidents have seemingly tried to wield imperial power.
Many Americans are interested to the doings of the royal Windsors. Since the royal family wields no real political power (the royals aren’t even supposed to publicly comment on political matters), their time is mostly spent appearing at state and charity functions. There is also a lengthy tradition of royal misbehavior, including — but not limited to — engaging in extramarital affairs, heavy drinking, wearing Nazi uniforms and cavorting naked. Yes, the royals are just like us.
These days, the royal family’s chief value to the United Kingdom is as a tourist attraction. For example, when Prince William married Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011, the ceremony was watched on television by an estimated 2 billion people around the world. The wedding also pumped an estimated $937 million into the UK economy.
Jefferson wrote in 1789, “We were educated in royalism; no wonder, if some of us retain that idolatry still.”
Many Americans idolize the royals, for some reason. Even the Commonwealth’s Lifestyles Editor Ruthie Robison has said that as a teenager, she was “obsessed” with Prince William. Well, many members of a previous generation went out and got their hair cut like Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana.
The royals, especially the younger ones, certainly behave like Hollywood stars at times. But even the older Windsors keep the hereditary soap opera going with divorces, affairs and the occasional unwise comment on current affairs. I will say that all of them dress well.
The Commonwealth carries news on the royals from time to time. The wedding of Prince William and Kate was on the front page, mainly because it took place in the early hours of the morning Central Time.
Many U.S. newspapers put the birth of Prince George on their front page. So did the Commonwealth (in a teaser at the top of the page).
Meanwhile, some UK residents apparently overdosed on royal baby news. London’s Guardian newspaper offered a “republican” (anti-royalist) version of its website: that is, free of news about the royal family.
Prince George has already done one of his royal duties. His birth was expected to help the British economy, mostly through the sales of royal baby souvenirs.
The birth of Prince George marks the first time that three generations of direct heirs to the throne have been alive since 1901.
He could be in for a long wait before his turn as king comes. His great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, 87, has been on the job since 1952.
• Contact Charles Corder at 581-7241 or ccorder@gwcommonwealth.com.
