The Royals: Why Do We Care?

We already know 2020 has been a doozy of a year. I don’t even need to list all that has happened because you know what I mean. One event in January that stunned was the announcement of Meghan Markle and ”Just Harry” leaving the Royal Family as senior royals. I think all were shocked if you follow the family and royalty. There was definitely a foreshadowing leading up to the announcement in hindsight but it was still shocking. Their last day as senior royals was March 31 and it was in the midst of this they left Canada where they had been staying, fled to L.A. and have been in lockdown with the pandemic only surfacing for some virtual meetings & calls to charities, Archie’s first birthday video, and a few volunteer meal delivery gigs with a charity in L.A.

[📸: The Pink Soapbox/personal book collection]

However, this is really about royalty as a whole but Harry & Meghan’s story so far has been the biggest of 2020 in the royalty ranks. When I was 13 I got up at 3 in the morning to watch Princess Diana and Prince Charles get married. I was hooked ever since. I followed Diana’s tumultuous life as a royal back in the 80’s up until her death in 1997 for which I was devastated as so many others were around the world. But now as I see the next generation coming of age with their own families and their children growing up so I asked myself the question “Why do I still care. Actually why do so many care so much? I am not sure I have the answer but they are still a focus of celebrity/royal mania for many.

Once I really sat back and thought about it I think for me there is a fascination with the concept of royalty and what makes someone royal besides the obvious which is their genetics. For people like Kate and Meghan they are only considered royal because of marriage. In addition, why should we find this state of being that is “royal” special or something to admire or revere. They don’t have any superpowers but some of them over the years have had the ability to become supremely popular while others seem to be stodgy and lackluster for whom I have never really followed or learned much about beyond their lineage to the throne or a few charities they may support. As with anything else, some just simply have star power that reels us in making us feel like we could be BFF’s if that were a thing you do with royals.

Harry and William are Diana’s legacy so for me following them feels like I am still following her. I myself wonder what she would be like today if she were still alive. What causes she would be involved in, how she would feel about Prince Charles getting remarried to the woman he cheated on her with and would she have found true love again. Obviously, all questions we will never know the answers to but I guess for me Harry and William are the closest thing to Diana and her grandchildren as well. The story of Princess Diana is one we never got to find out about the ending or at least the way we wanted her story to end which was in a real fairytale finding true love that made up for the heartbreaking marriage she had with Prince Charles. I am sure Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall is a wonderful woman but it still irks me to see her and Prince Charles together and happy to boot because of my admiration for Diana for so many years.

For the most part most of us have some sort of dysfunction in our families whether it be our immediate family or extended family and as it turns out the royals are no different. At one time it seemed they were of a different brand or hierarchy of individuals seeing the pomp and traditions Queen Elizabeth has stood for since she began her reign. She has maintained a pretty flawless record in comparison with the younger generation of royals. Perhaps it was the realization of the younger generation’s humanity that has kept me coming back for more. I mean besides a title here and there , a castle or 2 and private secretaries we can all see they are as human and flawed as the rest of us. You name it its happened to their family just like mine or your family.

Divorce, adultery, scandalous secret affairs, remarriages, stepchildren, feuds with siblings, in laws not getting along, the death of a beloved way too early in life, snubbing a family member you are angry with, reinventing yourself from bad guy to more liked guy (think Prince Charles), eating disorders, mental health issues, marital woes and poor friendship choices ( think Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein) or feuding with a parent. Who hasn’t experienced one or some of these in your own extended family or immediate families. To me it makes them very relatable and the reason I am interested still and the reason you may be as well watching their real life dilemmas playing out before us. It is almost like reality TV but in a more dignified manner. The monarchy has survived so many scandals just in my lifetime but the real crazy is how they have survived all of the scandals over the centuries.

Today none of them can make a move or misstep without the whole world knowing about it. When we hear of these very human type of dilemmas and struggles it makes them continue to seem relatable and relevant in some ways (minus the pomp and money they have access to) just as we might relate to a friend going through one of these issues. Like other types of celebrities such as hollywood royalty, their brand of real royalty gives them a powerful platform in their own individual ways. As we have seen over the past few years, the personalities that make up the family are varied and unique. Each with their strengths and weaknesses. Because of this, they all have their own special chance to utilize their power and influence in different ways that the average mortal such as myself cannot.

So, I continue to observe and I am always fascinated how they choose to use their royal privilege to make the world a better place and the actions they take to back up what they stand for. If you are a royal fan or royal watcher you may have developed a list of your favorites and developed a passionate loyalty toward one or some of them. Obviously not everyone is interested in the royals and could care less (insert my husband Todd here) but for those of us that do, such as myself , I keep coming back to see how their lives unfold even though they will never know my name, how my life has unfolded or care if I think they have made wise decisions or not. But that’s ok, because even though I like following them and loosely keep up with what the latest is on the royals I can tell you with much certainty I would never want the pressure, scrutiny or notoriety they have and I am just fine with my humble middle class low profile lifestyle.

XO & #StayCurious