It’s 2011 and we are still talking about them. Two hundred thirty-four-plus years after the American Revolution, the royals of England still have us in awe, and it’s not because of their pretty dresses and fancy castles. The British Royal Family works hard at keeping relevant and that’s why they will have a gazillion people glued to their “tellies” at an ungodly hour watching William and Kate tie the Royal Knot.
Sure there have been some missteps and major guffaws, but you’ve got to hand it to Queen Elizabeth — William’s Bubbe — for keeping her job for 60 years. She succeeded to the throne when her father, King George VI, died. This year’s Oscar winner for best film, The King’s Speech, was about King George and his determination to overcome an speech impediment so he could speak to his people. During WWII, King George and his family stayed in London during the German Blitz and endeared themselves to the British people. Queen Elizabeth (who bears a remarkable resemblance to my Grandmother Syma, but that’s neither here nor there) shares that marked determination to sacrifice her private life for duty.
In complete contrast to his mother, Prince Charles, father to Prince William and first in line to become England’s next King, never had that staunch devotion to duty. If he did, would he have carried on with the hideous Camilla? I am a Princess Diana loyalist, regardless of the fact that Diana may very well have been a bit unstable. My brother, who refers to Diana as Princess Ninny, wonders how Prince William turned out to be so unlike his parents. It seems that William is all about duty and service.
And that’s why I am so fascinated with William and Kate. It seems that these two 29-year-old lovebirds will stay true to the Queen Elizabeth’s brand of monarchy. They will adapt to the 21st Century but they will not be reckless. After all, they dated for almost a decade before deciding to wed. These two understand the principles of marketing and have the good looks (oops I meant to write sense…good sense) to stay true to the British brand of monarchy. With a bit of luck and perhaps some Parliamentary maneuvering, the monarchy will pass from Queen Elizabeth directly to Prince William and Katherine, completely bypassing Prince Charles. I hope that this actually happens, because Prince Charles has only slightly more appeal than his second wife, Camilla.
