PICTURED ABOVE // Prince Harry and soon to be wife Meghan Markle are seen taking a stroll in the public. Photo courtesy of WikiCommons.
On May 19, 2018, people from all corners of the earth will drag themselves out of the comforts of their bed at unnatural times simply to glue their eyes to the television screen. Why would native Californians ever make the decision to wake themselves at 4 a.m. to watch T.V., you may be wondering? Any person who follows the activities of the Royal Family would jump to answer that question for you—in order to watch Prince Harry and fiancé Meghan Markle’s wedding.
Now, I am as guilty as anyone of occasionally tending to indulge in the happenings of the Royal Family. I finished Season 2 of The Crown within 48 hours of its release to Netflix and try keep myself updated on their constantly expanding family tree. However, I believe there is a fine line to walk between awareness and obsession.
Whatever opinions you may have on the Mountbatten-Windsor Family, there is no denying that many people do have an obsession with the Royals. The staggeringly high rates of viewers that will be watching the wedding in live time on Saturday will be enough evidence to substantiate this fact. However, that is not to say that this obsession is not unprovoked. The Royal Family serves simply as an icon for the Commonwealth, as they have been stripped of nearly all powers, leaving them simply with their public image. Whether they want their lives to be constantly publicized or not, however, paparazzi and other media outlets ensure that the public have their updates.
From this point, we are delivered major televised events, such as Royal weddings and coronations, and the creation of countless T.V. shows and movies all centered around the lives of the family, among other things. These actions only serve to fuel the public’s hunger.
Arguably, these sentiments date back to the time Princess Diana and all of the subsequent drama surrounding her. However, it is important to remember the ultimate cause of Diana’s death: a car crash as a result of attempting to escape the paparazzi.
Once again, this brings us back to fragile line that exists between normality and obsession. Although the Royal Family could most definitely be classified as celebrities, they stray from the typical depiction of a celeb due to the fact that they didn’t choose to live life in the spotlight. They were simply born into it.
They are ultimately given no choice as to whether or not they want their every action to be documented and published on a social media outlet. While this type of glamorous lifestyle may seem flattering from the surface, they essentially have no privacy and never will for as long as they walk to the earth. Even now, they must televise their weddings—occasions generally meant to be small and intimate—just to satiate the public’s desire.
They must live their lives under a microscope, as they constantly under scrutiny from the public. And although they may be Royals, they are not devoid of flaws, but as it just so happens, this particular family has been chosen as a sacrifice to live in the limelight. Therefore, while it is easy to look up to them as as model humans, the public should try to dial down the obsession rate. Even the Royals are human, too.
Story by Charlotte Dross, Editor In Chief.
