Cinderella syndrome aside, what makes Will and Kate’s wedding a “modern” fairytale is the reality that the Royal Couple is the product of a carefully managed PR effort to reinstate the British monarchy in the good graces of the public. After the tumult of the Diana years; Fergie, divorces, affairs, and death, the Royal Family has proven that there is such a thing as bad publicity. Scandals in the monarchy have strengthened the voices advocating for its abolition, and reinforced the idea that rather than a legitimate governing body, the Windsors are part of an outdated and obsolete institution, nothing more than celebrities. If the fanfare surrounding the Royal Wedding in recent months is any indication, the British monarchy’s role in society has been largely reduced to one of cultural icon. The marriage of Kate Middleton to Prince William is a silent nod on the part of the Royal Family’s to its incumbent role, a cult of celebrity that is dependent on public graces. Kate Middleton, “middle class” by British standards (their outdated class system completely disregards her family’s wealth), is responsible for ushering in a new area of good publicity by showcasing how modern and tolerant the Royals can be. All the power to them if they are choosing to reinvent their image by embracing modern values. However, let’s not be blind to the fact that this is what they are very consciously doing, and that by embracing the new they can no longer cling to entitlements of yore. The reality is other celebrities, no matter how frivolous their contributions to society may be, support their own lifestyles, whereas the Windsor’s continue to live off taxpayer money by performing a service that for all intensive purposes is a symbolic one. Especially troublesome is the readiness of the Canadian government to literally buy into this cult of celebrity by shelling out $700,000 a day to host the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in their first international visit. Perhaps that money would be better put towards paying off national debt, or subsidizing the flagging healthcare system, or fixing the Afghani mess we are so desperate to put behind us. Issues of Commonwealth nostalgia aside, Canada’s desperation to garner international attention by capitalizing on celebrity culture is embarrassing, and proves that we do not deserve the international respect we constantly strive towards.
