William and Kate chose Canada as the destination for their first royal visit and gave the nation warm fuzzies this past Canada Day weekend. Canadians turned out en masse from coast to coast for a chance to ogle the super couple. Call us monarchists? No way. The adoration felt by fans is different, because today's generation of royals is different.
So far Wills and his new bride are shirking controversy generated by anti-monarchist protests in Quebec and animal rights group PETA (for planning to attend the Calgary Stampede).
The couple’s popularity is in part due to their youth, good looks, and a "relatively relaxed style" that belies their posher-than-thou lineage. From bucking the usual entourage of servants, to packing light in an age of austerity, Prince William is seen as more down to earth than his father, Charles.
“I think both of them are so much more in tune with how people growing up today experience things,” says 34-year-old Angie Hung, who plans to follow the royal couple along the Western leg of their tour.
“When I was young and thought of the monarchy, I thought of people who were very removed from everyday life,” she says. “They’re a gorgeous couple who seem down to earth, not separated [from us].”
Editor-in-chief of Hello! Canada, Alison Eastwood claims Wills and Kate’s popularity is more in line with A-list celebrity couples such as Brad and Angelina, with female fans coveting details about Kate’s wardrobe and hair.
Though he denies any interest in the rest of the staid monarchy, forty something royal watcher, Kempton Lam, says the real draw is Prince William's character -- namely, "his ethics, his work as a coast guard rescuer, and the couple’s request for charitable donations instead of wedding gifts".
“To me that’s a new kind of royal. That intrigues me,” says Lam, who lamented some Canadians' “rude and un-courteous” attitudes toward the pair.
So far Wills seems to be following in his late mother Diana's footsteps: he is the prince of the people. While he and Kate may not quite live like ordinary folk, their attempts to shed a number of royal conventions has made them both more accessible and likable to the public, and may yet lead to a resurgence of monarchists on this side of the Atlantic.
Don't think you're ready to rush out and buy a Wills and Kate commemorative plate? Never say never. You just might yet.
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