With the upcoming royal wedding this Friday, April 29, people have already set their Tivo’s to record the ceremony.

It will be viewed by an estimated one billion people, at 4 a.m. Central Time.

This brings about the question: why is America obsessed with British royalty? They are not American political figures and they do not actually serve a real political purpose, so why do we follow their every move? And why do we care so much about the dress that Kate Middleton will wear for her wedding?

The closest thing America had to royalty was the Kennedy family. We do not have a monarchy so perhaps we find the British sovereign fascinating because they are an unknown mystery.

The British monarchy does not serve any real political purpose, yet they are still a predominant force in American culture. One can argue that the monarchy is more famous than the prime minister of Britain. It is safe to assume that people know the names of the queen and princes of England but could those same people name the prime minister, the one who actually holds the power of Britain? His name is

David Cameron for those of you who did not know.

America’s fascination with the British royalty, namely Prince William and Prince Harry, is more fervent than ever before. Perhaps this is because we are living in a technological age that is far more advanced than in years past. It does not hurt that Prince William and Prince Harry are good looking.

With Prince William soon to be off the market, America’s fascination with Prince Harry and his life is soon to escalate.

Perhaps our fascination with the princes stems from our obsession with the beloved late Princess Diana, better known as the “People’s Princess.” Even in her last moments, the paparazzi were on her tail and most likely responsible for her death in 1997, resulting from the fatal car accident in Paris.

While we do not have a monarchy, it is safe to say that we have adopted the British monarchy as our own. People would not be staying awake and holding “watch parties” this Friday morning at 4 a.m. if this were not the case.

Katie Chalmers is a sophomore communications studies major. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].