It is now hours before the much- anticipated “Royal Wedding” between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. No one has been able to turn on the television without seeing every news reporter talking about Kate’s dress. We’ve seen coins, mugs and candy sporting the faces of the bride and groom to be. The news media has done a great job talking about all the superficial aspects of Will and Kate’s marriage, but the problem is that they are missing the point of the role of this royal couple. More needs to be done to shed light on the philanthropic work the couple plans to do, rather than wedding guest list.
Princess Diana was definitely a woman that was loved by all and stood out for her works of love, through helping the poor, needy and lonely around the world. It’s no wonder why so many people are attempting to compare how Kate will live up to her late mother-in-law. So if the world is going to compare Kate to Princess Diana, wouldn’t it only be natural for them to ask of the future Princess what she plans to do for the less fortunate of the world? But no… instead they are prying Lady Middleton to please let them know who is designing her wedding dress.
The truth is, Kate is her own person and deserves to be given room to carve her own path and make her own footsteps. So far we know that the couple asks that instead of wedding gifts, that their guests give money to a charity the couple have selected.
Journalists covering the wedding, need to ask questions that matter. Kate’s engagement ring and hats are nice, but they can only do so much for society. To be royal not only means to look good, but to do good as well. And this is something that people need to remember. When the guests have gone home and the honeymoon is over, how will William and Kate make their mark as husband and wife?
No doubt this wedding is monumental for a reason, but the underlying reason is because they have a big duty to accomplish. Too much is given much is expected. They have a duty to the people of their country, to reach out, just as Princess Diana did. To hold the hand of the sick person in the hospital, to inspire the young children in the school yard and let the lonely elderly person know that they are still valuable and wanted. The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others is what makes being of a royal family so valuable.
I think news networks need to take a brake from talking about the latest dress Kate has worn and dedicate a segment to “The Future Works of the Royal Couple.” The segment could highlight several key issues of the bride and groom.
1) First it will highlight their philanthropic efforts thus far.
2) The reporter will touch upon the fact that William has decided that Kate will not be taking on full-time royal duties immediately after they are married, in order for her to become comfortable in her duty as a member of the royal family. Will these mean Kate will be involved in less charity work for the beginning days of their marriage?
3) The last part of the segment would highlight the couple’s future charity work. This would include discussing key issues that Will and Kate will focus on as a couple.
Hopefully people around the world won’t get lost in the hype of the glitz and glamour of these two lives coming together. Through the right kind of media attention, the public can begin to know what makes a royal marriage important- the ability to make a difference in live of those who need help, not those who need fashion tips.
I like this post a lot. I went abroad to London (spending 5 months there) and the people really do care about the royal family. Furthermore, they hold great international significance because of England's history.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the royal family has essentially no impact on the government, and thus there importance now shifts to humanitarian and social issues. I have not actually watched much coverage on the wedding but it sounds like they are both legitimate humanitarians with at least some level of genuine interest in these affairs. Figureheads all over the world (including public intellectuals for that matter), especially ones like the Royal family are charged with taking up these causes and making real changes with the power they still do have left.
Th reason they are so loved by the people in England has more to do with their international significance in England's history and less to do about the fashionable wedding. Like you pointed out, I wish the media would have put more focus on the role of the royal family and what this wedding means for the future of the family. Had your proposed future coverage been what had aired, I would have watched. Yes, I was interested in what her wedding dress looked like, but my interest would have been met with one photo.
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