Article by Rianna Alania Graphics by Carl Pedraja
September 13, 2022
On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II's seventy-year-long reign reached its end. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch passed away at the age of ninety-six. While some mourn or ridicule the mourning, one cannot deny the impact the Queen and The Royalty have on society. Some people call themselves fans, while others despise them. Yet many still clamor to talk about Britain's royal family.
This prompts the question, why is the monarchy so fascinating? From Princess Diana's death in 1997 to Meghan and Harry stepping down as royals in 2020, their names cause a stir no matter what they do. It is not just the British royalty making waves now. Despite not being as well known as the members of the British Royal Family, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia of Spain have gained quite the attention on social media. People on Tiktok have even gone so far as to make edits of them similar to the ones they create for actors or K-Pop idols. Netizens have even made speculations surrounding the siblings' relationship with their parents. Prince Felix of Denmark has his own following, many of which are young adults and teenagers who appreciate his looks.
So what differentiates the monarchy from your typical politician? Why does a bloodline still have heavy bearings in this modern age? One answer may be that these so-called elites lead a life that regular human beings can only dream of. People are attracted to that fantasy life. I mean, who wouldn't be? These people get to live with the glitz and glamor, all because they were lucky enough to be born into a particular family. Most people can only dream of achieving just a minuscule amount of luxury that royalty has. And dream they do, they live through these people who are symbols of wealth and regality to emotionally fulfill what they lack in reality.
Some people's admiration goes so far that it evolves into a parasocial relationship with the monarchy. According to an article by Cynthia Vinney, Parasocial relationships are instances when someone becomes emotionally attached to a person, whether they be fictional or real. This attachment is always one-sided and often formed through social media. Princess Diana is one of the most common royals (though she was no longer royalty at the time of her death) to be the subject of parasocial relationships. Many viewed her as a rose among the thorns within the monarchy. People admire her humble and kind personality, especially when compared to her uptight husband and his family. Upon her death, people mourned the kind-hearted princess, many crying tears of anguish. Due to her kind nature, people grew attached to her, feeling close to the princess despite never having met her.
The royalty, and celebrities even, show how complex society is. These people leave many others starstruck. But underneath their shiny exteriors, they are just as human as the rest of us. Whether through admiration, fascination, or disgust, there is no doubt that royalty will remain a social phenomenon.
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