Royalty Appreciation Post

      I've been fascinated by royalty since I saw the animated film Anastasia when I was seven years old. I was completely intrigued by the Romanov family, but most especially the four sisters and I spent a good deal of reading and researching them. Then in 2004, I saw the wedding pictures of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and my love for royalty suddenly expanded from the fascination of Russia's last imperial family. Since then, I've been an avid royalist for over 10 years and I believe that royal families play an integral part of world communication in in their respective countries.

     While royals are essentially powerless in the political spectrum, they can hold a great deal of influence in society. Royals have used their fame as a positive influence to bring awareness to social and world issues. They are oftentimes ambassadors for their country's humanitarian efforts and have made a great deal of success in bettering society. Although, they tend to bare the brunt of slander, gossip, invasion of privacy and neverending scrutiny of their day to day decisions, royals have contributed much of their lives into stamping down the stereotypes and creating for themselves their own identities. 

     Why is the world fascinated by royalty? Well, for centuries royals have always held a great deal of fascination and wonder for the common people around them. Wealth, fame, power, position and duty have all been common factors for royals all around the world as well as their family histories (both famous and infamous) that have been documented for years. While royals have been politically powerless, they have gained both affection and loathing from the majority of ordinary people who speculate and calculate their lives. 

     Royals are their own kind of celebrity. Only where most celebrities have to climb a social ladder, royals have no choice but to be born famous. Sometimes they are famous even before the announcement of their arrival and so they better live up to every expectation that people have for them or at least that was the attitude that was held for many years. Weddings and births are always new worthy and regardless of what anti-royalists say, there is no denying the excitement when a new member is added in the royal line of succession.

      For years, the film industry has been both a blessing and a curse for royals around the world. While most of the time filmmakers get the story wrong, there are those rare few that give respect and dignity to their chosen subject. While some may have historical inaccuracies such as love stories (The Young Victoria) and costumes (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), what I really appreciate is how royals have been represented as ordinary people born in extraordinary situations and their fears, dreams, doubts, successes and failures that make them human and real. 

     So yes, I love royals. I have my favorite royals couples as do most people. I keep a watch out for royal births and am always excited for a royal wedding. Good marriages are always refreshing and admirable and watching children grow up and take on their parents roles (maybe taking a few coming-of-age left turns from time to time) makes you realize they may not be as different as they are so often perceived to be.