In July 20, the world took interest as Prince George was welcomed to the royal family of the British monarchy. Prince George is the son of the very popular couple Prince William and Catherine Middleton of England, where the monarchy is highly praised. Although it seems as a clash between ideologies, the existence of royal families in the democratic world actually has strong support all over the world.

In a society where democracy is prevalent, it is rather out of the picture to see people still lauding the monarchies of diverse countries. Many people travel to other countries to see the remaining families of monarchs, and the media constantly reports articles such as the fashion style of queens and princesses and the arrival of newborn babies.

With over a hundred royal families still residing, the British majesties are without a doubt one of the most famed royalties in the world, so much so that they have become one of the major attractions of England. Starting with Queen Elizabeth, the British royal family had amassed support from the public, which peaked with Princess Diana, whom gained international popularity due to her beautiful looks and elegant disposition. The fame and admiration still continues on with the Dutch and Duchess of Cambridge, also known as Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

   
▲ The Prince William and Catherine Middleton are one of the mostfamed royal couples in the world. Provided by bbc.co.uk.

Some may be quizzical as to ask why their popularity, or even their existence, still holds high. Most people would agree that the monarchy, being a constitutional one, is no longer “efficient” and that there are no functional values of the royalties. Most of the existing Kings and Queens are no longer in charge of ruling the country, and there are no “kingdoms” to invade or to fight for. On the contrary, it is evident that people still praise the great royalties despite what their functional values may be. This points out that there are many other reasons to why such sensation is occurring.


Perhaps one of the reasons why the royalties are going strong is because they hold nostalgia for the people living their busy lives teemed with excessive modernity but void of traditional practices and customs. For this reason, they long for a life of tradition and the past, where everything was more in order. Also, in the past, the monarchies stood as a figure for the crowd to rely on for protection and comfort. Now, most political figures are depended on for leadership.

Another reason may be because they represent the power and esteem of the country. Many nations were once ruled by royal families, including Korea. The fact that royal families remain in a country means that other forces were not able to invade them in the past. Having the royal families still existing is a constant reminder of how their people and the country was a “winner.” Due to this reason, it is natural that the people feel pride in their royal families. Especially, the royal families represent a tangible history. While many empires that had once conquered Europe, such as the Hapsburgs and the Ottoman Empire, are no longer intact, the royal families are the survivors.


In some ways, royalties are just like celebrities—just as how the public are fascinated by celebrities, the people are also intrigued with the different lifestyle the royal families lead. Unlike the rest of us, royalties constantly have to stick to certain rules of etiquettes, dress to a strict code of style, and attend certain events. It is the fact that the royal families seem to lead a completely different life that fascinates us. Having royal families coexisting in our society may seem pointless. However, the fact remains that people continue to praise the royalties whether they are of the same country or not. Royal families even prove to be beneficial to countries, attracting many tourists from all over the world, as illustrated by the case of the British royalties. So, as the people used to say, “Long live the
royal families!”

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