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 After some 29 million Americans watched the televised May 2018
wedding of Harry to Californian actress Markle, the prospect of
the first British royal baby born to an American mother is
proving even more compelling.
"It's going to be massive," said J.D. Heyman, deputy editor of
People magazine. "When Meghan presents the baby, when Meghan and
Harry step out onto a balcony ... I think what you will see is
an enormous outpouring of affection for both of them."
"The excitement around this equals the births of certainly
Prince William's babies and, frankly, Harry and William's
birth(s)" more than 30 years ago, Heyman added.
Despite America's War of Independence fought against Britain
some 240 years ago, Americans have long been obsessed with
British royals, who regularly feature on the front pages of
celebrity magazines.
British producer Nick Bullen, a co-founder of subscription
streaming service True Royalty TV, which launched last summer,
said a colorful and dramatic history with larger-than-life
figures such as King Henry VIII drives the modern fascination
with the royal family.
"The British royal family is the best soap opera in town," he
said. "It's as simple as that."
True Royalty TV is based in London but draws its largest number
of subscribers from the United States.
While celebrity media outlets are chronicling Markle's pregnancy
with daily pictures and speculation over the baby's sex and due
date, True Royalty TV plans documentaries and talk-show
discussions on topics including: how will the royal couple raise
their first child?
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"Imagine raising an American royal in Britain," Bullen said. "It's
hard enough I think for a lot of Americans to come to London and get
to grips with boarding schools and prep schools and little caps and
little shorts and how we raise children in the UK.
"Will Dorian, Meghan's mum, be involved in the baby's raising?"
Bullen said. "Will it have holidays in California? Will it be doing
baby yoga? People want to know all that level of detail."
Not everyone is getting caught up in royal baby fever.
"I actually don't have too much of an opinion about it," shrugged
Evan Jorgensen, as he strolled along the Venice Beach boardwalk in
California on Monday.
But most people Reuters spoke to said they were excited and pleased.
Americans feel tremendous affection toward Markle, said Heyman.
"There's a personal pride that many people feel, that an average
American girl of a multiracial background has risen to this
position," he said.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Rollo Ross; Writing by Jill Serjeant;
Editing by Nick Carey)
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