The Latest on the Royals

This evening we saw an expanded version of Matt Lauer's chat with the two princes at Clarence House, their very own palace in London. It boggles the mind that not only do princes still exist in the 21st century but that they are taken seriously--at least by some. A few things struck me as I watched. They were candid about their feelings for their mother, antagonistic toward the media, and they spoke with a singular lack of aristocratic accent. In doing so, are they rejecting the familiar "posh" Oxford English speech patterns of the royal family? Instead they speak in what the Brits call "Estuary English" a London dialect that is not directly cockney but has some elements of it including the glottal stop. This probably has come about because of the two boys' immersion in pop culture from which many of their friends and acquaintances come. Elizabeth's narrow circle of courtiers and her grandsons' wider milieu make an interesting contrast. Impossible to think of Elizabeth before she married haunting nightclubs, falling into gutters, or attending university for that matter.

Also of interest during the interview was Matt Lauer's casual style. Where a British reporter would have at the very least addressed the boys as "Sir," Matt called them "William" and "Harry.," and even at one point, "you guys." as in "You guys will be famous for life? How do you live with that?" The explanation for this informality is simple. Will and Harry may be the lords of all creation in Britain. But in democratic America where the royal family was thrown over nearly 220 years ago deference is earned not given away.

Perhaps when the Queen passes on we'll see the end of god-like royals There's something very godlike about the way she goes about her business and appears to the public-- and the way they respond to her. She mustn't be touched by lower mortals, or spoken to first, and they must back out of her presence. She never speaks candidly in public or even talks informally. Charles during his short reign will probably try to continue the tradition because he will take his divine anointing very seriously, but it's hard to imagine William carrying on as a god. .