Los Angeles - Fascination, pride and the
best soap opera in the world have many Americans eagerly
awaiting the impending birth of Prince Harry and Duchess of
Sussex Meghan Markle's first child.
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?
"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.