So, Prince Charles and Camilla have finally tied the knot after 30 years of illegitimacy. Yawn. You know it’s bad when USA Today has a pre-wedding line like this:
It will not be the wedding of the century. But you can call the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla a fairy tale for grown-ups. A triumph for middle-aged romantics everywhere. A testament to the conceit that true love justifies almost any behavior.
What’s more absurd than Charles cheating on Diana for Camilla is the way that the British cling to their pseudo-monarchy like it’s their favorite soap-opera. The problem is, the soap-opera has been cancelled long ago. While the monarchy’s role is largely ceremonial, it does have some limted reserve powers which are quite scary (declaring war, dissolving parliament) considering the fact that they can’t be voted out.
While the British do have tradition on their side, it’s apparent by the media brouhaha that many Americans have forgotten that we kissed the monarchy goodbye 229 years ago. It’s worked out pretty well for us, Great Britain—why not give it a try?