Global General

Young Britons prefer pop over princesses

By Michael Holden (Agencies)
Updated: 2011-03-12 12:00

LONDON - When she was a little girl, Elsa Hardcastle loved to dress up as a princess and read stories about young women who were swept off their feet by a prince charming.

Now, the 10-year-old would rather watch an episode of reality TV show X Factor and meet one of its judges than see Kate Middleton become a real-life princess when she marries Britain's Prince William.

"I'd rather go to the X Factor final because you get to see loads of famous people like Cheryl Cole," she said.

Pop star and X Factor judge Cole is a product of manufactured fame in Britain who began her entertainment career on a reality TV show.

By contrast, William is third-in-line to one of the oldest thrones in Europe who - when he becomes king - will be the constitutional monarch of 16 countries.

His fiance, Kate Middleton, whose parents are self-made millionaires, has a degree from one of Europe's top universities.

A survey by pollsters ComRes last November found that a majority of Britons were "not excited" about the upcoming wedding, with 31 percent saying they "couldn't care less".

Reality TV shows and gossip in the media about the "celebrities" they create has changed many people's regard for the royal family, said Chris Rojek, a professor of sociology at Brunel University.

"The kind of awe that was there when (William's father) Prince Charles married Lady Diana has dissipated somewhat," Rojek said.

The obsession with manufactured celebrities and with fame itself has been a growing trend, he said.

A survey by Britain's Association of Teachers and Lecturers union in 2008 found that most school children aspired to be celebrities.

A small number of teachers said their pupils modeled themselves after Prince Harry, who is well-known for his nightclub exploits.

"I wouldn't want to marry a prince - their life doesn't look like much fun," said 13-year-old Bella Bissett. "I would rather be a pop-star princess - then you get the best of both worlds."

Bissett's friend Jess Wallace, 13, said, "I would rather go to the Oscars because Kate Middleton isn't a proper celebrity, and I'd rather see the celebrities at the Oscars."

Rojek said their views reflected a growing sense that celebrity culture was becoming more widespread than when Charles married Diana in 1981.

Some commentators reject the notion that royalty no longer captures the public's imagination.

"The British royal family has in a sense stepped into the showbiz arena and they do compete for interest with the X Factor," said Christopher Wilson, who has written biographies on the royal family.

"People who are in X Factor disappear after a year or two, whereas the royal family has continuity that goes back hundreds of years."

Claudia Joseph, who has written a biography on Middleton, said global interest in the wedding showed their lasting appeal.

"Both Britain and America are obsessed with reality television stars, who are much more willing to talk about their feelings and take their clothes off," she said.

"In some ways that makes the royal family more mysterious and inaccessible," she said.