Newswise — As Britain’s Prince William and bride-to-be Kate Middleton prepare for their Friday nuptials, the extravagant wedding plans and surrounding hype seem like relics from a different era, says a British history specialist at the University of Indianapolis. Assistant Professor Chad Martin says a backlash is developing in the U.K., where the royal wedding stands in stark contrast to the government austerity measures that are sweeping that nation, along with the rest of the industrialized world. One indication is that the respected Guardian newspaper is selling cheeky “Unroyal Wedding” merchandise, including “Commoner” T-shirts and a coffee cup that reads “My other mug supports the abolition of the monarchy.” “Britain is going through severe government belt-tightening right now, with health care and social services being cut,” Martin says. “It’s controversial, and there have been several protests, some involving violence and riot police. In the midst of this, there is this lavish and expensive spectacle. Some are questioning the continued value and relevancy of the monarchy.” As for the U.S., with hours of network and cable coverage of the wedding starting at 3 a.m. Friday, Martin questions the continued American fascination with the House of Windsor. “Even after fighting a revolution to free ourselves from the rule of kings, many Americans are excited about the wedding in an uncritical way, as opposed to the more nuanced take of the British,” he says. “Perhaps that’s a comment on our celebrity-fixated culture.”
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