Will & Kate's America?

American monarchist Michael W. Davis reflects on American enthusiasm for the recent visit of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge and the British royal family in general. He makes good points, but I think it's important not to overstate our case. While I am one of the many Americans who are enthusiastic about the Windsors (though I probably take it a little further than most), for every one of us there are probably many more Americans who are indifferent or (as comments from Americans on any article about the royal family--including this one--tend to make clear) even hostile. The USA is such a big country that if only a fraction of Americans are excited about royal visits or events, that is enough to sell magazines and to make it seem like "Americans" in general are crazy about the royal family (which is indeed the impression that British people--some of them unfortunately less so--often get, probably skewed by the fact that Americans who spend thousands of dollars to travel to Britain are more likely than the average American to care about the British royal family). But that's not necessarily the case. As much as I and some of my friends might like it, I don't think the USA is about to give up the presidency and recognize William and Catherine as our future King and Queen any time soon.

The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge attending their first basketball game, Brooklyn, December 8, 2014

On a related note, I enjoyed this account by the general manager of New York City's classical radio station describing his experience meeting the Duchess of Cambridge, who told him that she listens to classical music at home with Prince George