She's Having His Baby

Fetch the royal dummy!

Hereditary rulers in modern times fascinate me. I can see how lineage could make a difference in olden times. When you couldn't ride across the kingdom in a single day, having a broad network of people who through trust, fear, or purchase could be relied on to enforce your rules would be key. Maintaining the various mergings and divisions of those networks via marriage and birth is the easiest way to make sure that folks stay in line even after you die.

In modern times however...just...how? How are there still kings? I do realize that unlike some (I'm looking at you, Kim Jung Un) the royals in the UK are actually figureheads, more preservers of culture than setters of policy. Still, It's fascinating.

So now a royal baby is on the way. I had actually been hoping for this, because I am curious to what extent the average Londoner cares about the royals. The run-up to this little bundle of joy's birth will be the perfect lens through which to view those feelings. Do they actually care? Or are the royals just their version of the Kardashians with worse teeth and more corgis? Can I pick up a commemorative plate? Will we get the birthday off from work?