Royal wedding fever

By Angelica Rodriguez

The royal wedding was definitely a guilty pleasure for people all over—especially women—and it’s no secret that all eyes were on Kate. Perhaps a small part of us, against our better judgment, daydreamed it was us becoming a princess that day . . .

Does any girl NEED a prince nowadays? Of course not. We’re pursuing higher education, kicking ass in our careers and creating homes, whether it’s with a partner and a child or a home made for one.

So why is it that the romance and fantasy of being a princess is so alluring? Well, it just is. Many of us are saying to Kate, “You go girl!” Sure, we pride ourselves on being independent and working hard but it doesn’t make us bad feminists to dream of escaping it all every now and then or wishing a real princess all the best, albeit a little enviously.’

Maybe our fascination stems from the fact that Kate’s life will never be the same again now that she’s the Duchess of Cambridge and the future Queen of England. Or maybe it’s the fact that Prince William chose to marry a non-royal in the first place. In the months leading up to the big day (the “most anticipated wedding of the century”) she’s become a global “it girl”—gracing the covers of countless magazines, having young women mimic her and being labeled a fashion icon. It’s hard not to fantasize about that.

I, unashamedly, was part of the set-your-alarm-to-wake-up-early-and-watch-the-royal-wedding crowd. My mother was a huge fan of Lady Di and has always followed the royal family. She was fascinated by Princess Diana’s humility and passion for helping others. Her fashion sense was always to be admired as well, of course. So when I learned about the royal engagement back in November, I thought to myself, “That Kate’s got huge shoes to fill,” which has been the attitude of many people towards the new princess.

But as I watched the way she handled herself in front of millions of viewers, the way she interacted with the crowd and saw that she truly loves her Prince, I think her late mother-in-law would be proud of her son’s choice in a wife. The Duchess will now lead her own path and I know that women will continue to watch Kate and hope for her happily-ever-after just as much as they hope for their own, prince or no prince. And that doesn’t mean we can’t be strong women at the same time.