Kate Middleton Pregnancy: Get Over the Royal Family Already

Queen Elizabeth is celebrating her 60th year as queen — her diamond jubilee, if you will. The celebration included a service at Westminster Abbey complete with music and fanfare. 

Putting her dedication and service to her country aside, all of this begs an important question — why do we care? 

The royal family represents no aspect of American life. In fact, the premise of the American founding was a stark rejection of a royal family. Still, Americans fawn and swoon over every move. In their eyes, the family can do no wrong. 

This is not the first time we've seen large and explosive coverage of a royal event. 

The Royal Wedding of 2011, celebrating the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton, drew fanfare from around the world. News organizations sent special correspondents to London to cover the event while bright-eyed girls stayed up for all hours of the night glued to the television to catch the ceremony in real time. 

News outlets were talking about the occasion for weeks. The obsession that grasped the country was magical for some, and bizarre for others.  

Currently, the lovely and charming Kate Middleton is pregnant with a future member of the revered family. While she has remained private and stayed above the fray better than her fellow baby-bumped star Kim Kardashian, the event is still irrelevant to the lives of Americans.  

For residence of the United Kingdom, the obsession with the Royals is completely legitimate. The Royal family symbolizes national history and pride, much like apple pie and country music in America. 

While the power wielded by the Royals is more symbolic that realized, they remain an important force in British culture. The celebrity attributed to the family is out of reverence for their country and their shared history. 

America does not have this same shared history. The closest equivalent the United States has to a monarchical royal family are the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, which seemed to be litmus tests for some people on just how "American" you really are. 

The adoration Americans have for the royal family is likely rooted in the obsession with the lives of the rich and famous. Americans grossly (I say that objectively, not judgingly) adore all things shiny. That includes glitz on 4-year-olds dressed in hot pink tutus and tiaras, as well as lavish dresses worn by celebrities attending the Oscars. 

Every girl dreams of being a princess, and just over the pond to the east, young girls are able to grow up and actually marry a prince. The obsession is rooted in whimsy and fantasy. 

But take a step back for a hot second and ask yourself, "Why does it matter?" The royals are just a family. While their lives are admirably dedicated to service and devotion to their country, they are nothing more than people.