The Other Royal Male
October 15 2015Unless you have avoided all contact with the world last month, you will know that William and Kate became parents to baby George. And why would you know about this? Well, because, from the early hours of the 22ndJuly there was mass hysteria. Not masses of the public, but masses of the media.
From the second that Kate went into hospital, the media went crazy. For some reason they thought that it would be appropriate to provide rolling coverage from outside the hospital, from Bucklebury, Buckingham Palace and, even, Anglesey. The links that the media were finding to fill their breaking news’ were tenuous. At one point there was an interview with a woman who was in labour on the same day. The BBC asked her how she felt about that, and she responded by saying that she hoped Kate would be happy to give birth on the same day as her. It was clear to see that the BBC had misjudged the event.
The BBC was probably the biggest culprit for the endless loop of non-news. A line that was spoken by a BBC reporter and that has been repeated many times since the day is “here’s the news, there is no news”. Endless hours of nothing. But, at the same time many events were taking place in the world that were worthy of coverage from the BBC. Even though the reporter was reading out tweets and emails from viewers who were showing their anger and frustration at the endless coverage, the corporation ploughed on, determined to capture the second that the document confirming a birth would leave the hospital for Buckingham Palace. And, in the end, the announcement was made prior to that through a press release. Hours and hours of standing reporting nothing, to then not get the opportunity to be the one to break the news of the arrival to the world. And, of course, we then had endless hours of reporting until the name was announced. I have to say that one of my favourite headlines in recent years was the Private Eye’s “Woman Gives Birth”.
Now, I just want to point out that I’m no fan of the monarchy. I’ve made my views on that known through Facebook, Twitter and general conversation. But, what I find amusing is that some people think that that means I resent a new baby being born. I think it’s difficult for anyone to say that they’re not happy that a new life has started. But, what a lot of people are frustrated with is the establishment that this baby has been born into. I feel desperately sorry for this child. Whilst he will want for nothing, he’s going to have very little choice over his own future. His future has been determined for him.
So, for those people who think that all anti monarchists despise the people who hold the titles, that’s not true. I don’t despise the people, I feel sorry for some of them, I’m angry at most of them, but I don’t despise them.
