When Princess Diana died in 1997, 3 million people lined the streets of London to pay their final respects, while up to a billion more watched on television around the world.
In the years that followed, however, it became apparent that public interest in the royal family had died with the “People’s Princess”.
In pictures: William and Kate’s royal wedding rebellions
Once beloved by a nation, the royals became widely regarded as an archaic waste of public funds, only making the headlines when one of them fell out of a nightclub at 4am or wildly overspent on their travel budget.
And then came Kate Middleton. Kate met Prince William when they were both students at St Andrew’s University in 2001. They embarked on a long courtship before announcing their engagement last December.
The couple are due to wed in London’s Westminster Abbey on April 29 and everyone aged nine to 99 has gone royal-wedding mad.
Interest in the nuptials has been so high it has prompted Britain’sCompanymagazine to ask whether William and Kate have accomplished the unthinkable: made the royal family cool again.
“Admit it — until recently you’ve probably, like us, found yourself asking, what exactly is the point of the royal family? Why do we need them? And, whisper it, would we even noticed if they weren’t there? At least that’s what we thought until Kate came along,” the magazine reported.
The publication suggests Kate’s status as a fashion icon, the fact that she is a “normal” girl people can relate to, and the young couple’s willingness to shake up royal wedding traditions has made them so popular.
For the first time in decades, dozens of “ordinary” people have received invitations to a royal wedding. Kate has invited several people from her home village of Bucklebury, including her family butcher, shopkeeper, innkeeper and postman. In a second break with tradition, high-profile celebrities have made the guest list, with David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John and Joanna Lumley due to attend the festivities.
Related: Sausage sizzle on royal agenda
The couple have also shunned the traditional royal wedding transport of horse and carriage for a more modern car, and have turned down the Queen’s usual cake maker in favour of the Welsh National Culinary Team, who wrote to proffer their baking services and were stunned to have the offer accepted.
William ignored custom and named Prince Harry as his “best man”, instead of the traditional term “supporter”, while Kate is choosing her own dressmaker, and is rumoured to be considering commissioning edgy label Alexander McQueen.
Your say: Do you think William and Kate have made the royal family cool again? Why do you think people are so interested in them? Have they changed your opinion of the monarchy?
The Weekly will be tweeting live from London on April 29. Follow @AWW_London and @WomensWeeklyMag for the latest news and gossip.
Video: Why Kate Middleton is becoming a fashion icon
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