Why do we still care about royal weddings?

On May 19 in the year 2018 of our Lord, His Royal Highness Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales will wed Ms. Meghan Markle at Windsor Chapel.Congratulations, America: Once again, you’re on the guest list.From Elizabeth and Philip to Charles and Diana and now, the princes William and Harry and their brides, we have followed royal marriages as loyal media subjects for more than half a century. It’s a story line that has evolved, as has the institution of marriage, but its central dramatic tensions — will they or won’t they? — remains the same.In 2011, Nielsen reported that 22.77 million Americans tuned into the wedding of Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine (Kate), the duchess of Cambridge. Viewership expectations are just as high for these nuptials.But why, 242 years after we declared our independence as Americans, do we still care about the British royal family?In good times, but especially in bad, the royal families of the world can function as escapist fairy tales for Americans who never completely gave up the romantic notions of hereditary privilege and dynasty, even though we gave up the actual crown. (See: the success of the Walt Disney princess brand.)We don’t have a stake in whether the monarchy in another country continues; it’s a soap opera we observe from a safe distance. In post-World War II life, royal news and royal lifestyle stories are a staple of American media with a cast of characters whose story arcs we follow from introduction to sometimes tragic conclusions. (See: the death of Princess Diana.)Hereditary rule is perhaps the world’s oldest serial. We love following these royal narratives because we can follow the characters from the beginning of their lives, from Charles and Diana’s wedding to the births of William and Harry, and their childhoods.Now, their marriages provide an introduction of new characters into the story. When a mate is chosen from outside the royal class, it makes it even easier to identify with the fairy tale.The wedding of Prince Harry, 33, and Markle, 36, has the added appeal for American audiences of Markle’s American nationality. Her country of birth is only one of several firsts for the House of Windsor: In addition to being the first American to wed a member of the royal family in the line of succession (Harry is currently sixth), Markle is also the first royal bride of African descent, an actress and a divorcée — all things that would have disqualified her in prior years.It’s also worth noting that two of the most-watched royals of the last century, Wallis, the duchess of Windsor (for whom King Edward VIII gave up the throne), and Princess Grace of Monaco, were, like Markle, American-born. Their marriages, and aftermath, were the subject of intense media coverage for the rest of their lives.The fascination with royal intrigue and fashion is as consistent as the monarchy itself. Even from across the pond, retailers are marketing Harry and Meghan’s fashion and lifestyle choices relentlessly. If you believe the ever-multiplying pitches in my inbox, Americans care deeply about the bride’s hair products, what her flowers might be, how to buy a sweater she wore or the real secret to the couple’s happiness.It’s not just current royal culture Americans are eating up, it’s also a new brand of royal nostalgia. The 20th century story of the House of Windsor is getting a second look in as many new television and streaming documentaries as you can shake a scepter at, and Ryan Murphy is bringing a “Charles and Diana” season of his anthology series “Feud” to television soon.Then there’s the Peter Morgan trilogy responsible for so much of this current look back at the Windsors: The critically acclaimed film “The Queen” (2006), the play “The Audience” (2013, both starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Sheen as Prime Minister Tony Blair) and the current Netflix megahit “The Crown,” now working on its third season.Morgan’s portraits of the royal family and the institution of royalty itself — at times critical but ultimately respectful — have done much to inform the current narrative on the Windsors and probably inspired much of the affection, but Morgan has also been helped timing-wise by the monarch’s recent, record-setting jubilees and the popular marriages of the Wales princes.Even with new outsider characters being introduced and nods to the 21st century with royal social media accounts, there’s something antique and probably archaic about the whole saga. But that’s part of their centuries-old branding, The concept of hereditary rule stopped feeling modern somewhere around the American and French revolutions, but the British royal family has kept calm and carried on, and we have followed right along. Their royal brand and narrative have been remarkably consistent, and that’s probably part of the appeal.How Markle may change the storyline remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt Americans will be watching.Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com

On May 19 in the year 2018 of our Lord, His Royal Highness Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales will wed Ms. Meghan Markle at Windsor Chapel.

Congratulations, America: Once again, you’re on the guest list.

From Elizabeth and Philip to Charles and Diana and now, the princes William and Harry and their brides, we have followed royal marriages as loyal media subjects for more than half a century. It’s a story line that has evolved, as has the institution of marriage, but its central dramatic tensions — will they or won’t they? — remains the same.

In 2011, Nielsen reported that 22.77 million Americans tuned into the wedding of Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine (Kate), the duchess of Cambridge. Viewership expectations are just as high for these nuptials.

But why, 242 years after we declared our independence as Americans, do we still care about the British royal family?

In good times, but especially in bad, the royal families of the world can function as escapist fairy tales for Americans who never completely gave up the romantic notions of hereditary privilege and dynasty, even though we gave up the actual crown. (See: the success of the Walt Disney princess brand.)

We don’t have a stake in whether the monarchy in another country continues; it’s a soap opera we observe from a safe distance. In post-World War II life, royal news and royal lifestyle stories are a staple of American media with a cast of characters whose story arcs we follow from introduction to sometimes tragic conclusions. (See: the death of Princess Diana.)

Hereditary rule is perhaps the world’s oldest serial. We love following these royal narratives because we can follow the characters from the beginning of their lives, from Charles and Diana’s wedding to the births of William and Harry, and their childhoods.

Now, their marriages provide an introduction of new characters into the story. When a mate is chosen from outside the royal class, it makes it even easier to identify with the fairy tale.

The wedding of Prince Harry, 33, and Markle, 36, has the added appeal for American audiences of Markle’s American nationality. Her country of birth is only one of several firsts for the House of Windsor: In addition to being the first American to wed a member of the royal family in the line of succession (Harry is currently sixth), Markle is also the first royal bride of African descent, an actress and a divorcée — all things that would have disqualified her in prior years.

It’s also worth noting that two of the most-watched royals of the last century, Wallis, the duchess of Windsor (for whom King Edward VIII gave up the throne), and Princess Grace of Monaco, were, like Markle, American-born. Their marriages, and aftermath, were the subject of intense media coverage for the rest of their lives.

The fascination with royal intrigue and fashion is as consistent as the monarchy itself. Even from across the pond, retailers are marketing Harry and Meghan’s fashion and lifestyle choices relentlessly. If you believe the ever-multiplying pitches in my inbox, Americans care deeply about the bride’s hair products, what her flowers might be, how to buy a sweater she wore or the real secret to the couple’s happiness.

It’s not just current royal culture Americans are eating up, it’s also a new brand of royal nostalgia. The 20th century story of the House of Windsor is getting a second look in as many new television and streaming documentaries as you can shake a scepter at, and Ryan Murphy is bringing a “Charles and Diana” season of his anthology series “Feud” to television soon.

Then there’s the Peter Morgan trilogy responsible for so much of this current look back at the Windsors: The critically acclaimed film “The Queen” (2006), the play “The Audience” (2013, both starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Sheen as Prime Minister Tony Blair) and the current Netflix megahit “The Crown,” now working on its third season.

Morgan’s portraits of the royal family and the institution of royalty itself — at times critical but ultimately respectful — have done much to inform the current narrative on the Windsors and probably inspired much of the affection, but Morgan has also been helped timing-wise by the monarch’s recent, record-setting jubilees and the popular marriages of the Wales princes.

Even with new outsider characters being introduced and nods to the 21st century with royal social media accounts, there’s something antique and probably archaic about the whole saga. But that’s part of their centuries-old branding, The concept of hereditary rule stopped feeling modern somewhere around the American and French revolutions, but the British royal family has kept calm and carried on, and we have followed right along. Their royal brand and narrative have been remarkably consistent, and that’s probably part of the appeal.

How Markle may change the storyline remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt Americans will be watching.

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com

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