“No way,” he says. But Mr. Lam says he’s disappointed in anti-royal commentary he’s seen leading up to the couple’s visit. He posted a comment on a newspaper Facebook page lamenting what he sees as “rude and uncourteous” attitudes toward the pair.
For her part, Ms. Hung says her interest in the Royal Family began with a teenage crush on William and has morphed into a respect for the life he’s carved out of a seemingly staid, remote institution and his solid-looking relationship with Kate.
“When I was young and thought of the monarchy, I thought of people who were very removed from everyday life,” she says. “They’re a gorgeous couple who seem down to earth, not separated [from us.]”
Ms. Eastwood says the shift from unquestioning loyal subject to dewy-eyed royal watcher started with Princess Diana, when she and Prince Charles visited Canada in 1983. Today, not only does Diana’s son embody some of that Diana glow, but William has also managed to resist his father’s fusty reputation, observers say. While Prince Charles was only three years older than William when he married, he seemed that much older because Diana was only 20.
The footing between William and Kate, both 29, seems more even. “With Diana, she was single-handedly remodelling the face of the monarchy, whereas with William and Kate, it’s a partnership,” Ms. Eastwood says.
And in shedding a number of royal conventions, the couple seem even more accessible. While they remain at the upper echelon of the upper crust, Ms. Eastwood points out that they live in a farmhouse in Wales, not a castle. Kate has been photographed shopping in a local grocery store. They don’t surround themselves with the usual phalanx of helpers and servants.
“These are all things that, when they’re made public, a lot of us feel good about that, especially young people who don’t have those resources at their disposal,” she says.
The Hello! doyenne suggests that the more William and Kate continue to draw younger, non-monarchist admirers willing to show respect, the more those admirers might find themselves gradually nudged over to the monarchist side of the fence.
“The fact that William has made that life for himself, even if it’s for a finite period of time, says so much not only about his character, but about how he wants the monarchy in the 21st century to be perceived,” she adds. “Those of us who already respect and love royalty are hoping that this strengthens the monarchy.”
So, as far away from being the stereotypical doting collectors of royal-themed china Ms. Hung and Mr. Lam seem, “Maybe one day they will be,” Ms. Eastwood jokes.
With a file from Canadian Press
Correction: Angie Hung's name appeared incorrectly in an earlier version of this story.
