Royalty, celebrity and Republic: Is a Princess the same as a popstar?
They’re everywhere! TV news specials, radio interviews, broadsheet columns and sixteen-page tabloid exclusives. Between Charles, Camilla, Mary and Frederik, the Australian media and public have been going royal crazy. Implicit in this media-frenzy is one un-deniable fact — not only are these people heads of state and church, but they’re celebrities. So, in today’s world, how much does their role really extend past that of celebrity and spectacle? How closely are these recognisable regals connected to our own aspirations for a republic? And is it bad to worship the royals? 2SER’s Ed Giles spoke to Professor Angela Woolacott, Head of Macquarie Univeristy’s department of Modern History, and asked her why our monarchs are worshipped like movie stars.