National Post (National Edition)
‘I just think they’re cool’
Millennials embracing Royal wedding
TORONTO• Laura Moniz was never especially interested in the Royal Family, but she is going all out to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The 32-year-old schoolteacher says she has invited a group of her girlfriends to a slumber party the night before the May 19 nuptials, when they will drink cocktails, make funny hats and then get up early the next morning to watch what they hope will be an over-the-top spectacle at Windsor Castle.
She expects there will be kitschy bingo games and snarky comments, but also some genuine joy for the new couple: “I just think they’re cool,” says Moniz.
Moniz has always been partial to Prince Harry over older brother Prince William, and says she is delighted with the way Markle is shaking up tradition.
“She’s older than Harry, which kind of breaks the narrative a little bit, she’s American, she’s biracial, she’s been divorced before. She’s kind of turning the Royal Family on its head, which I think is awesome.”
Markle and her prince certainly seem to have struck a chord with millennials in a way that Prince William and Kate have not, says marketing expert Lisa Raffaele, VP of client services of the Toronto PR company Punch.
Raffaele says she’s seen a marked interest in millennial chatter around the royal couple, and suspects much of it is driven by Markle’s celebrity as a TV actress from the Toronto-shot Suits and her previously robust Instagram and blog posts, which outlined favourite fashions, foods and social trends.
“We’re noticing an uptick on this particular wedding versus other royal weddings. Mostly because the couple is appearing to be a lot more accessible and relevant,” says Raffaele.
Punch’s account director Annie Hennessey concurs, adding that Prince Harry’s reputation as a renegade royal has made him more relatable precisely because he is rough around the edges.
“People have always found Harry more interesting because he has a little bit of dirt under his nails, and he seems very comfortable in who he is,” says Hennessey.
“He’s made some mistakes in the public eye, (but) he seems very fun and very friendly and very caring.”
And if there’s one thing millennials don’t like, it’s anything that’s too polished, or looks too much like advertising, adds Raffaele.
“I find Kate and Will are a lot more polished in what they do, they’re a lot more cognizant of how they put themselves out there. There’s a lot more preparation involved, (whereas) you’re getting an almost real-time experience with Harry and Meghan.”