UPDATE: Read Dr. Martin’s remarks in the Christian Science Monitor, here and here.
As Prince William and bride-to-be Kate Middleton prepare for their Friday nuptials, the extravagant wedding plans and surrounding hype seem like relics from a different era, says UIndy’s resident authority on all things British, Dr. Chad Martin.
An assistant professor of history specializing in modern Europe, Martin says a backlash is brewing in the U.K., where the royal wedding stands in stark contrast to the government austerity measures sweeping that nation, along with much of the industrialized world. One indication is that the respected Guardian newspaper is selling cheeky “Unroyal Wedding” merchandise, including “Commoner” T-shirts and a coffee cup that reads “My other mug supports the abolition of the monarchy.”
“Britain is going through severe government belt-tightening right now, with health care and social services being cut,” says Martin, who earned his Ph.D. at Stanford University. “It’s controversial, and there have been several protests, some involving violence and riot police. In the midst of this, there is this lavish and expensive spectacle. Some are questioning the continued value and relevancy of the monarchy.”
Curiously, the attitude seems different in the U.S., where extensive network and cable coverage of the wedding starts at 3 a.m. Friday. Martin questions the ongoing American fascination with the House of Windsor.
“Even after fighting a revolution to free ourselves from the rule of kings, many Americans are excited about the wedding in an uncritical way, as opposed to the more nuanced take of the British,” he says. “Perhaps that’s a comment on our celebrity-fixated culture.”
UIndy’s Department of History and Political Science offers a range of undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs in history and international relations.
