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영국 언론사들은 23일 케이트 미들턴 비와 윌리엄 왕세손 사이에서 태어난 아들 소식으로 하루종일 바빴다.
영국의 타블로이드 신문사인 “The SUN”은 “u”를 “o”로 바꿔 왕세자의 탄생을 알렸고, 다른 신문사들도 “아들입니다!”라는 문구로 1면을 장식하기도 했다.
또한 왕세자의 탄생을 축하하기 위해 런던 시내의 분수들이 파란 물을 뿜었고 나이아가라 폭포를 포함한 캐나다와 뉴질랜드의 자연광경도 파란색으로 물들었다.
한편 버킹엄 궁전 앞에서는 영국 왕위 계승 서열 3위인 왕자의 탄생을 알리는 공식 문서발표를 기다리는 인파로 북적였다.
최근 왕족의 수명을 따져봤을 때 이번에 탄생한 왕세자는 왕위를 집권 하기까지 60년이 거릴 것으로 예상되지만 그때쯤 영국의 군주제도가 남아있을지는 의문이다.
현재의 군주제도는 사람들의 관심과 사실상 다른 정치형태의 대안이 없기 때문에 큰 문제 없어 지속되어 왔다.
영국 왕족의 헌법에 의하면 국가원수 보다 높은 직책을 부여 받을 수 있는 사람은 없으며 현재 원수인 엘리자베스 2세 여왕은 외교관, 관광객 유치 그리고 패션의 선두주자로 잘 해왔다.
차기 수상으로 보리스 존슨 등 정치가들이 유력한 상황에서 영국인들은 여왕을 국가원수로 생각하고 싶어하는 경향이 있다.
대중적 인기가 떨어지는 찰스 왕세자가 불법 로비 등으로 추락시킨 왕가의 이미지는 윌리엄 왕자는 왕성한 대외 활동으로 상당수 회복되었다.
어쩌면 이것이 언론과 대중의 관심을 대면하는 것 일 수도 있다. 이 역사적인 순간에 신생아를 출산한 여성을 무시할 수 없는 일이다.
하지만 이것은 또한 왕족이 정치가로써의 영향력보다 유명인사라는 인상을 강하게 남긴다.
윌리엄 왕자가 기저귀를 갈았다. 이런 행동들은 자신의 아버지와 다르다는 소문을 증명하는 셈이다.
언론은 하얀 천에 둘러 쌓인 신생아를 빛이 난다고 표현했다. 이것은 어쩔 수 없이 보여지는 신생아 패션의 첫 걸음마다. 다른 언론사들은 케이트가 입고 나온 땡땡이 무늬 드레스는 다이애나 공주가 출산 후 입은 옷과 일치했다고 보도했다.
사람들은 이제 갓 태어난 왕세자의 이름이 무엇으로 정해질지 예상하며 내기하고 있다. 한 도박 사이트에서는 배당률이 조지가 가장 높지만, 모험심 강한 이들로 인해 제프리, 싸이도 각각 500대1, 5000대1의 배당률을 기록하고 있다. (영문기사: 폴 케리 코리아헤럴드 기자, 한글: 김정보 인턴 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
Britain celebrates its youngest celebrity
For British newspapers, a good story about the royal family sells, and they made the most of Monday’s birth of Prince William and Princess Kate’s new son.
The Sun changed its “u” to an “o” to mark the birth, while three others splashed “It’s a boy!” across their front page.
Fountains in London were lit up in blue, along with Niagara Falls and other landmarks in Canada and New Zealand.
Away from the media scrum at the hospital, crowds flocked outside Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of an official declaration, displayed on an easel, of the birth of the new prince, who is third in line to be head of state of 16 countries.
Given the modern length of royal life spans, it may be 60 years before he takes the throne, by which time Britain may no longer have such an anachronistic institution in place.
The monarchy’s continued favor is due to individual popularity and a pragmatic lack of alternatives, so it may yet endure.
The British royal family’s main constitutional role is to ensure no one else is head of state. Along with her day-to-day activities as diplomat, tourist attraction and celebrity wearer of clothes, Queen Elizabeth II is seen as doing this quite well.
Faced with the prospect of a president Blair or Johnson, most Britons seem happy to stick with the nice old lady they currently have as head of state.
The damage Prince Charles’ unpopularity -- and secret lobbying -- have done to this appears to have been undone by William’s general appeal.
This perhaps explains the press and public enthusiasm. The birth is a historic event, and it is hard to be disdainful of a woman and her newborn baby.
But it also confirms again the royals’ status as celebrities, rather than political figures. Attention has turned to more mundane aspects of life with a newborn that could not possibly be of interest otherwise.
Prince William has changed a diaper. “Done that,” he told reporters, as if ticking it off a checklist. He may even do it again, given that he reportedly differs from his father by dressing himself every day.
Media described the newborn as appearing in a white shawl, the first of an inevitable stream of observations on his fashion choices. As if to ram the point home, some newspapers posited that his mother’s polka-dotted dress was a nod to Princess Diana’s postnatal attire.
Many are now betting on what the name of the royal sprog will be. Gambling sites put the odds in favor of George, but the more adventurous are offered 500-1 for Joffrey, or Psy at 5,000-1.
By Paul Kerry
(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)
Britain celebrates its youngest celebrity
For British newspapers, a good story about the royal family sells, and they made the most of Monday’s birth of Prince William and Princess Kate’s new son.
The Sun changed its “u” to an “o” to mark the birth, while three others splashed “It’s a boy!” across their front page.
Fountains in London were lit up in blue, along with Niagara Falls and other landmarks in Canada and New Zealand.
Away from the media scrum at the hospital, crowds flocked outside Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of an official declaration, displayed on an easel, of the birth of the new prince, who is third in line to be head of state of 16 countries.
Given the modern length of royal life spans, it may be 60 years before he takes the throne, by which time Britain may no longer have such an anachronistic institution in place.
The monarchy’s continued favor is due to individual popularity and a pragmatic lack of alternatives, so it may yet endure.
The British royal family’s main constitutional role is to ensure no one else is head of state. Along with her day-to-day activities as diplomat, tourist attraction and celebrity wearer of clothes, Queen Elizabeth II is seen as doing this quite well.
Faced with the prospect of a president Blair or Johnson, most Britons seem happy to stick with the nice old lady they currently have as head of state.
The damage Prince Charles’ unpopularity -- and secret lobbying -- have done to this appears to have been undone by William’s general appeal.
This perhaps explains the press and public enthusiasm. The birth is a historic event, and it is hard to be disdainful of a woman and her newborn baby.
But it also confirms again the royals’ status as celebrities, rather than political figures. Attention has turned to more mundane aspects of life with a newborn that could not possibly be of interest otherwise.
Prince William has changed a diaper. “Done that,” he told reporters, as if ticking it off a checklist. He may even do it again, given that he reportedly differs from his father by dressing himself every day.
Media described the newborn as appearing in a white shawl, the first of an inevitable stream of observations on his fashion choices. As if to ram the point home, some newspapers posited that his mother’s polka-dotted dress was a nod to Princess Diana’s postnatal attire.
Many are now betting on what the name of the royal sprog will be. Gambling sites put the odds in favor of George, but the more adventurous are offered 500-1 for Joffrey, or Psy at 5,000-1.
By Paul Kerry
(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)
