I'm told the most watched event in the world is World Cup soccer every four years--1 billion viewers.
The number of viewers of the royal wedding? 2 billion.
Why?
Who are these people? Why does anyone care? Royal? What does that mean? Obviously they don't work 9-5 or have to buy a buss pass every month. In fact, they don't even know what bills are.
So why the fascination? As the build up to the event unfolded in headlines, for many of us it was something on the sidelines of our lives, if even that.
But then I wondered. Was there a part of me that wasn't just a teensy weensy bit intrigued? So I paid more attention to the headlines on Yahoo and read the stories here and there. And then I had an "aha" moment.
Something archetypal was being activated.
This is about the future King and Queen. This is pageantry. It's the horse drawn open carriage rolling over cobble stone streets towards the palace. The knights riding along with their drawn swords. The stunning white dress with the mile long train. Strapping young men in uniforms. It's the girl next door who gets a real Prince.
It is the stuff of fairy tales. And what do fairy tales mean? Happy endings. Who doesn't want a happy ending in his or her life? Everyday worries and the harshness of life are behind you and in front of you a life of serenity and happiness. Never ending paparazzi? A small price you pay to live in Neverland.
There may be deeper roots too. Perhaps our ancestral memory remembers a time when our lives were dependent on the good will of a king. If he quarreled with a neighbor there could be war and life was already hard enough as it is. We had a stake in a stable king. And so a royal wedding symbolizes stability and security, albeit for a short while.
So whether from biological necessity to survive, or because of a whimsical wish to vicariously live in Neverland, the imagery is captivating. For 2 billion people. And one.
