“Royal family fans worried about Prince George” blares the latest clickbait article. Oh no! What’s wrong with Prince George? Is there a problem with the eight-year-old third-in-line to the throne? Must we panic?
Nope. They were worried about him getting too hot in the royal box at Wimbledon, where, admittedly he was wearing a little tie and jacket on one of the hottest days of the year.
Who are these fans? You don’t read in history about the ‘fans of Henry V’ chanting from the terraces at the Battle of Agincourt. How did the Royal Family acquire ‘fans’, and what do they do, other than worry about the Queen and wave Union flags up the Mall?
Prince George will be alright. He has a lifetime ahead of hot sun and stuffy suits - this is probably great training. What’s more, I reckon they’ll have air-conditioning up there, given that the dress code for entry is ‘formal attire’ - Wimbledon would have built in some vents under the seats, I’d wager; all the men are required to wear jackets and ties - it would be expected for the royals to set the best example.
I’m not advocating the use of the word ‘subjects’ though that is undoubtedly what we are. I think ‘supporters’ is better than fans - we hold up the Queen as our head, our example, our banner. And yes, we don’t all do that, I know, but if we’re dividing her subjects into ‘fans’ and ‘non-fans’, then surely ‘supporters’ and ‘detractors’ might be the term to use, rather than equating a whole family to a sports team or reality TV celebs.
I think supporters is what they need, especially given their future. Though perhaps for future Wimbledons, and for Prince George in the royal box, an actual fan might be a good idea too.
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