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Britain Notes Big Change in Royal Wedding Souvenirs
What can a cookie tin, a Rubik's Cube, and a novel tell us about Britain's royal family?
Robert Opie has been a collector since before he can remember. Today, his collection makes up a museum in London.
It's crammed1 full of souvenirs from the past few hundred years and among them a whole souvenir history of Britain's royal family.
Steeped in tradition
The objects tell a story of a monarchy2 steeped in tradition and decorum - a theme that Opie says is reflected in the very nature of the souvenirs themselves.
"I think the story of the wedding souvenirs and indeed royal souvenirs in general is that they maintain very much a traditional structure," Opie explained. "We've got mugs and plates and jugs3. We've got tins, which often contain chocolate or biscuits. We've got the flags, we've got all kinds of royal souvenirs which kind of capture the moment. So there is very much a continuity of style that maintains throughout the story."
But he says that story is changing. At his Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising4 in London, Opie has documented a rapid liberalization of British culture since the 1960s.
He says that's resulted in a new style of royal souvenir that breaks with the traditional repertoire5 of the past.
Charles & Diana
The first major royal event that really showed this shift, he says, was the wedding of Prince Charles to Diana.
"Certainly for 1981 with Charles and Di the latest thing was a tea towel," explained Opie, "and there are quite a few different examples and the other for that particular moment was the annoying Rubik's Cube, which only children seemed to be able to do and that was the latest innovations, so of course they did a royal one for that."
That wedding also marked a shift in the real lives of the royal family, says publicist Richard Fitzwilliams, an expert on the royal family.
He says Diana, through both her life and death, brought the royal family closer to the British public and especially to young people.
William & Kate
Fitzwilliams says Prince William and Kate Middleton are the perfect couple to bring that mantle7 forward.
"I would say William and Catherine are the perfect team to take the monarchy into the new century because there is no doubt they are so responsive to public feeling," the publicist said. "They are tremendously popular. And you can see in the walkabouts and the official duties they've performed so far how at ease they are with people."
Fitzwilliams says the relationship between William and Kate shows just how much the monarchy has changed in recent decades.
Diana was only 20 years old when she married into the royal family. Up until her wedding day she referred to Prince Charles as ‘sir' and even her sexual history was a topic of public concern.
Changing times
This year's bride is another story altogether. Kate is 29 years old. She has a university degree. And she and William have lived together on and off for the past 10 years.
Fitzwilliams says the different brides reflect a changing Britain.
"The relationship between William and Catherine is a very modern relationship," he noted8. "What is particularly significant is that this is the first time that the heir to the throne of Britain can actually choose his bride regardless of class."
Collector Robert Opie says the popularization of the royal family can be seen in this year's royal wedding souvenirs.
A romantic fiction graphic9 novel is on display at his museum. Royal wedding beers, condoms, and sick bags have also been specially6 made for the event.
"At the moment I'm seeing more souvenirs that have a little bit of an edge in terms of a feeling of alternative monarchy," Opie said. "So it's a little bit more edgy10 in the way that it's portrayed11."
When contraception replaces cookie tins as a royal souvenir, it might be a sign that the times really are changing.
1 crammed | |
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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2 monarchy | |
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国 | |
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3 jugs | |
(有柄及小口的)水壶( jug的名词复数 ) | |
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4 advertising | |
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
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5 repertoire | |
n.(准备好演出的)节目,保留剧目;(计算机的)指令表,指令系统, <美>(某个人的)全部技能;清单,指令表 | |
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6 specially | |
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
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7 mantle | |
n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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8 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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9 graphic | |
adj.生动的,形象的,绘画的,文字的,图表的 | |
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10 edgy | |
adj.不安的;易怒的 | |
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11 portrayed | |
v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 );描述;描绘;描画 | |
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