It wasn’t just the monarchists who were celebrating the birth of Kate and William’s new son today.
“I’m sort of ambivalent about the monarchy,” acknowledged Colorado tourist Lynne Johnston, adding her name to a baby book that Victoria’s Fairmont Empress hotel has put out for the public to sign.
So why sign the book? “It’s just a special thing, the birth of a new baby.”
For Ryan Burgoyne, visiting from New Brunswick, it was the appeal of a universally shared experience. “It’s the pop culture around it,” he said. “How many things is the whole world connected to?” Think 9/11, except this time it’s a happy story.
Bruce Hallsor, co-chair of the Victoria branch of the Monarchist League of Canada, echoed those feelings. “I’m a monarchist because I support the institution of the monarchy,” he said, “but monarchists and non-monarchists alike can celebrate the birth of a child.”
Regardless of where we stand on the monarchy, we’re all familiar with the royals, he said. “It’s kind of like our extended family as Canadians. “We feel we know them as we know our own kin. “It’s a human story we can all participate in,” he said. “It personalizes our institutions.”
