Am I the only one whose social media has been flooded with the royal family drama? For a couple days, 80% of the content I saw on TikTok and Instagram was Meghan this, her majesty that. And don’t get me wrong, Meghan Markle’s situation is awful. The British Royal Family’s treatment of Meghan is eerily similar to Princess Diana’s experience before her death.

But that’s just it. I’ve seen hardly anything discussing this online. 

I’ve seen plenty of “guess which royal family member is the racist” videos—I’d guess more than one. I’ve seen plenty of memes with Oprah’s shocked face or Prince Phillip’s sunken-in bloodshot eyes. 

While some of this content is genuinely hilarious, I don’t see the point. I didn’t choose to tune into the royal reality show.

I’ll admit there is something alluring about the royal lifestyle. We’ve all grown up hearing stories of princes and princesses, and there is something romantic and iconic about the monarchy.

There’s also nothing as entertaining as a scandal, especially in such a secretive family. 

But if we’re not talking about any actually serious issue, why should I care about the British Royal Family? The British monarchy cost £69.4 million in 2020. And for what?

Not only is so much of the royal news “popcorn for the brain,” but it continues to glorify the royal family and their lavish way of living. We’re too busy gawking to stop and ask the question, “why are they here?”

Even the royal family’s website fails to give a legitimate reason for almost £70 million of spending. Their answer is patriotism, tradition, and “providing a source for national identity,” whatever that means. 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but these arguments seem almost completely illogical. The website’s arguments are simply flag-waving and appeals to tradition. These are both logical fallacies. 

If the queen’s only role was serving as a sort of national mascot I don’t think I’d care quite as much. But the expense of the royal family is too great. In many ways the royal family serves to distract from more newsworthy figures in the U.K..

If I want to zone out and watch someone else’s life, I’ll stick with TLC, TikTok and Instagram.