In Ryan Hatrick's London kitchen, Prince William and his wife Kate smile from royal-themed mugs, a magnet of Queen Elizabeth sticks to the oven, and a tea towel marking Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle hangs nearby. Books about the British royal family lie on the table around which the 41-year-old's labrador, named Windsor, plays with his favorite toy, a squeaky crown, Reuters reported.
Hatrick has long been a royal fan. He remembers his mother looking for somewhere to watch Prince Charles marry Diana Spencer while on holiday in a remote seaside cottage in 1981.
"I think in a day when we are just being inundated with depressing news...the royals have given us something to look forward to. Will and Kate's wedding...the births of (their children) George, Charlotte, and Louis, the weddings of Harry and (his cousin Princess) Eugenie, as well as the Jubilee and the Queen's 90th...always something to look forward to," Hatrick said.
From Boston to Karachi, Britain's royal family draws fans around the world, eagerly following special occasions, their outings, and in the cases of Kate and Meghan, their outfits. In an age of social media, new types of fans have created Facebook pages, Instagram accounts and broadcast podcasts to global audiences.
When Harry and Meghan, who are expecting their first child, launched their Instagram handle on April 2, the account broke the record for the fastest time to get one million followers on the platform, hitting the number in five hours and 45 minutes, according to Guinness World Records.
British retiree Margaret Tyler has garnered her own press attention for her royal dedication. Her London home is filled with plates, cups, pictures, dolls and life-size cardboard cut-outs of the queen and other royals. The 75-year-old has met the queen, her mother, Harry and Meghan among others: "I'm so excited about baby Sussex...I can't wait."
