I am completely enraptured by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and her sister Pippa Middleton. I can't help it. My interest in celebrities is not limited to Hollywood - I've been interested in HRH The Duchess of Cambridge since she was Kate Middleton, and well before the engagement. I remember being sad that Prince William and Catherine had broken up, and that was in 2007 - so obviously I've been following this chick for a while.
And now that Pippa is in the limelight, I feel like it's double the fun. While there aren't lots of photos of Catherine floating around, there are daily photos of Pippa - most prominently the photos that are posted of her daily walks to and from work. And Pippa has an amazing sense of style, so I feel like the daily photos are some sort of fashion inspiration.
The thing is though, while Catherine is now a public figure (being married to the future King of a country will do that to ya), Pippa isn't. She is still a private citizen, with a regular 9am to 5pm job, and she doesn't have the 24/7 security detail that her sister and brother-in-law have. In fact, Catherine has had security detail since well before her wedding, and even before her engagement, because the royal family and William wanted to protect her privacy while she was still entitled to it (as a private citizen), and that was the only way they could.
It is believed now that the royal family are beginning to become concerned with Pippa's level of notoriety. Not because they see it as a negative (if anything, public interest in Catherine and, subsequently, her sister, has helped the royal family's image), but because they are becoming concerned for her safety with some "insiders" even voicing concerns of Princess Diana-esq ending.
And here is where my dilemma comes in. I thoroughly enjoy seeing photos of Pippa every day. She has a remarkable sense of style. I am obsessed with her daily outfits and anxiously await their appearance on the internet every day. But I also feel terrible for her. It's been reported that photos surfaced of her crying in a restaurant shortly after her break-up. That is terrible. It's disgusting that someone would try to capitalize on her misery. And I am perpetuating that by posting photos of her... I'm the demographic those paparazzi are catering to. I love seeing the photos of Pippa walking to and from work every day, but sometimes I forget that it comes at a price - and that price is that a regular girl has to face a horde of cameramen every single morning, regardless of whether or not she feels like it.
Catherine signed up for it - she knew what she was getting into. The day Prince William put that ginormous sapphire on her ring finger, she kind of signed away her right to privacy. Not that she isn't entitled to have private moments, but she officially became a public figure. She is a member of the royal family - it is her job to represent the country as a whole, and to do that the country as a whole has a right to an interest in her life. Her engagement was announced at a press conference, her wedding day was a national holiday. The royal family has a press corp (much like the President of the United States does), comprised of reporters and photographers that are with them for every single official appearance - which is essentially every day.
Pippa didn't sign up for it though. And ok ... let's be honest. The majority of the time, Pippa probably loves the attention. She is pretty much the #1 Society girl right now - getting invited to social events, fashion shows, and I'm sure cashing in on all of the promotional freebies that celebrities tend to enjoy. But she hasn't done anything to get this attention - she just happens to be the sister of the woman who dated a prince for 10 years and eventually married him.
So what do I do? Do I continue posting photos of Pippa, and following the details of her life - or do I stop and acknowledge the fact that, at the end of the day, she really is just a normal girl who should be afforded her privacy?
{Note: This post is intentionally photo free.}
