Royal fever will look less like a fairytale and more like a celebrity Twitter feed when the new generation of the British monarchy arrive in New Zealand next week, a media specialist says.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their 8-month-old son Prince George will spend 10 days in New Zealand from Monday, with public engagements in towns and cities around the country. When Prince William visited the New Zealand as a 9-month-old with his parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1983 Kiwis lined streets across the country, waving the Union Jack and revelling in their every move while here.
Canterbury University media and communications associate professor Donald Matheson said the new generation of royals were treated more like Hollywood celebrities than fairytale princes and princesses.
"They are trying to appear more accessible and not stuffy," he said. "When Charles and Diana came out in '83 they still had those images of a fairytale couple and I don't think people still believe in the fairytale couple anymore.
"The media treatment will look different. It will be more like celebrities than the future king and queen - that's still there but people are more excited hearing the details of what George is wearing."
