United States of America Scoping: Why do we care about the royals?

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By CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse in London

They live in palaces, they have chefs, chauffeurs and VIP access to the corridors of power …

On the face of it we have nothing in common with the British royal family and yet we can't seem to get enough of them -- as any media organisation that covers them will tell you. Royal news stories are usually among the most read or watched -- at least in the English-speaking part of the world -- which is why we cannot dismiss their power as influencers.

Which stories do particularly well? To help answer that we used Google Trends and tracked the search term 'royal family' which showed six spikes in interest since 2004. It's not a scientific survey but clear moments of interest stand out in the data which is based on what people searched for on Google.

They are:
April 2011 (Cambridge wedding)
July 2013 (birth of Prince George)
May 2018 (Sussex wedding)
January 2020 (Sussex resignation)
March 2021 (Sussex interview with Oprah)
April 2021 (death of Prince Philip).

In summary, it's births, marriages, deaths and family breakdowns that grab our attention most and that's likely because we can relate to familial milestones and life events. The Windsors are the world's current longest running family in the public eye and we like to check in with them every so often, just as we would with family friends. The only difference is that they don't call us back 😢.

The royal family are more than celebrities, they have an important constitutional role which for some brings them reverence that most public figures don't command, for others they are just a source of endless fascination. They are also born into their roles -- the only other way in, is to marry in. That didn't work for Meghan professionally or personally and when she and Harry opened up to Oprah, the world was captivated. The last time anyone lifted the lid on the world's most famous family like that was in 1995 when Diana, Princess of Wales sat down with Martin Bashir.

The palace has stuck to a policy of "dignified silence," in the face of the Sussexes' major claims of racism within the family as well as Meghan's admission of suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy. We may never know what the rest of the family really thinks. That in itself increases our interest in them.

The next major episode in the Windsor's royal reality show will likely come with the publication of Harry's autobiography … but you never know with families. In the meantime, all members continue to try to make the most of the profile they have to promote issues they care about. That's something everyone gets out of it.

Members of the Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards and the 1st Battalion the Coldstream Guards took part in the ceremony on Monday.

They're back! After a 17-month hiatus, Buckingham Palace hosted the first Changing of the Guard ceremony since the beginning of the pandemic this week. Signaling yet another glimpse of normalcy returning to the British capital, crowds watched the ceremonial changeover between soldiers in those familiar red tunics and bearskin hats. The Coldstream Guards band and the Scots Guard Band also performed a special rendition of "Gold" by Spandau Ballet in tribute to the Paralympians participating in Tokyo. The ceremony is one of London's most popular tourist attractions and has been performed by household troops at royal palaces since 1660.

Buzz builds over Kristen Stewart's new Diana biopic.

Kristen Stewart's transformation into the late Princess of Wales has got everyone talking this week. First, production company Neon released a dramatic poster for the upcoming "Spencer" biopic ahead of its Venice Film Festival premiere next month. But it was the minute-long teaser trailer that set social media alight with talk of award contention for Stewart's performance. The biopic, which is set to hit theaters in November, will explore the princess' decision to split from Prince Charles while on Christmas vacation at Sandringham in 1991. Neon has described the film as an "imagining of what might have happened." The trailer shows holiday preparations at the country estate before Stewart channels an increasingly overwhelmed royal and offers up a fleeting first taste of the American actress's British accent.

Protesters target Buckingham Palace.

Police in London said arrests have been made after climate and animal rights activists defaced the Buckingham Palace fountains outside the Queen's London residence on Thursday. Campaign group Animal Rebellion stained the Victoria Memorial and its waters with red dye while protesting animal hunting. The Metropolitan Police tweeted: "A number of activists have vandalised the Victoria Memorial water feature outside Buckingham Palace. We are on scene and arrests have been made. The suspects are being taken to custody." Harley McDonald-Eckersall, a spokesperson for the activists said in a statement, "We are demanding that the Queen end the use of crown land for industries which are contributing to the climate and ecological emergency and the death of animals."

Diana statue to get special public opening.

Special arrangements have been made to allow well-wishers to visit the new Princess Diana statue at Kensington Palace next week to mark the anniversary of her death. The Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Her sons, William and Harry, unveiled the bronze installation at the royal residence's Sunken Garden on what would have been her 60th birthday in July. Kensington Palace has been operating reduced opening hours amid the pandemic, but Historic Royal Palaces told CNN it was "mindful of public interest" and has organized special access to the Cradle Walk surrounding the garden from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

To mark the 24th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, we thought we'd delve into the CNN archive to explore her enduring legacy. Today she is remembered as a hands-on mother, a fashion trailblazer and a champion of numerous philanthropic endeavors. Many recall those images of the fearless royal walking through a live landmine field in Angola. Diana often repurposed the overwhelming media attention she received onto important issues of the day.

One such moment was back in April 1987 when Diana used her platform to challenge misinformation around HIV/AIDS with a single gesture. While opening the UK's first purpose-built HIV/AIDS units at London Middlesex Hospital, she was photographed confidently shaking the hand of an AIDS patient. Watch the video to learn more about how Diana debunked myths around the illness.

"We have been in the 'last chance saloon' for too long already, so if we do not confront the monumental challenge head on -- and fast -- we and the world as we know it will be done for."

– Prince Charles's stark plea for action on the climate crisis

The Prince of Wales wrote of the impact of climate change on extreme weather events in a piece for The Daily Mail newspaper this week. He highlighted the recent wildfires that have raged in the Mediterranean as well as the devastation in Haiti by Tropical Storm Grace as examples of environmental catastrophes that will become increasingly frequent if the global community does not work to protect the planet. Read his full article here.