For me this started as a mental escape from my problems when I was 10 years old and I eventually got into all kinds of history and other things that are peripheral to it as a result. It wasn't just about gossip or fashion and I consider it to have enriched my general knowledge as a result. Most people don't understand that though and I take a lot of crap from people who think I'm superficial as a result-- if they find out. You will take flak from other people in this country if you are a royal watcher. Most of the time if royals are mentioned there will be several people who automatically pipe up that "we fought a war blah blah blah" (don't know what they mean by we when it was in the 1770s) and "we have elections" and so on, like it has to be said every goddamn time the subject comes up. @StrawberrySeed this is the story I promised.
Other people can have their Lionel Trains or Precious Moments figures but me taking an interest in the royals as an American seems to trigger certain other Americans. Maybe if they had been around when my alcoholic father was beating the crap out of me and intervened, or if they had done something about me being bullied nonstop in school I would have had different interests. As it was, I dreamed of a life where I was so visible and important that no one would ever dare to hit me or push and shove me down a hallway again. The royals were visible. They represented safety to me, and that's what got me started as a child.
But for most American women, it's not that deep. They're just about the money and jewels, and may be into what they think a prince or an aristocrat is. Most of them don't understand they'll be expected to actually do stuff, that a lot of the jewelry isn't actually theirs and they think they and their family will be on easy street. They know about as much about the American Revolution as they do about royals so it really shouldn't surprise anyone that they would be into movies like this. Most of them would be just as happy with a rich businessman or a trust fund baby as they would be with a prince, and the titles and palaces just enhance the fantasy, really. If someone like William had married an average American woman who was truly ignorant of the actual requirements, there is a good chance she would have ended up an even bigger basket case than Diana.