The Millennials Who Would be King and Queen

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When news outlets confirmed that Prince William [2] and Kate Middleton [3] were engaged, I have to admit, it broke my heart just a little bit. My relationship with Prince William is a complicated one. You see, it did not really start to take shape until his mother, Princess Diana [4] passed away in dramatic fashion in 1997. It was on this day that most felt sympathy, compassion and adoration—not for Prince William and his brother Prince Harry—but rather, for two young boys who had just lost their mother.

Enter Kate Middleton, who as of this past October is perhaps better known as Prince William's fiance. With the recent flurry of photos and online articles about Will and Kate’s (we’re on a first name basis now) engagement, it’s a reminder that time has not stood still for the last 13 years. For many, Will has “grown up” in front of our eyes, and now he (and Kate) are forging their own identities—which includes being a Millennial. They are by no means your average Millennials of course, but they are most definitely Millennials in many respects. Looking at them from this perspective has dramatically changed our relationship and the way I look at them, and their futures.

Channeling Sherlock Holmes

Pondering the fate of the future “Millennial royal family” I began to wonder what that label just might mean for them, for their generation and for their country. Knowing that one day they may be King and Queen of England, how might their Millennial characteristics impact their decisions? Similarly, while I’m not holding my breath for the engaged couple to take the Social Citizens Quiz [5], I do wonder how Will and Kate measure up when it comes to being Millennial models of Social Citizenship?

Advice Fit for Royalty

When the Social Citizens report was released in 2008, there were several important and unanswered questions about Millennials [6] and how they operate as Social Citizens. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions per se, and they remain unanswered to this day. Looking at the questions with fresh eyes, I think Will and Kate are in a unique position—as Millennials, as Social Citizens and as royalty—to respond. 

What do you think they might say if posed the following questions taken from the Social Citizens paper [7]? How might the answers impact their choices and decisions?

• Is Access Granted or Taken? [8]A generation of young people accustomed to immediate, open access in most areas has been effectively shut out of public decision making on issues and policies that affect their lives. Can older people and organizations rectify this situation, or do young people simply need to stop waiting to be asked to the dance?

• Are Bubble Cultures Inescapable?  [9]Social networking, technology and cultural shifts are quickly changing the way we communicate and interact with one another. Today’s world is focused on “homogenous networks, and self-organizing magnifies cliques.” The views of young people are therefore likely to be shaped almost entirely by their closest relations and friends. There is very little chance that they will come to fresh, unfettered opinions about issues on their own within these boundaries. With the almost ubiquitous use and prevalence of social networks, how can we prevent living in a “bubble culture?”

• Does Government Really Matter?  [10]We are witnessing “a generational shift in which young citizens tend to express areas of interest and concern, but often see those interests as unconnected, or even negatively related to government.” While Millennials are pragmatic and not prone to extreme ideologies, they are left without an overarching political philosophy to guide their interest in or opinion of government affairs. They have a sense of futility about political involvement, particularly with regard to changing policy—the kinds of strategies tried by their parents with little or no societal impact. How has this impacted how policymaking incorporates the perspective of young people?

• Can Institutions Survive? Should They? [11]In their professional lives, Millennials are wary of institutions, even when they run them. They crave genuine relations, and can instinctively sense when they aren’t there. How will this influence the current and future development of institutions?

Modern Day Millennials

These questions are inherently difficult to answer and illustrate key issues that Millennials will continue to face as their generation ages. While Will and Kate are the subject of today’s post, the issues are relevant to all Millennials who are already embedded in leadership roles and paths and who will one day be the kings and queens, presidents, parents, justices, CEOs and teachers who shape our world.

How will these issues of access, culture, government and institutionalism evolve and will they continue to be challenges for the Millennial generation? How do you think members of other generations might help influence or cultivate social citizenship among Millennials?

 

Photo by Mario Testino/Clarence House Press Office via Getty Images