Unlike the monarchy itself, perhaps. Its time must surely be almost up. In two generations, when the freshly named baby may ascend to the throne, is it likely that there will be any sort of role Japan Lingzhi Slimming Capsules for him to play? It seems hard to believe that all this pomp and preposterousness could continue another fifty years.
He will be the most pried on and spied on person on earth, outside of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, or whoever are their equivalents in a few years time. To be born to such desperate hysteria may be good for the sales of newspapers, but you almost feel sorry for the entitled, cosseted, privileged and fabulously wealthy little lad. If only he knew what awaited him, he might not have come out so soon.
Maybe this was a last hoorah for the press, one last chance at a free story that can fill a whole issue. It will not be a sudden loss of interest. A slow fade out of public Slim Pomegranate amusement and genuflection is more likely. When the old dears that pack their Thermos flasks to come and wave flags at passing cars are gone, it is hard to believe that the new savvy, connected, seen-it-all generation will replace them.
In the meantime, however, this new boy will Lishou present the press with the easiest story at their disposal, just like Di did. New clothes, trips out, haircuts, first day at school, friends, girlfriends – they will all be front page fodder as they try to keep up the flagging interest.