The Fug Girls predicted the royal wedding before Meghan and Harry were a thing
An American girl meets a British boy who happens to be a prince. They fall in love, get married in a global televised event and are swept away to happily ever after via horse-drawn carriage.
It may sound like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s real-life love story. But in 2015 it was the plot of “The Royal We,” originally inspired by the romance of that other royally captivating couple — Will and Kate.
Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan are the Los Angeles-based co-authors of the prescient book and the celebrity gossip/fashion/royal newsiness blog Go Fug Yourself (rhymes with hug), dedicated to witty repartee, not-so-subtle fashion advice and pop culture anthropology.
We caught up with the dishing duo to get their thoughts on what they’re doing for the big day and why we are all so obsessed with palace life.
What inspired the book?
Morgan: We were reflecting on the fact that [Kate Middleton] makes things look really easy … her life has to be much more difficult than it appears on the surface. And we said, ‘You know, someone should write that book … we should write that book!’
Why the resurgence in royal fascination?
Cocks: There was a bit of a fallow period in terms of royal family intrigue. ...You had Charles and Diana, then Fergie, and then the divorce and Diana passing away. I don’t know if everybody stepped back a little bit and let the family breathe after she passed, but if felt like there wasn’t much of a hunger for any gossip other than the occasional People cover about Prince William growing up hot, which dovetailed nicely with my own interests.
Kate Middleton changed the game … she was a lot of people’s entree back into “royal watching” because they are the new generation of celebrity royals.
Where will you be for Meghan and Harry’s fairy-tale wedding?
Cocks: We are going over for the wedding … we’re covering the wedding from Windsor, the town, not St. George’s Chapel, for Cosmo.
Because the chapel is behind gates, the people in town won’t be able to see anything so they are putting up big TV screens. … I don’t know that we will be right by the castle gates, it might be more fun to be on the carriage route.
Guesses on guest attire?
Morgan: I don’t think there’s any way that someone who has been invited to this wedding isn’t going to bring it ... and there’s always a kind of low-level relative who goes a little bonkers, and we’re looking forward to that.
Who are you betting on as the designer of choice for The Dress?
Morgan: I think she might go with Stella McCartney because she’s worn Stella several times including recently in the presence of the Queen … but I think the fact that Stella has an American mother and a very famous British father kind of fits this narrative.
Any guesses for what it’s going to look like?
Cocks: I think what she won’t do is a giant, poufy dress, and I think she will try to stay away from comparisons to Kate. … The chapel is gorgeous and romantic and fantastic, but it’s smaller than Westminster Abbey so it feels like the intimate version of a royal wedding … it feels quieter. [The dress] is not going to be a big, up-in-your-face situation.
Although they wouldn’t dish on their plot for an upcoming sequel, we asked the Fug Girls to predict the royal future: How will the story end?
Cocks: I’m a romantic at heart and I think one of the reasons people are so fond of William and Harry is because we saw how everything fell apart for them … it’s heartwarming to see Harry get what we all hope will be his happy ending. I want it to work out for them. Gossip is great, but love is better.
Bonnie McCarthy contributes to the Los Angeles Times as a home and lifestyle design writer. She enjoys scouting for directional trends and reporting on what’s new and next. Follow her on Twitter @ThsAmericanHome
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