Romance, Scandal, and the Royals

RITA WATSON / June 6, 2011
BOSTON rom royalty to “a cafeteria Catholic” and from romance to scandal — that has been in the relationship news these days. Consider how the media intensely covered the pomp and circumstance of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and then rapidly moved to the outrageous infidelity reports about Arnold Schwarzenegger and his love child.
Nonetheless, the press tried to maintain the aura of the beautiful princess and her wildly provocative sister, Pippa the Hot, as she was dubbed. This country has been enamored with the royals. The closest we ever came to king and queen was with Jack and Jackie Kennedy and their world of Camelot. But Camelot took a hit when Jack Kennedy mistress rumors surfaced so often that they became ho-hum. Next was news of Jackie Kennedy herself involved with brother-in-law Bobby Kennedy, Ethel’s husband and father of 11 children. Now Maria Kennedy Shriver finds herself swirled in controversy — the press said that when she found out about the love child, she had her people leak the news to the media. While early reports say she hired high-profile lawyer Laura Wasser, it appears that she is still unsure about divorce.
For those who feel that she will not divorce because of her faith, a look back at some of her earlier interviews confirms that her opinions differ from those of the Catholic Church on divorce, homosexuality and abortion. She has called herself “a cafeteria Catholic” who picks and chooses. The same week that Maria Shriver divorce stories surfaced so too did the new U.S. Census Bureau figures showing that divorce is on the decline.
And the head of the Marriage and Family Project at the University of Virginia, Dr. W. Bradford Wilcox, confirmed that infidelity — which has remained low and steady for over 20 years — has also declined slightly. The study was based on a sampling of 55,497 individuals surveyed in 2009.
It indicated that more than half of currently married couples have been married for at least 15 years; 35 percent more than 25 years; and 6 percent more than 50 years.
The Arnold and Maria divorce may up that statistic by “one,” but with a settlement of easily upwards of $400 million. It is not expected that this couple will follow the trend adopted by Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and one of the world’s most successful investors. He was so entwined with his wife and mistress that the three reportedly sent out holiday cards together.
While it seems that Shriver, who is no longer living in the same mansion with Schwarzenegger, would like a clean break, she appears to be following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Edwards. The late wife of John Edwards also had to contend with a love child. But she made headlines when she said she wanted the world to see John Edwards as a loving dad and not an unfaithful spouse.
Even as Shriver talked divorce, she also talked forgiveness. She made it clear that she wanted their children to forgive their father. One must wonder how surprised Shriver was by the news of her husband’s philandering. She heard the stories back in 2003, when a former bodyguard and Navy SEAL cautioned people about a Schwarzenegger for Governor campaign. Everyone knew, but Shriver defended Schwarzenegger fiercely.
The Kennedys are still tangled up in many minds with a romantic Camelot myth. But let’s keep in mind that that entire story was based on infidelity. The Arthurian legend of “The Once and Future King” is the story of Sir Lancelot and his forbidden affair with Queen Guinevere. In that tradition, the Kennedy family has lived up to the myth.
While Shiver has remained elegantly aloof from personal scandal, many Kennedy watchers are shaking their heads and asking how she could have brought a Republican into the Democratic family fold. Many are willing to forgive womanizing by Kennedy men but not one of the family marrying a Republican!
Rita Watson ( www.ritawatson.com), an associate fellow at Yale’s Ezra Stiles College, is a regular contributor.