Why should we care that Prince William and Kate Middleton are having a baby?

Buckingham palace announced Monday that Prince William and wife Kate Middleton are expecting their first child. The announcement sparked much media fanfare, and #royalbaby was trending almost immediately on twitter, but some people still can’t understand what all the fuss is about.

“I don’t get this. I don’t understand the appeal. It’s like a scented candle to me. I just can’t quite wrap my mind around it,” said KIRO Radio host John Curley on Seattle’s Morning News.

Curley asked Seattle’s Morning News Anchor Ursula Reutin if she could shed some light on what the big deal is.

“We grew up with fairy tales,” says Ursula. “It’s the royal story, princes and princesses.”

News Chick Linda Thomas told Ross and Burbank her interest dates back to the late Princess Diana. Linda says Diana was different from all the other royals, with her fashion sense and the level of celebrity she grew.

“It was one of those things that my mom and I bonded over,” says Linda. “I have the Lady Di ring […] They made a replica of it. My mom got that for me. I still have it. It really is an extension of the Diana legacy, especially with William.”

The special historical significance of this royal baby is also drawing attention from some that might otherwise not be interested.

“I’m hoping against hope that she has a girl,” says Seattle’s Morning News co-host Tom Tangney. “Because it will help upset centuries of English tradition which is that the first born male always gets to ascend to the throne.”

The first child of Prince William and his wife Kate will be born a king or queen in waiting, under changes to succession rules designed to overturn centuries of tradition and give royal daughters the same rights as sons.

For centuries, preference was given to male heirs, so a first-born princess would be leapfrogged in the succession by a younger brother.

Last year, leaders of Britain and the 15 former colonies that have the queen as their head of state informally agreed to establish new rules giving female children equal status with males in the order of succession, something that will require legal changes in each country.

If it is not done by the time the baby is born, uncertainty is bound to remain. A first-born girl could find her younger brother challenging her for the throne on the grounds that the law had not been changed at the time of her birth.

The sex of the baby is just one more reason royal watchers will keep keen eyes on this royal couple, and their highly anticipated new arrival.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.