Americans left the British crown behind centuries ago. Why are they still so fascinated by royalty?

The pomp, the glamour, the conflicts, the characters: When it comes to Britain's royal family, Americans can't seem to get enough. Through weddings, divorces, births, deaths, they've been invested in it all. That was evident this week following the announcement of King Charles III's treatment for cancer.

While, yes, the United States got its start in 1776 by rejecting British royalty as a form of governance — and fighting a war to get away from it — Americans have never quite been able to quit their love of the spectacle of it all. And in celebrity-obsessed modern America, it's one of the best shows around.

But why?