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Lifestyle

Q&A: Behind a Dating Site That Helps You Snag Your Own Prince William

By Feifei Sun March 10, 2011
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The royal wedding is more than a month away, but interest in Prince William and Kate’s fairytale romance has already reached fever pitch. There’s been truckloads of commemorative items and funny (tacky?) swag, but one niche dating website has seen a royal boost as well.

Last April, husband and wife team Ben and Becca Elman, launched DateBritishGuys.com, an online dating community that aims to pair British men with American women. Inspired by their own romance (Connecticut-born Becca met Ben while studying abroad in London six years ago and the rest, as they say, is history), DateBritishGuys.com now has more than 2,000 members trying to find love—or at least fun times. Ben and Becca recently spoke to NewsFeed about their website and America’s obsession with Will, Kate and the whole royal affair.

(More on TIME.com: See our complete royal wedding coverage)

What inspired you to start DateBritishGuys.com?
Ben: At our wedding, there were about eight couples who got together randomly. So we thought maybe we can replicate this on a bigger scale. Becca’s friends were always asking if I had British friends, cousins or relatives. I think they liked the novelty of a British accent, and it seemed there were a lot of American women who wanted to try dating a British guy.

Why do you think Americans are so fascinated by the royal wedding?
Becca: I think it’s the idea of royalty because we don’t have anything like that over here. The prince and princess—that’s so fairly tale like and magical.

Ben: People want the fairytale. In some stupid way, we’re giving them an idea of that. America glamorizes everything. The ex-pats in this country celebrate St. Patrick’s Day more than they do in Ireland. It’s more of a big deal to do it here. And I think it’s the same with the British and the royal wedding. There’s also a lot of British history that’s come from England to here, so it’s no surprise that it’s such a big thing. Princess Diana’s wedding was also huge here, and Kate is going to become Queen of England. That’s special, and it only comes once every thirty years or so.

Speaking very generally, do you think British and American men date differently?
Ben: British men are a little bit more reserved. A little bit more shy. And they don’t want to put their cards on the table. We’re all stiff upper lip, and we want to make a good impression. We’re all the same underneath—it doesn’t matter what country we’re from—it’s just the initial front. I think American men are more open and willing to say what they think and feel quickly.

Becca: There is something about the politeness, the tease, the air about it. And also there’s the accent, which I think is the biggest thing.

Let’s talk about Kate. What’s behind our obsession with her style and every move?
Becca: I think the British are just as obsessed with her as we are. There was such a love for Diana, from her fashion to her good deeds, and I think people want that again. Kate Middleton is not royalty. She’s common, and so there’s that kind of feeling that she’s like us.

I doubt any of us will snag a prince anytime soon. But what’s your tip for attracting British men?
Ben: Just be there. Men don’t need a lot. (Laughs.) They just need someone to let them know they’re interested. And be yourself!

Becca: I do think being yourself is important because British men are fascinated with American women. English women are also great, but there’s something very forward about American women that’s attractive. We know what we want. We have a self-confidence that’s appealing.

Ben: American women go get what they want. And they’ve been told to do that by the media. There are so many powerful women in the media here, telling women they can do what they want, be who they want to be. You can do anything here. And I think in England, it’s not exactly like that. It’s not that English women are all housekeepers or housewives, but there’s just differences. British men and American women really do want to connect, and if I could just squeeze the Atlantic Ocean, I’d be an absolute millionaire.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of British royal weddings)

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