this is how I always explain it: everyone around me knows (if they don't I'll happily remind them
that I have a thing for history: medieval stuff, castles, Victorian architecture, great world leaders like Churchill or the various Roosevelts, you name it. So in a way, interest in royalty is nothing more than a natural extension of a sincere interest in history.
At least, that's the way I tend to 'spin' it, but all the same, it's true, too: I've enjoyed many a thread on this very forum dedicated to royals of the past, places they lived, etc. I even dare to venture that thru this forum, I've learned quite a bit, about Russia's royal house for example, definitely a family whose fate was intertwined with historic events.
Of course, in discussing royals, there tends to be a tad of gossip, too. How could there not be? Most of us don't know the subject matters personally.
So next time anyone questions your interest in this forum for example, just tell them you're interested in all things history, including royal houses. No one can argue with that!