An English exception
The royal family in the UK embodies history and glamour combined, a blend of tradition and etiquette punctuated by weddings, births, coronations and scandals... While this passion for the members of the royal family may seem a little quaint to the French, for whom the monarchy dates back to a bygone era, it's a very serious subject on the other side of the Channel, a real hobby for the British, who bring back a collection of Royal Family memorabilia from their school visits to Buckingham Palace. And who, when visiting London, hasn't excitedly watched for the royal flag flying over Buckingham, indicating the nearby presence of a queen, prince or princess? The last few years, however, have been marked by numerous accusations, and the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II continue to call into question traditions that are increasingly resented in modern, multi-cultural England.
The British monarchy is one of the oldest in Europe. Perceived as the symbol of England, the sovereign and his family remain for the English an unshakeable point of reference: governments change, prime ministers follow one another, the queen or king remains. The members of the royal family, guardians of the country's history and heritage, are icons of British culture: Queen Victoria, whose reign led to the transformation of London and its streets, Lady Diana and her tragic accident, and of course Elizabeth II, who for over 70 years was the keystone of the royal family. On the throne from February 6, 1952 to September 8, 2022, her reign was the longest in British history. Princess during the Second World War, she saw 16 Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill to the short-lived Liz Truss. She was also the icon of the Commonwealth, the strong symbolic link between England and its former colonies. If you're interested in the Royal Family, you'll want to visit Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle (where Harry and Meghan were married), Kensington Palace(Kate and William's official residence), Westminster Abbey (the coronation church), St. Paul's Cathedral (where Lady Di and Prince Charles were married), the Tower of London ( where the Crown Jewels are hidden) and Kew Gardens.... so many emblematic places where you can pretend to live like one of them, for the duration of a visit..
An inexhaustible source of inspiration
Whether you're French or British, there's no escaping the Royal Family: whether it's through merchandising, visits to tourist attractions, tabloids full of anecdotes about them, historical films and series, or even the purchase of dresses copied from those of the princesses. The Royal Family boosts tourism in London and the UK, and the country's economy in the process. English expatriates return for every royal event, and tourists from all over the world flock to London, drawn by this singular monarchy and its iconic landmarks. The number of series, documentaries and films on the subject(The King's Speech, a triumph at the 2011 Oscars, La Favorite, the most nominated film at the 2019 Oscars, Stephen Frears' The Queen, Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett...), shows the fascination that this family still inspires, and the economic opportunities that arise from it. Netflix sniffed out the market with its series The Crown, retracing the early years of Elizabeth II's reign. The American streaming giant invested $130 million for the first 10 episodes, proving that a production on the subject is systematically destined for success. Netflix has capitalized on the taste for historical dramas such as Downton Abbey, retracing the history of a British aristocratic family. After six successful seasons, a film will be released in 2019, featuring the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary at the famous Downton mansion, and a volume 2 in 2022!
An exceptional media presence
It's thanks to exemplary communication that its members have become extremely popular. Forerunners of influencers, they know perfectly how to play on the power of identification. On social networks, they project an open image, close to the people, publishing images of their daily lives; sometimes with humor, like the Queen wearing a hat in the colors of Europe during her speech announcing the Brexit. They involve the English in their family's choices: during Meghan Markle's pregnancy, digital terminals in the streets of London allowed people to vote to guess the sex of her first child.
The history of the Royal Family is intimately linked to that of the media. The media sphere, communication and marketing have played a fundamental role in the family's acceptance. Elizabeth II's popularity can be explained by the rise of the media and television. Her coronation ceremony, the first to be broadcast, was watched by over 100 million viewers in 1953. Since then, audience figures for royal ceremonies have only increased: 750 million for the wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles in 1981, 2 billion for that of Kate and William in 2011! An unusual, but official, offer even made the rounds on the web: at 93, Queen Elizabeth II hired a community manager in 2020 to manage the 6.6 million subscribers for the Royal Family's Instagram account and the 10 million for William and Kate and Harry and Meghan's accounts. Above all, these networks showcase the new generation and nurture theEnglish Dream, embodied yesterday by Lady Diana and today by Kate Middleton.
The English Dream and reality
Since the emblematic figure of Lady Diana, the royal family has become most closely associated with women, the outsiders who manage to become part of this dream family. In the 1970s, no one was interested in the British monarchy, which was considered old-fashioned. The marriage of Prince Charles to an ordinary woman who had become a princess, embodied the myth of My Fair Lady, Cinderella or Pretty Woman. Lady Diana gave a human face to the royal family. Her death shocked the world, and over 3 million people attended her funeral. Palace, wealth, beauty, kisses on a balcony... The royal family became the embodiment of the romantic image par excellence, the modern-day fairy tale.
However, this trend is now being reversed, with the new princely generations much less inclined than their predecessors to accept old-fashioned, rigid traditions without blowing their noses. In 2020, the couple Harry and Meghan created a buzz when they decided to leave the royal family, a decision dubbed the Megxit. Their choice was the subject of enormous controversy, and for several weeks they were front-page news. However, far from being finished with the royal family, the couple gave an interview to American presenter Oprah Winfrey in 2021. In a video that has gone viral, they confide in each other about the pressures they faced within the royal family and the racist remarks Meghan had to face. These accusations have been the talk of the town, prompting the royal family to question and justify their actions. The controversial release of Prince Harry's damning memoirs in January 2023 did little to calm relations within the royal family. Le Suppléant has sold more than 4 million copies, including 200,000 in France... We look forward to future screen adaptations!
