The image of a modern monarchy, past and present
Matthew Glencross |
The recent BBC2 documentary George and Mary: the Royals who Rescued the Monarchy will undoubtedly be the first of many programmes about all things Royal as we have now entered the year of the Queen's 60th Jubilee. With the eyes of the world focused on the UK, thanks also to the Olympics, both the Government and Buckingham Palace will be keen to show the world how much we Brits love our Royals.
The media machine that surrounds the Windsors has now become as much of a British institution as the Royal Family themselves, kicked into overdrive since Princes William and Harry became the new generation's royal poster boys and in Kate Middleton we have our Disney-perfect princess. So when did Britain's Royal Family become celebrities as opposed to distant symbols sitting on lofty thrones?
As a renowned playboy, Edward VII was a regular attendee at society events such as Royal Ascot, which his critics - both contemporary and modern - have used as evidence that he was always in pursuit of pleasure. But my research suggests there was a nobler objective in Edward's sociability. He felt that his presence at society events created for the public a more human image of their King, showing that the isolation of his mother, Queen Victoria, in her later years, was a product of widow's grief, and not a permanent reflection of the monarchy's attitude towards its subjects. His sparkling conversation and wit at public occasions was often quoted in newspapers and his charm was considered an asset to Britain on the global diplomatic scene.
However, for the common man or woman, the impression they would have of the King would still be the face staring down at them from lofty portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, or one of the few official photographs that were sanctioned. To most people, Edward VII was so unrecognisable that during a state visit to Germany his nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had to display pictures of him around town so everyone would know who to cheer. Few of us today would fail to recognise the Queen if she drove past, but it wasn't until the reign of Edward VII's son George V that the monarch's image became a more regular sight in the British media.
One of the interesting features of the BBC2 documentary is the quantity of video and picture footage of George and Mary, which is even more surprising when we consider the personality of the King. George and his father could not have been more different. Where his father was witty, and had a commanding presence, George was stiff, and despite being only one inch shorter than his father, was considered to be smaller with a less dominating presence. He also hated of everything modern, a sentiment shared by his equally reserved wife Queen Mary. However, what George did possess was a strong sense of duty, the belief that it was not just a privilege to be King, but a role one had to play, and as an ex-naval officer he felt one must not fail in one's duty. When the First World War broke out, George wanted to spend as much time with his troops as possible, and found he had a kinship with the common man. During his visits to the frontline, he would spend hours conversing with rank and file soldiers, when his advisors would have preferred him to remain safely in Paris.
On these trips, George was accompanied by a cameraman, resulting in hundreds of images of the King in the trenches talking to soldiers and inspecting shell damage. These photos were snapped up by the wartime propaganda machine and whisked onto the front covers of British and Commonwealth newspapers, displaying to the public that the King saw his role in the war as being with his people. It then became the norm in the post-war period for a camera to accompany the King on every royal walk, especially when he was meeting with ordinary people. Showing the public the King's daily duties helped to justify the British monarchy as a valuable institution, at a time when most of Europe was, often violently, abandoning it.
Although we are treated to images of Queen Elizabeth at her royal duty from time to time, we are arguably more dazzled by images of the young couple William and Kate attending film premieres and charity events. They represent the bright future of monarchy with an increasingly human side. This is also not a new concept. During the 1920s, the future Edward VIII was portrayed as the dashing Prince Charming, who saw the importance of royal involvement in social events and, taking a leaf from his father's book, always made sure a camera was there to capture his human side. He was the world's most desirable bachelor, a mantle taken up by his great-grandsons 80 years later, only now both the Royal propaganda machine and the royal-hungry international media are far more practised at capitalising on the young royals' star quality. In William and Kate's fairytale wedding, they now have the perfect love story, one which will, unlike Edward's, hopefully have a happy ending and usher in a promising new era for the Royal Family in the 21st century.
Please note: Views expressed are those of the author.- Tags:
- Glencross, Matthew
- Monarchy
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