The Monarchy and the Media: How the Windsor Family Has Hidden From Society’s Eye
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice
The royal family places itself at the heart of British culture. They are international representatives for the immense historical power held by those of their lineage; they are the most popular figures of aristocratic society that stand today. Thus, the consistent talk of them in the media is not only granted, but immensely enjoyed worldwide by British citizens and internationals alike. The royal family’s interactions with the media have always been up for discussion, and this discourse has consistently been reevaluated, especially over recent years.
To understand present relations with the media, it is essential we consider those of the first monarch to embrace the world of social media: Queen Elizabeth II. At fourteen, she released her first radio broadcast addressing British children amidst the Second World War. Since then, the public has enjoyed her annual Christmas speeches, which grew in informality over time—that is to say, as informal as the royal family gets, replacing ballgowns and podiums with fireplaces and family photos.
While the inside lives of the royal family—their lives as the Windsor family—remained intensely guarded, Queen Elizabeth II never neglected the nation she mothered. From her recurring role in the Paddington movies, to her frequent TV sketches (2012 Olympics being an example), the Queen was not afraid to have fun with her social presence. Of course, her roles were selected and customised to suit royal protocol and ensure she maintained the social presence she had carefully crafted for herself.
The Queen was also the first royal who interacted with the world of social media during her reign. With 12.3 million Instagram followers, and a very telescopic view of her life on display, her own online presence was never neglected. Her personal usage of social media is up for speculation, nevertheless, it can be inferred that some of her reign was dedicated to organising her social media presence.
With all that has occurred between Prince Harry and his separation from the royal family, which the media has popularly nicknamed ‘Megxit,’ the Prince is more active on social media than ever. He has been explicit on his fear of the media, blaming it for his mother’s death. Journalists do not shy away from criticising him and his wife, and the Prince is not afraid to return the punches. From his extremely telling Oprah interview, to the docuseries he and his wife, Meghan Markle, have released on Netflix, he is not afraid to juxtapose the highly protected media protocol employed by the royal family. His media presence is vulnerable, openly critical and honest, while the royal family has always presented themselves to be strong and guarded, sharing very limited amounts of information with the media. A great example being Queen Elizabeth II herself, whose health decline in her last few months was seldom mentioned. She seemed strong, even in her last days.
It is difficult to understand how the royal family’s relationship with the media has evolved, because much of the information we have on them stems from the ongoing feud between Prince Harry and his family. The words ‘reveal,’ ‘expose,’ and ‘come clean’ taint the titles of articles written about information he has released. Previously, the royals had an extremely professional and guarded relationship with the media, nowadays it is almost symbiotic; the drama makes for entertaining content, and Prince Harry serves as the ethos of it.
The royal family’s hierarchical importance has and will place them in the news eternally. However, preserving the controlled image they have presented to the media in the past is becoming more and more difficult as it becomes easier to share information instantly; information that is forever present online. As the relationship of the royal family with the British media continues to develop, one can only imagine the secrets that will be unravelled.