Spilling the Tea on the British Monarchy
I think the British monarchy may have peaked in 2012 when the queen “skydived” into the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London with James Bond (played by Daniel Craig). Sure, the current lineage of the British monarchy has been around since 1066, but you really can’t do better than the Queen of England flying out of a helicopter with arguably the coolest man in the world.
Fast forward to 2021 and there certainly haven’t been any queens skydiving with James Bond. Earlier this year, Oprah Winfrey’s interview with British royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attracted nearly 50 million viewers when it aired this past spring. In the aftermath, millions of viewers took to the internet and to their social circles to discuss the British monarchy’s mistreatment of the royal couple. Many speculated that the monarchy would be overwhelmed by the imminent public relations crisis and compared Markle’s place in the royal family to that of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. As people drank in the drama of the interview, Twitter exploded with photoshopped images of the royal family in a situation room watching the interview, nods to Princess Diana, suggestions that the queen make an appearance on “The Red Table Talk” for a public response, and speculations that this interview would only add to the mountain of material for pop culture portrayals of the monarchy.
The energy surrounding audience responses to this interview starkly contrasted sentiments about the monarchy that had been expressed even just a few years earlier in 2018 when the royal couple was wed before an audience of 1.9 billion television viewers worldwide — a viewership number that made their union the most viewed royal wedding in history. Their wedding appeared to be a sign of the monarchy finally catching up with the times as a divorced, biracial, American actress joined a family that had never really welcomed anyone with an identity different from their own before. People were excited to see the monarchy adopt a more welcoming attitude, but that excitement was scorched by the hot tea that the royal couple spilled on the crown jewels of the royal family in their 2021 interview just three years later.
In recent years, not only has the monarchy faced internal criticism from members of the royal family, but cultural works have also begun to dismantle their once seemingly indestructible image. Shows like “The Crown” and numerous movies, most recently “Spencer”, have contributed to conversations about the imperfections of the monarchy and a general questioning of what the government body’s role should be as Britain moves toward the future.
While no government body is exempt from cultural criticism, the British monarchy seems to be particularly vulnerable to this kind of criticism as they have a centuries-old image at stake. We may not think of it this way often, but this image is one of a brand that has been carefully constructed and must be maintained just as carefully as that of any corporation.
So what does all of this amount to? The monarchy’s public image just isn’t as cool as we thought it was in 2012. As harsh truths about the monarchy have been exposed through both news coverage and pop culture, particularly over the past year, it seems that the image of the British monarchy could use a re-brand.
Branding a government body versus a corporation
When managing the brand of a government body, there will certainly be different goals than there might be for a corporation. For a government body, the brand must conjure up ideas of power and security for its constituents. However, for a corporation, their brand typically revolves around the goal of turning a profit and attracting a loyal consumer base.
Differences aside, both are focused on gaining influence — whether that be over a country or a market — and therefore, they must align their identities with what their audiences need from them. The British monarchy, as a brand that is heavily intertwined with centuries-old wealth, mirrors the management tactics of many luxury brands, as well as the issues they face. With a brand that is so exclusive, many audiences find it difficult to feel a sense of personal connection. Consequently, managers of these brands, and the monarchy, struggle to showcase their brands in a way that both attracts the attention of their target audiences while simultaneously safeguarding the luxurious reputation that they gain through exclusivity.
Recently, the monarchy has not done much to change public perception of their brand. Even as they have received bad press in the aftermath of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview and “The Crown” Netflix series, they have done little to respond or try to alter their image to be better aligned with what the public wants of them. While it is rumored that the monarchy is searching for a “diversity czar” to help them become more inclusive, it seems unlikely that any small action like this will change the public image of the monarchy enough for them to become cool, or even liked, by the public again.
A clashing of identities: Britain and the monarchy
Since the monarchy’s identity is so often conflated with that of Britain, it is important that the two positively reflect one another. As times change, however, the British monarchy’s brand identity is becoming increasingly less aligned with that of the country as a whole. They have become a body that is perceived as unwelcoming, and at times unaccepting of outsiders as well as resistant to change.
In light of cultural criticisms and discussions of the monarchy, many people across the globe are interpreting the entity as stodgy and outdated — an identity that does not necessarily reflect that of the nation as a whole. While some have posited that this might be due to the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, others are hard-pressed to believe that things will change even as the crown is passed down to the next in line. With younger members of the royal family like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle distancing themselves from the royal family, concerns that the monarchy is incapable of changing or rebranding to better reflect the identity of Britain are only growing.
The future of the brand
Looking at the monarchy as a brand, one might come to the conclusion that it is in need of a turnaround. If the monarchy were a corporation, a brand manager would likely be tasked with rebranding to better reach the needs and desires of target audiences. Looking to the future, the monarchy will only lose relevancy if they do not change the way in which their public perceives them. Though it is more difficult for a government body than a corporation, they are certainly capable of shifting their identity and marketing themselves to better connect with the public.
The monarchy is supposed to represent the nation that they serve, so their brand image ought to be one that people feel they can connect with. I think this could be best accomplished through embracing the pop culture and news that criticizes them rather than dissociating from it. They have an opportunity to use attention from shows like “The Crown” to publicly respond and pledge to make improvements going forward. Eventually, if the monarchy is able to accept their missteps, I think they might even have a shot at becoming “cool” again.
Looking to the future, the question will be: can the British monarchy dethrone their outdated brand identity and assume a new, more relevant one to better reflect the nation they serve?
