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King Charles iii shown over the royal color purple. With bunting to celebrate the King's Coronation.

Royalty Within Social and Political Structures: The King's Coronation

Posted on: May 5, 2023

As Millions of people in the UK and worldwide get ready to celebrate King Charles III's Coronation, there seems no better time than now to explore how royal events are used to reinforce the role of royalty within society.

King Charles III's Coronation

On Saturday, 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London, King Charles III will be crowned King alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, in an extravagant ceremony in front of the world. As tradition dictates, brits will engage in street parties, lunches, and brunches that will likely last throughout the Bank Holiday weekend. And millions around the world will also join in the festivities.

Although jubilees and coronations often inspire patriotism and community togetherness, Jennifer Laing and Warwick Frost explain that these events serve a deeper purpose in their book Royal Events - Innovations, Rituals, Meanings.

The book also examines Princess Diana's legacy and the royal's delicate relationship with the media.

The Royal Family and Public Opinion

The prominence of the royal family is ever-shifting, and the relationship between the British public and the royal family has always been delicate. The British media have always governed the public perception of the Royal Family, and upon observing the dynamic, one might wonder 'who controls whom.'

There always seems to be a mixed perception from the public when it comes to the royal family. Some are monarchy mad and demonstrate their love for the royal family by sporting King Charles memorabilia, queuing for hours at Westminster Abbey or Buckingham Palace during royal weddings and events, and expressing their unwavering passion for the monarchy. Others are seemingly indifferent, while some would prefer if we abolished having a monarchy entirely! The Royal Family has been the subject of numerous media scandals.

From the marriage between King Charles and Princess Diana to the unfortunate and devastating loss of Princess Diana to the inquiries into Prince Andrew and, more recently, Prince Harry marrying a non-white, non-royal African American woman. Irrespective of people's differing opinions, the royal family remains constantly in the public's minds. Just as royal events like the upcoming coronation of King Charles III are tools for strategic royal reinforcement within society, media scandals, whether deemed good or bad, also serve a similar purpose.

Race Within the Royal Family

One of the more recent discussions around the royal family has been the introduction of an African American by way of Prince Harry's decision to marry Meghan Markle. Calling such a decision a 'scandal' in 2023 seems preposterous. However, we still live in a very fragmented society.

The royal family demonstrates open-mindedness. Otherwise, why would they allow Prince Harry to marry a black woman? Yet it is also true that the royal family has had to be innovative to maintain their place, especially regarding public opinion. And now that Harry and Mehgan no longer have their titles, accusations to the contrary have been rife.

Nonetheless, a once enslaved race has today integrated into all areas of society, including establishments like the White House and the British monarchy. Moreover, the changing times dictate the acceptability of these shifts.

Colonialism

The Commonwealth is commonly recognized as an association of 54 independent countries voluntarily joining the British Commonwealth. However, it is no coincidence that almost all Commonwealth countries were previously under British rule. One might have argued that Britain was one of, if not the biggest colonizer in the world. Another royal topic worth exploring regarding the intentional reinforcement of royalty within our society is the changes we're seeing in the structure of the Commonwealth.

Over recent years, more and more commonwealth countries have successfully campaigned to regain their independence. Although many previously British-ruled countries have fought for and gained their independence, Queen Elizabeth remains their head of state. Last November, after nearly 400 years under Britain, Barbados officially removed the Queen as their head of state last November, having initially gained independence from the UK in 1966. These shifts support the broader social and cultural climate and reflect the ever-changing times.

While the coming weekend is a beautiful opportunity to be patriotic, celebrate with friends, family, and neighbors within our communities. We can also think more deeply and reflect on royalty's role in our society. Irrespective of personal opinions towards the royal family, they remain eminent. If you want to explore the role of royalty in our society in more depth, check out Royal Events - Innovations, Rituals, Meanings, written by Jennifer Laing and Warwick Frost.