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"And They All Lived Happily Ever After: An Analysis of the British Media's Depictions of Royal Rituals"
Yarmchuk, Rebekah
Yarmchuk, Rebekah
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Date
2016
Additional date(s)
2016-05-19
Abstract
The British media's perception of royal rituals (coronations, weddings, christenings, and funerals) can perpetuate and sustain the British monarchy as a source of national identity. The Daily Mail (conservative) and The Guardian (center-left) both reflect how rituals showcase the British monarchy's adaptive ability to appear both stable and traditional while also modernizing. From 1936 to present, reporters highlighted a sense of national identity by presenting the nation as united in support of the royal ritual taking place, regardless of how the British people actually felt. Newspapers portrayed coronations as part of a long British tradition that makes Britain truly unique, taking care to emphasize the best traits of the new sovereign to foster a sense of hopeful solidarity for Britain. For royal weddings, the newspapers developed stereotypes for each royal bride that played into British values of the time. This allowed the British people to love the bride and rejoice as a nation in the royal wedding. Thanks to centuries' long anxiety about succession, reporters took great interest in the births and christenings of heirs to the throne, and, in more recent years, the papers have become increasingly interested in the mother's pregnancy. For royal funerals, reporters created a sense of national grief by eulogizing the deceased and magnifying the positive aspects of their lives as well as their deep love for Britain. The British press has the power to affirm the British monarchy's status as a part of national identity through their representations of royal rituals.
Contents
Subject
British monarchy
twentieth century
royal rituals
Princess Diana
Queen Elizabeth II
Edward VIII
Prince William
coronations
weddings
christenings
funerals
newspapers
twentieth century
royal rituals
Princess Diana
Queen Elizabeth II
Edward VIII
Prince William
coronations
weddings
christenings
funerals
newspapers
Subject(s)
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Genre
Description
Format
Department
History