MAJOR MAINTENANCE. Funeral of Elizabeth II: why is the British royal family so passionate

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It fascinates on both sides of the English Channel. If the British rushed to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, France will not be left out. The general French media, and not just the popular press, reported extensively on the death of the sovereign. How can this enthusiasm be explained? Why does the British royal family fascinate the French more than the Spanish, Belgian or Monegasque monarchies?

Franceinfo interviewed Philippe Chassaigne, a historian specializing in the United Kingdom and the royal family, to unravel this phenomenon.

Franceinfo: Are the French as fascinated by the British Crown as they say, or is the French media doing too much?

Philippe Chassaigne: There is genuine interest from the French public. We see it in the viewership of news channels. And it’s not from the last few days. Obviously the death of a queen who has reigned for seventy years is not an anecdote.

This interest seems to be related to the fact that we have a republic that in many ways has a monarchical aspect. Finally, we project onto our British neighbors this fascination with a different political system that emphasizes issues of pageantry and ceremonial. The President of the Republic said in his message to the British: “For you she was your queen, for us she was THE queen.” The French think of Elizabeth II when we say “queen”. She is a kind of archetype of the sovereign , although there are others in Europe.

Why are the French so interested in the British royal family, much more than in other European monarchies?

Spain’s golden centuries are the 16th and 17th centuries. For Britain it was the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is even closer to us historically.

“Certainly there have been moments of tension, and we are experiencing one right now. [avec le Brexit]. But in great moments, like 1914 or 1939, our two countries found each other.”

Philippe Chassaigne, historian

at franceinfo

Are the French as affected by the death of Queen Elizabeth II as the British?

They may not be affected in the same way. But we saw that the French had rushed to London to pay their last respects to the Queen. For the British there is a bond, an embodiment. For us, the queen was more of an archetypal image. I’m sure that on Monday the funeral will be broadcast live on all channels in France.

But exactly why this momentum?

The other monarchies are less dreamy, they don’t have the same historical depth.

“Elizabeth II reigned for seventy years. That gave her a certain diplomatic depth, she had known 15 prime ministers.

Philippe Chassaigne, historian

at franceinfo

Everything is also a matter of decor. The ceremonial has remained almost unchanged since the reign of Victoria. That may explain the fascination.

However, enthusiasm for the royal family coincides with a certain Anglophobia in France…

Precisely because we clearly understood the difference between the reigning and non-reigning monarch and the government. Relations between France and Boris Johnson were not very good. Current Prime Minister Liz Truss was misguided in saying it was unclear whether France was an enemy or a friend.

But in France we know very well that prime ministers come and go and the sovereign remains.

“The monarch is not involved in day-to-day operations. Whoever bears the brunt of French hostility is therefore the prime minister, not the sovereign.”

Philippe Chassaigne, historian

at franceinfo

Cultural relations between the UK and the European Union have deteriorated since Brexit. The French find it less easy to visit, study or work in the UK. Did the Queen represent one of the last bridges between our two countries?

Elizabeth II never expressed her position on joining or leaving the European Union. She was above everything, she continued to go on business trips. So you might think it straddles the geographic and diplomatic frontier between the UK and the European Union, regardless of political tensions.

In France, all students hear about the British monarchy in their English class. This is what many remember about British culture. At school, when we learn a language and some elements of civilization, we will first prefer connecting elements that we can assume everyone knows. If you are interested in a foreign country, the clichés are interesting because they make it possible to crystallize attention, especially at university or among young people. And for England, the royal family is a great way to spark their interest.

“Elizabeth II was probably better known than the Beatles, she says something to everyone.”

Philippe Chassaigne, historian

at franceinfo

Can this fascination also be explained by the history of France, a country that beheaded its king? Are we nostalgic for the monarchy?

There’s no nostalgia, but since the Fifth Republic, it’s been said that the president is a republican monarch. There’s still a whole ceremony. He doesn’t travel in a golden carriage, but there’s the Republican Guard, the President lives in a palace…

“Even in the republic, the French are accustomed to a presidential ceremonial not alien to a monarchical ceremonial.”

Philippe Chassaigne, historian

at franceinfo

The implementation can therefore be carried out more easily. But France remains a republic and the French cling to it. This political culture has been rooted in our country since 1958.

Stéphane Bern confirmed in the Revue des deux mondes : “If the British royal family is so popular in France, it is precisely because they embody this symbolic power that can bring a whole people together and from which we feel orphaned.” Do we envy Britain the way the monarchy unites people?

In France, the presidential figure is not the type to create a consensus set in stone. That is the difference between a monarch and a president. In Britain, on the other hand, the overwhelming majority is in favor of maintaining the monarchy. So yeah, I think it’s a unifying element. Republican movement, opposed to monarchy, is also slight across the Channel. At most, more than 20 percent of Britons have never identified themselves as Republicans.

Has the royal family recently been renewed? Has it adapted to modern times?

When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, it was the paperweight era. At her coronation in 1953, she agreed because her husband insisted that the ceremony be televised. Then, in 1969, it transitioned to documentaries. Then to multimedia with the launch of the Royal Family’s website. The monarchy is also on Twitter. Additionally, the Queen’s death was first announced on Twitter before being announced more formally with the poster placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace.

In the royal family there are quarrels, deceptions, reconciliations, scandals … but in a luxurious setting. Is it this mix of the ordinary and the extraordinary that excites us?

The Royal Soap Opera is a sort of British-style Dallas. There was the unpacking of dirty laundry between Prince Charles and Diana, and then Princess Anne getting divorced and marrying her lover… In the next generation there are the real or perceived estrangements between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, or between the two brothers William and Harry. The royal soap opera has sold tens of thousands of copies in France and Great Britain. It boosted sales of Paris Match, Point of View, etc. It’s holy bread for the tabloids.