Rebecca Stoeker - This Is a Book for People Who Love the Royals

T he English monarchy is really quite exceptional. It traces its roots back more than one thousand years and is one of the oldest surviving monarchies in the world. Queen Elizabeth II, the current sovereign, is the longest-serving ruler in British history, not to mention one of the longest-serving monarchs in all of world history. Her reign began on February 6, 1952, after the sudden death of her father King George VI. She has ruled for over sixty-eight years, surpassing the former record of sixty-three years held by Queen Victoria. Exceptional, indeed!

All of this, however, leads to a question that is often asked: What has allowed the British monarchy to survive this long, especially when so many other European monarchies collapsed during the twentieth century? What allowed the British royals to continue flourishingand the British people to maintain their affection for the ruling family? The answer lies in the ability of British royals to balance beloved traditions with an eye toward adaptability. British royalty is steeped in tradition, some of which dates back hundreds upon hundreds of years. Theres a degree of predictability that provides a feeling of stability in an ever-changing world. And the world has changeddrastically. But through all of those changessome exciting, some mundanethe crown (the monarch and the monarchy itself) must be seen as something set apart. If it becomes too modern and relatable, it loses its power, but if it remains too aloof, it loses its credibility. The monarchys ability to adapt to shifting social norms and technology, while at the same time maintaining a firm hold on tradition, has kept it not only alive, but thriving.

While many members of the current royal family have played a role in keeping its image strong and relevant, no one has been a more pivotal figure in this endeavor than Queen Elizabeth II. Her devotion to duty and serving her people has been nothing short of astounding. On her twenty-first birthday in 1947, the then Princess Elizabeth made an incredible promise to her people, declaring that, my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. Within five short years of this declaration, she would be queen.

The Queen has clung to tradition and royal protocol throughout her life, but has been forced to bend along the waysometimes voluntarily and other times involuntarily. Keeping the monarchy fresh and modern, while also keeping it royal and set apart from quotidian life, has been a balancing act during her entire reign. Her husband Prince Philip and others have advised her to make changes over the decadessome she accepted, others she did not. After all, she alone is the Queen, and in the end, she has the final say. If the past sixty-eight years have proven anything, its that Queen Elizabeth knows a thing or two about when to stand up and when to back down.

Much of her enormous popularityand the survival of the British monarchy in generallies not just in balancing tradition and adaptability, but in remaining staunchly, unfailingly neutral about politics. The Queen and the monarchy as a whole are meant to be above politics. As Prime Minister Winston Churchill said in 1953, It is natural for Parliaments to talk and for the Crown to shine. The monarchy stands as a unifying force for the people, a symbol of continuity and security rather than a beacon of political ideology. And for the monarchy to thriveand, crucially, for it to continue to be seen by the people as a necessary institution worthy of their attentionit must win the hearts of as many of its subjects as possible.

Politics, especially today, can create large chasms of disagreement that lead to anger and frustrationthe monarchys job is to unify, not divide. When royal family members begin pushing political agendas, it can (and has in the past) caused many to question their legitimacy. People, unsurprisingly, do not want to support an institution monetarily that goes against their own political beliefs.

The Queen has been an incredible example of what it means to stay above and out of politics. Certainly in private she has her own political beliefs. But her public tact and neutrality have helped endear her to the British public in a way that other members of the royal family can only dream of. They have also made her more relatableunique as that may seem, when were speaking about a queento a much wider array of people. Thanks to the Queens example, keeping political beliefs private is one of the foundations that the monarchy depends on for its survival.

Today, Britains monarchy continues to thrive in an age of constant transformation and changing expectations. Queen Elizabeth II continues as a prevailing symbol of stability, security, and permanence, in the United Kingdom and around the world. But how did the monarchy get where it is today? Who are the characters who built this institution? What are todays royals doing? And what sort of fabulous perks do they have behind those palace walls? Read on to peek behind the monarchys tastefully appointed velvet curtains!