The monarchy is something that can still cause heated discussions but there’s no getting away from the fact that, for the rest of the world, the royals hold a large fascination.
In many ways the royal family are one of the most well known images of Britain with the pomp and ceremony of the major events surrounding the Queen and her family presenting opportunities for the UK brand to be beamed around the world.
Modern monarchy
The Queen is one of the defining characteristics of the UK, and consequently she is probably one of the most famous women in the world. This is in no small part due to the fact that hers has been the first reign of any British monarch that has been fully undertaken in the glare of the world’s media.
From her coronation 60 years ago to various weddings and funerals, the timeline of Queen Elizabeth II has been filmed and broadcast on television like no other monarch before.
Massive audiences
As the years have gone by, the potential TV audiences have increased by leaps and bounds and so, has the chance to show the world how British traditions continue. The famous venues such as Westminster Abbey are deeply tied in with the history of the royal family and have set the scene for some of the biggest events to be televised.
In 1981, more than 750 million people around the world watched the wedding of Prince Charles to his bride Diana. The event was a defining moment in the televised history of the royal family and led to Diana holding a very special place in the hearts of many people.
21st century royals
More recently, Charles and Diana’s son Prince William married Kate Middleton in an event that drew many parallels with his parent’s wedding. This time around, 24.5 million people in Britain watched on terrestrial television as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travelled down the Mall after leaving the ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
It wasn’t just Brits who tuned in either. Nearly 23 million people watched the ceremony in the USA and worldwide figures were estimated at 300 million. This is an extrapolation from data collected from 11 major countries that account for almost half the world’s population; namely China, India, the USA, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Canada and Australia.
Although these figures may seem low in comparison with the 1981 event, the effect of the internet must be taken into account as many more will have watched all or part of the coverage via online streaming across a range of devices.
Technology
Whether it was on a state of the art led tv, a tablet computer or a smartphone, the fact that so many people tuned in to events such as a royal wedding prove that there is still interest in British royals and that this interest helps to sell a positive image of the UK.
