2023-05-05 08:19:00
The British monarchy has its fans in Germany as well. The coronation ceremony of Charles III on Saturday, May 6, will be watched live by many Germans. After all, this is the first such ceremony in the last 70 years: in 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was also broadcast on television. It was then watched by millions in the UK and around the world.
Media scrutiny of the royal family
The German tabloid press could cut its circulation by about half if not for the constant source of news: the royal family, which is so interesting to the public. And the point is not only in scandals and juicy details from the life of British rulers and heirs to the throne, but also in a sincere love for everything English.
“The British monarchy has always been the ‘gold standard’ among monarchies. Since the 19th century, it has been ‘selling well’ all over the world. This, of course, is also connected with the former greatness of the empire. Even Kaiser Wilhelm II looked with envy at Great Britain. In Germany is especially interested in. And it originates far from Princess Diana. The fact that even today Princess Kate, Prince William or Camilla, the Queen Consort of Great Britain, is on every second cover of magazines is not at all typical for other European countries, “- notes the historian Thomas Biskup (Thomas Biskup) from the British University of Hull in an interview with the Catholic News Agency KNA.
Historical fact: the family ties between the royal houses of Great Britain and Germany have been close for centuries. The first German to ascend the English throne was the German elector Georg Ludwig von Hannover. It happened in 1714. At the same time, today “the German origin of the British royal family does not play a big role in its popularity in Germany,” the historian believes. During World War II, things were different. The inhabitants of Hanover and Braunschweig harbored the hope that, due to family ties, they would be able to avoid air strikes.
Since the Cold War, other factors have come to dominate. The British Monarchy became a symbol of anti-communism in West Germany and represented a long history and tradition without interruption. It was a stark contrast to what was happening in Germany itself. Therefore, yes, in some ways the Germans see in the UK the so-called ersatz of what they did not have, explains historian Thomas Biskup.
Monarchs are the perfect heroes
But what caused the interest of the tabloid press. “Camilla can’t sleep anymore. Has Carl been diagnosed with cancer?”, “Kate is in turmoil. Is she going to leave William?” – Stories about the royal family come out under such flashy headlines. The historian explains the phenomenon of popularity as follows: “Monarchies in general are more suitable for yellow press coverage than, for example, just famous people. Stars come and go. But members of the royal family, and just the British, remain in the field of view of the media from birth to the very death. They personify the life cycle of the readers themselves. Baptisms, weddings, crises, divorces – and all this takes place against the backdrop of a fabulous backstage. Some find comfort in this: even the life of the inhabitants of Buckingham Palace is not without such mundane problems, readers think. some stories are fueled and rumors are fueled.” “Experts of the royal family” appear on German TV channels, voicing their hypotheses, insider knowledge, thereby fueling interest in the life of British rulers and their families.
The love of Germans for British pop culture deserves a separate chapter. And the fact that The Beatles practically owe their success to Hamburg keeps popping up in the media. The north of Germany, especially Hamburg, has always been strongly sharpened on the UK – take at least the love of tea in this region. The German elites readily adopted the style of the British. The rebellious youth also found enough examples to follow.
The Second World War did not fundamentally change the attitude of the Germans towards the British. “Even the destruction of German cities by the British Royal Air Force, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, did not leave deep traces of hatred. People knew that Hitler started the war. In addition, unlike the Soviet troops in East Germany, the British were quite soft in its occupation zone, bringing with it democracy and freedom of the press. And there has never been such a blood feud as between the Germans and the French between these two European nations,” the expert argues.
And what about the new king of Great Britain? Thomas Bishop says: “Charles III visited Germany many times, quite regularly – in private, when, together with his father, Prince Philip, he visited relatives in Germany. He knows the country much better than Elizabeth II, and speaks a little German But, of course, he does not have a deep connection with Germany.”
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