Parliament: Why do People Love the British Monarchy so Much?

In America, the British monarchy is fawned and fantasized about pretty much our entire lives.  From a very early age, we are conditioned to think of Queens, Kings, Princes, and Princesses as perfect and someone to strive to be.  Americans, in turn begin to envy the British monarchy or any monarchy.  They want the wealth, attention, and glamour that royals receive because it is publicized in America as the ultimate enviable position.

"The state of being envied is what constitutes glamour.  And publicity is the process of manufacturing glamour." -John Berger

It was on Saturday, May 19 that I for the first time was able to grasp the significance of the British Monarchy: it is more than just Cinderella and her glass slippers.  The tour of the grand Houses of Parliament opened my eyes to a whole new perspective of the monarchy.  No longer were they rich people who are just the face of their country, but they became real, powerful figureheads.  Walking along the richly decorated corridors, the history of the castle and its people became unavoidable.

   

The atmosphere at the Houses of Parliament was calm and full of intrigue.  Tourists wandering around in groups or by themselves with headsets on.  Either way, no one could take their eyes off the walls and furniture that decorated the palace.  Whispers passed between friends, almost as if to not wake the statues and paintings on the walls.   

Black wall carvings

In the Prince's Chamber, there were these almost unnoticeable black carvings on the wall.  They were unnoticeable because the walls were dark and the whole room was dim.  However, one in particular caught my eye: "Mary Queen of Scots Escape".  I used to watch the show "Reign" which is about Queen Mary's life and that is when film and reality combined for me.  Things that had once not seemed so real, happened where I was standing.

From "Reign"- Mary Queen of Scots 

Interested to learn more about this part of her life, I researched what her escape was.  It was post death of her husband, King Francis II of France, when she moved back to Scotland during a time of great internal conflict in 1559.  Accused of murder, forced into a second marriage and seen as an adulterer Queen Mary was captured and held prisoner at Lochleven Castle.  After a year she was able to escape, minus one failed attempt, by just walking out of the castle in broad daylight with the help of lords.  She seeked the help of her estranged cousin Queen Elizabeth I, whom she lived with for years until they found out she was plotting to kill her cousin.  She was executed in 1587 ("Mary Queen of Scots'")*.






Crazy, right?? Why would someone plot to kill their own cousin?  The answer could be envy.  Envy to be as rich and powerful as her cousin led to her wanting to physically remove her cousin at whatever cost so she could take her cousin's place.  It drives the spectator to want what they do not have and to become better, more desirable, and wealthier. 





* "Mary, Queen of Scots' Great Escape."  The History Press, https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/mary-queen-of-scots-great-escape/.