Royal Events

Rituals, Innovations, Meanings

Jennifer Laing, Warwick Frost

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317312000
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Industry
• Index: Business

Royal events such as coronations and jubilees encompass a wide spectrum of planned events involving monarchs and their families that are strategically designed to reinforce the role of royalty within social and political structures. Royal events may have a long heritage, but often involve traditions that are invented, revived or undergoing major innovations in response to changing times or to meet different purposes. The change from absolutism towards constitutional monarchies has seen a shift towards using royal events to promote national identity, community and inclusiveness. While the function and meaning of royal ritual and ceremony is a product of its particular political, economic and cultural context, conversely, royal events are often an influence on the broader milieu.

This book is the first to explore royal events within the context of Events Studies, and takes an historical approach, examining the development of royal events through different periods. It starts with four broad pre-modern eras, namely Classical, Byzantine, the Dark Ages and the Medieval Period, then moves through to the early modern dynasties such as the Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Bourbons and on to contemporary times, incorporating the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the current reign of Elizabeth II, including the legacy of Diana and an analysis of current issues affecting royal events. Themes emphasised throughout include the institutional dynamism of royalty, the invention of tradition, the ritual structure of events, the impact of the media and the influence of individual tastemakers.

This multidisciplinary work will appeal to postgraduate students and academics from a wide variety of disciplines, including cultural studies, history, tourism, events and sociology.

1 Introducing royal events

Kings may no longer rule by divine right; but the divine rites of kings continue to beguile and enchant – and to require explanation and analysis

(Cannadine 1987: 7)

Prologue: inventing the royal walkabout

In 1970, Queen Elizabeth II conducted a royal tour of New Zealand and Australia, during which the concept of a royal walkabout was invented. Whereas in the past royalty typically engaged in processions and performances which the public watched from a distance, the walkabout consisted of a less formal walk – usually along a street – meeting and chatting with ordinary people. This adoption of a new way of royal visitors interacting with the public was a quite deliberate strategy of those planning and staging this event. In a period of less than four months, walkabouts were staged in New Zealand, Australia and England. As the innovation proved highly popular, it became a standard part of the repertory of many royal visits and events, and quickly became regarded as a venerable tradition.

The first instance of the walkabout occurred at the New Zealand capital of Wellington. Outside the Town Hall, the queen walked along and spoke with those waiting to see her for roughly half an hour (McIntyre 1991). The UK newspaper Daily Mail ran the story under the headline ‘Queen Goes Walkabout’ (McIntyre 1991: 250). William Heseltine – the royal press secretary at the time – later argued that the Daily Mail reporter Vincent Mulchrone ‘completely misunderstood the significance of the word’ (Hardman 2011). Coined by the media rather than the event organisers, the term caught on and endured (McIntyre 1991).

Moving on to Australia, the royal walkabout was successfully duplicated in a number of cities. Another innovation was that the royal party ventured to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to be welcomed by approximately 100,000 schoolchildren. Queen Elizabeth had previously visited the stadium in 1954 to watch a display by children and in 1970 also watched the opening match of the AFL football season. In this instance, however, there was a reversal of the normal pattern. Instead of being spectators to a sporting contest or display, in this case, the royal party were the performers, being driven back and forth across the arena and being viewed by the thousands in the stands (including one of the authors, Warwick Frost). As with the walkabouts, this was devised as an event that allowed ordinary people to participate in the royal tour in a much less formal way.

Publicity in the United Kingdom regarding the walkabouts on the royal tour led to the realisation that they should be trialled there. The test run was in Coventry, utilising the opportunity of the official opening of the Walsgrave Hospital. The main walkabout took place in the Cathedral Precinct of the city centre, a site profoundly connected with the World War Two bombing raids. Large crowds attended. It was deemed a success as the queen took 25 minutes longer than scheduled for this event (Capewell 2002; Harrison 1996).

The innovations of the 1970 royal tour need to be understood against a background of the rapid political, social and economic changes that characterised the late 1960s. Queen Elizabeth II had not visited Australia or New Zealand since 1954, and the world had changed dramatically since then. Relationships with the Commonwealth countries were under strain due to the British decision to join the European Union. Long-established trading patterns were under threat, and, accordingly, the two countries were looking more and more to greater ties with the USA and Asia. Both countries sent soldiers to the Vietnam War as American allies, and this was a major part of developing protest movements. Indeed, in Australia the first Moratorium (or anti-war) rally was initially planned to occur at the same time as the royal tour. Pushed back a month specifically to avoid the clash of events, the Vietnam protest attracted 100,000 people to the Melbourne march. Changes in fashion, attitudes and music highlighted a new era and raised issues of the relevance of the monarchy. In addition, as their Press Secretary William Heseltine later reflected in an interview ‘that as the Queen and Prince Philip were getting older they were becoming less interesting to the media’ (quoted in Bramston 2015). The royal tour can be seen as a response to these changes and the introduction of new, less formal, components as attempts by organisers to broaden its appeal and reach.

The walkabout arguably contributed to Princess Diana’s popularity and iconic status, where her quips, blushes, hand-holding and kisses of children were seen as evidence that she was less formal than other members of the royal family and made front page news (Dimbleby 1995). The Queen by contrast maintained her dignity and seemed more calculating in her approach, with one member of the public observing that she ‘knew exactly how to provoke a response from the crowd with just a look and a wave of the hand. It was one of the most brilliant pieces of crowd management I’ve ever seen, and so understated’ (quoted in Palmer 2008b: 245). The outstretched hands of the crowd, while not motivated by a belief in the divine healing powers of the monarch’s touch, perhaps suggest a desire to connect: ‘Somehow, visitation and touch do seem to bind society’s fabric reassuringly together. They refurbish certain cohesive elements, a common identity which – since the majority still accept and cling to it – is also a personal matter’ (Nairn 1988: 74).

Conversely, the walkabout’s intimacy made it more difficult for others to sustain an image of regal aloofness, with Princess Anne shocking onlookers in 1970 by referring to the effect of ‘the bloody wind’ on her hat, while Prince Philip was alleged to have sworn at someone in the crowd, although it appeared that the press confused the Greek word for hello (yassou) with something more earthy (Pearlman 2015). Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, spoke about walkabouts recently during a documentary to celebrate the queen’s 90th birthday:

I think there is a real art to walkabouts. Everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting,’ she admitted. ‘So I think I’ve still got to learn a little bit more and to pick up a few more tips I suppose.

The adoption of the term walkabout is a curious and extraordinary example of cultural appropriation. Originating with the Australian Aborigines, it encompasses the idea of travel as an initiation ritual involving a journey that would test resilience and manhood, as well as to connect to one’s country or to kin (Peterson 2004). It is, however, a Pidgin word rather than an indigenous one. Coming into use in the nineteenth century, it was in widespread usage in twentieth century Australia. It appeared, for example, in the popular novel A Town Like Alice (Shute 1950) and film Jedda (1955). It is also often used derogatorily in colloquial Australian language to suggest that Indigenous people perpetually sought to wander and couldn’t hold down a job. (Peterson 2004; Taylor et al. 2015). In this sense, it derides dispossessed Aborigines for not assimilating into their conquerors’ culture. Despite these pejorative connotations, its usage was also prevalent in popular culture at the time of the royal tour. Walkabout was the name of a widely read Australian travel magazine published by the Australian National Travel Association between 1934 and 1974 (Haynes 1998), where the title was explained under the masthead as having ‘an “age-old” background [which] signifies a racial characteristic of the Australian aboriginal, who is always on the move’ (quoted in Peterson 2004: 236). It was also associated with the film Walkabout (1971) starring the British Jenny Agutter as a young girl lost in the Outback, where she encounters a young Indigenous man (David Gulpilil) who is undertaking an initiation walkabout (Haynes 1998).

Reflecting a more culturally sensitive understanding of the term in the modern era, the Oxford Dictionary now refers to a walkabout as having either a British meaning – ‘an informal stroll among a crowd conducted by an important visitor’ – or an Australian one, defined as ‘a journey (originally on foot) undertaken by an Australian Aboriginal in order to live in the traditional manner’ (Oxford English Dictionary 2009). Building on this, Tourism Australia devised a ‘Come Walkabout’ campaign to coincide with the release of the film Australia (2008), with the tag line ‘Sometimes in order to find yourself you have to get lost’. Here, it was used to denote the transformative potential of travel (Frost 2010). The British use of walkabout in relation to public events has become widely used throughout the world and from the early 1970s was extended from royalty to include politicians and dignitaries. Reflecting on this appropriation of a term from another culture, Nairn argued that ‘with a perfection which could only be unconscious, its archaic timbre does convey something of British identity’s dilemma today: an accentuated tribalism labouring to salve the worsening neuroses of modernization’ (1988: 76).

Defining and understanding royal events

Such ceremonies, rituals, pageantry and appearances come under the banner of royal events. They stand out as exemplars of staged events, ephemeral performances that are planned and enacted. With histories stretching back for millennia, they invoke tradition and heritage; but conversely may be constantly changing and being reinvented in response to modern influences. In this book, our aim is to examine and analyse this continuing phenomena. Hitherto they have hardly been considered in Events Studies, but we feel that irrespective of one’s opinions of the institution of monarchy, it is important to understand how and why royal events are staged.

Royal events are focussed on monarchs and their families. Often elaborate, highly ritualised and invoking traditions, royal events are strategically designed to reinforce the role of royalty within social and political structures. In the past, absolute monarchies utilised them to demonstrate their power, majesty and legitimacy over competing claimants. In modern constitutional monarchies, these events are designed to promote national identity and inclusiveness, symbolising and disseminating national narratives. Paradoxically, the emphasis on seemingly archaic ceremonies may disguise that these traditions are invented, revived or undergoing major changes.

Royal events include the following:

• Coronations, funerals and weddings
• Jubilees and anniversaries
• Openings of Parliaments and other constitutional ceremonies
• Public appearances, openings and dedications
• Diplomatic events
• Processions and performances
• Royal visits and tours
• Commemorative events
• Events linked to royal patronage of charities, sports and cultural events
• Involvement within other events (for example, opening the Olympic Games)

Why study royal events?

For researchers in Events Studies, consideration and analysis of royal events can be from three perspectives. The first is operational. These are events that are staged at the highest levels of expertise. They are run with large budgets and with professional teams of event organisers. The participants are the epitome of VIPs and every facet of the event is linked with extensive protocols. The involvement of a public audience raises issues of crowd management, including security, marshalling, traffic, sanitation and catering. They may use existing event venues (for example, in 1970, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia’s largest stadium), or unenclosed public spaces (the streets of Wellington). At times, the interaction with the audience may even lead to co-creation of the event experience.

The second concerns strategic meanings. All events are staged in order to achieve some set of objectives. Formulated by organisers, these may be embraced by audiences, the media and other stakeholders. Or they may not be. Other meanings and interpretations may develop, for events have this characteristic of developing a life of their own beyond the control of their organisers. Royal events are good examples of these complexities. In essence, we can think of them as public relations exercises, designed to reaffirm status, encourage loyalty and national identity and demonstrate magnificence and traditions. However, sometimes such plans go wrong.

The third perspective is that royal events highlight innovation in events development. These are often examples of events organised at the highest level, with substantial budgets and the input of officials and courtiers who are akin to professional events directors and staff. Staging such spectacular and meaningful events requires a range of technical, artistic and logistical experts to be hired and managed. Even though we might view royal events as steeped in tradition, to achieve maximum impact, there is constantly a need for innovative approaches that will surprise and enchant the audiences. Once unveiled at royal events, the tendency is for these innovations to filter downwards through society. This is what economists call the demonstration effect, whereby those who observe new production and services see the status and prestige that are attached to them and quickly begin to duplicate these, often adapting them to their own circumstances and budgets.

All governments – to varying degrees – utilise events rich in ceremony and ritual to demonstrate their authority and reinforce identity and loyalty. The growth of nation states in modern times required the development of state-sponsored institutions such as events to develop and disseminate national stories. These were integral to creating a sense of belonging to the imagined community that was a nation (Anderson 1983; Smith 1991). In many instances, these modern manifestations drew heavily on the past history of royal houses, adapting it to the needs and structures of the modern state.

Accordingly, there is a paradox that as absolute monarchy was rapidly abandoned in the modern era, the symbolism of royal heads of state continued to be highly important and therefore needed to be continually affirmed through royal events, rituals and traditions. As Cannadine argued, ‘Kings may no longer rule by divine right; but the divine rites of kings continue to beguile and enchant’ (1987: 7). In constitutional monarchies around the world, royal events continue as major parts of the ceremonies of state. Through hearkening back to royal practices and personages stretching back hundreds – even thousands – of years, they reinforce modern democratic systems as having deep roots and long continuity.

Whilst all political systems stage state events, it is those associated with royalty that occupy a premier position, capturing the imagination of the media and large sections of the public. Though ‘oligarchies and dictatorships, democracies and republics may be as concerned with spectacle and splendour as monarchical regimes … it is the rituals of royalty which have been the most enduring’ (Cannadine 1987: 6). Indeed, we see the tendency for non-royal regimes to copy and adapt the imagery and rituals of royalty, as in how presidential inaugurations around the world follow some of the conventions of coronations.

The royal tourism/royal events nexus

Royalty has long been recognised as a tourist attraction (Baxendale 2007; Long and Palmer 2008). A range of destinations continue to attract tourists through their associations with monarchy, even in countries that no longer have royal rulers. The Austrian spa resort of Bad Ischl, for example, still trades on its connections with the nineteenth century Empress Elisabeth, popularly known as Sisi (Peters et al. 2011). Royal palaces are popular tourist attractions, even if not inhabited. Combining grand architecture, artistic collections, extensive gardens and colourful histories, many palaces and royal castles draw in large flows of visitors.

What is significant with the royal palaces and castles that are open to the public as tourist attractions is how they often focus on royal events. At Versailles in France, tourists flock into a series of waiting and reception rooms. Extravagantly decorated and furnished, these were public rooms designed to impress officials and ambassadors and reinforce the majesty of the Bourbons. Indeed, it is notable that it is these public event spaces – such as the Hall of Mirrors – that are the feature at Versailles and are filled...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• A brief note on dates
• List of figures
• List of tables
• 1 Introducing royal events
• 2 The Ancient World
• 3 The Dark Ages
• 4 Byzantium
• 5 Medieval kings and chivalry
• 6 The Tudors
• 7 The Stuarts
• 8 The Georgian era: Music, mobility and mayhem
• 9 Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette: elegance and etiquette at the Bourbon court
• 10 Victoria and Albert: the royal family on display
• 11 The late Victorian and Edwardian eras: reclaiming pomp and ceremony
• 12 The New Elizabethan era: deference and dignity
• 13 Royal events in a media world
• 14 The legacy of Diana
• 15 The future for royal events
• References
• Index