On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at Balmoral Castle aged 96. Without a doubt, she was one of the most influential world leaders and cultural icons since her ascension to the throne following the death of her father George VI in 1952.
And although the Queen quintessentially represented everything "British", her impact on Americans and American culture is far greater than what many people think.
From a historical point of view, the British monarchy's popularity and obsession in the United States is very recent. In the first century of American history, the United Kingdom and the British crown represented everything that went against the "American Enterprise". The royals symbolized nepotism and unearned privilege, not to mention the lingering bitterness that remained after the American War of Independence and the conflict against King George III. In essence, the American spirit of democracy and ambition transcended that of the superficial and medieval concept of the monarchy in Britain.
But at the outset of the 20th century, Anglo-American relations started to cool and after becoming allies in two world wars and uniting to fight against fascism, Americans of the 1900s started to see the Brits as "cousins" from the "land across the pond". Additionally, the royals also started to become more invested in the US, with frequent visits and Edward VIII's relationship with Baltimore divorcee Wallis Simpson (which eventually led to him abdicating a little less than a year into his reign in 1936).
After the Second World War, the rise of pop culture in America in the 1950s coincided with the beginning of a young Queen Elizabeth's reign, and with it, Americans' obsession with the royals skyrocketed.
Americans grew a taste for status and celebrity, fuelled by an over-sensationalizing media, and the Queen became a product of that. The Beatles and Sex Pistols made songs about her which became hugely popular in the US, Andy Warhol featured her in a series of paintings (one of which featured above), and today the biographical drama series The Crown on her life is one of the most famous Netflix shows of all time. Furthermore, her popularity also translated onto the rest of the royal family. Princess Diana became a hero in the eyes of many Americans in the 80s and 90s, and a combined 51 million people in the US watched both the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
And even though the royal family has provided a series of scandals over the years, her popularity did not wane. If anything, Americans' love for drama among celebrities fuelled interest in the family when certain scandals arised.
Despite the royal family's celebrity status, the Queen was also respected in the United States for her distinctively apolitical leadership. The American political environment lacks neutral leaders, now more than ever, and so her image as an apolitical head of state is greatly appreciated in the US.
At the end of the day, Queen Elizabeth represented something different for the American people. Sure, she and her family are celebrities and are adored for the glamorous lives they led. However, she will always be the perennial example of strong and enduring leadership for all.
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