Modern Monarchy: The British Royal Family Today by Chris Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ll admit, I’m a fan of the British royals. To be fair, I’m also a fan of the Spanish royals too. I’m not exclusive. In my defense, I’m not so much a fan of the individuals themselves but, rather, their history. It’s almost like looking at a living museum. It fascinates me that the antiquated idea of a king has survived into our contemporary world. And the fact that they can trace their families back centuries and have survived the fall of kingdoms in other countries.
From a rhetorical sense, it’s also fascinating to see how the existing royal families legitimize their very existence. Very few European kings and queens have little political power; they’re mostly figure heads. The British royal family seems to have gone the route of using their fame to highlight causes (the charitable route) while other families see themselves as figure heads of history and tradition.
This book was interesting in that it looked at several facets of the British Royal family. The photographer tries to balance the posed, “approved” pictures with more candid moments. It’s clear he’s a royal apologist, but having spent as much time with them as he has, it makes sense. There’s an attempt to make them relatable as well and to that end, I struggle. I’m sure there’s a lot of conflicts and difficulties with being a royal. I just don’t know how much I sympathize with that argument. All in all, if you enjoy the Royal Windsor family and photographs, then give this book a chance. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.