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8.1.4: Media Coverage of the Royals

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    Monarchy (mono means one) is a system of government where a single leader inherits political control by birth and family membership and rules for life. A royal family refers to the immediate family members surrounding a ruling monarch.

    There have been kings and queens in England and Britain for more than 1200 years; the current royal family traces its lineage back to William the Conqueror. Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch, is Queen of the 16 countries of the Commonwealth realm with a population of 150 million people. She is also head of the 54 states in the Commonwealth of Nations that comprise 20 percent of the world's land and almost one-third of the world's population. Not surprisingly, whatever the British royal family does generates an enormous response from print and online media.

    The Queen of England's role in the country of Barbados changed dramatically on November 29, 2021, when she was removed as head of state and replaced by Sandra Mason, the nation's first democratically elected woman president -- 400 hundred years after English ships first arrived there and established one of the most oppressive and brutal of England's Caribbean slave colonies.

    As Barbados shifted from a constitutional monarchy to a democratic republic, how did the media cover this historic event? Here is one account from Harpers Bazaar: Prince Charles Honors Barbados's Historic Moment of Independence. Go to Google or other online news sites and see whether the media emphasized the role of the Queen and the monarchy, the change in the nation's government, or the harsh history of slavery in that country.

    Video \(\PageIndex{1}\): Video accompanying activities for Building Democracy for All: Topic 1, Standard 4. Uploaded by Umass Democracy for All. YouTube source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyGEUGTaS8s.

    In the following activities, you will explore how the media covers and portrays influential individuals in the British and U.S. government, specifically the British royal family and United States Presidents.


    Activity 1: Analyze Media Coverage of Harry and Meghan's Interview with Oprah

    In early 2021, Oprah Winfrey's much-anticipated interview with (Prince) Harry and Meghan Markle aired on television in Great Britain and the United States, creating a huge media event. Online and print media devoted extensive coverage to stories of palace intrigue and family conflict, including revelations about racism within the royal family. The interview followed Harry's and Meghan's break with the royal family, in which they voluntarily gave up their royal duties and their His/Her Highness titles.

    • Examine the Oprah interview footage as well as the coverage of the interview in online and print news sources.
      • Curate a Wakelet, Padlet, or Google Slides collection of news articles and videos from the U.S. (e.g., NPR, CNN, Oprah magazine, People magazine, Rolling Stone magazine) and the U.K. (e.g., BBC, The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph).
      • What differences do you see in the coverage of the Harry and Meghan interview?
        • Which images and/or interview clips did each news source use? Why do you think these visuals were selected? How do visuals differ between U.S. and U.K. media outlets?
        • Who is the author or creator of the news article or video? What bias might they have in presenting information about U.K. royalty?
        • What type of language is used in the news article or video? How is language used to influence readers/viewers?
      • How did the participants involved respond to the event?
      • Design a video, podcast, or website to showcase your findings.
    • Consider: How might have British ideas about and practices of government influenced Harry and Meghan's decision to give up their royal duties?
      • Record a mock interview between two individuals of your choosing (e.g., Oprah and the Queen) to discuss this issue.

    Activity 2: Analyze Movie Trailers About British Monarchs and American Presidents

    • Analyze movie trailers to compare and contrast how British Kings and Queens and American Presidents are portrayed in movies.
      • Potential films:
      • Consider:
        • What differences and similarities do you see in how the British royalty and U.S. leaders are portrayed in movies?
        • What perspectives do films take toward these different forms of government leadership?
        • Is it evident that British ideas and practices of government influenced U.S. government? Why or why not?
    • Design a Hollywood-style movie trailer that showcases how British ideas about and practices of government influenced the American colonists and the political institutions that developed in colonial America.

    Additional Resources

    Connecting to the eBook

    Building Democracy for All: 1.4 British Influences on American Government

    Connecting to the Standards
    • Massachusetts Civics & Government Standards
      • Explain how British ideas and practices about government influenced American colonists and the political institutions that developed in colonial America (Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Studies) [8.T1.4]
    • ISTE Standards
      • Knowledge Constructor
        • 3b: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data, or other resources.
        • 3c: Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
      • Creative Communicator
        • 6b: Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
        • 6d: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for the intended audiences.
    • DLCS Standards
      • Ethics and Laws (CAS.b)
      • Interpersonal and Societal Impact (CAS.c)
      • Digital Tools (DTC.a)
      • Collaboration and Communication (DTC.b)
      • Research (DTC.c)
    • English Language Arts > History/Social Studies Common Core Standards
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.8
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.9
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.6
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8
      • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
    • English/Language Arts Common Core Standards

    8.1.4: Media Coverage of the Royals is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.